Stupid NetMeeting Question

[moonlight burner]

Planning to use it for 'video conferencing' for the company, who is complaining hell about high overseas phone bills , straight in my face, untill my face is red. Well printed 100 over pages of NetMeeting Resource Kit, still got problems with it, hope I can overcome this problem.

Excerpts from 'Microsoft Windows NetMeeting 3 Resource Kit', on installing and configuring NetMeeting, in the 'Using the Startup Wizard'section:

To run the startup Wizard:

1. Click START, point to Programs , and then click NetMeeting.
Review some of the Net Meeting features and then click Next.

2. Type the user info in each of the text boxes, and then click NEXT.

3. To automatically log on to a specific server when NetMeeting starts. select the ," LOG ON TO A DIRECTORY SERVER WHEN NETMEETING STARTS' CHECK BOX, SND THEN IN 'servername', type or click the directory server name.

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So the question is the ," What directory server" is it talking about ?

Is it a server hosted by Microsoft ? or I need to set up a Server, to use for NetMeeting ?


Thanks in advance

[dldz]

I'm not sure if this will help but I use NetMeeting and I just enter in the IP address of whoever I'm calling. Or you can find a .ils server to log on to. I have alot of ils links so repost if you would like some. Good Luck Don

[glc]

I have never used a directory server with Netmeeting, I just do a direct IP connect.

[moonlight burner]

Ok, that means the computers particpating in the 'NetMeeting' need to get a valid Public IP address from the ISP ?

[dldz]

If they Or you load NetMeeting then look under Help/About at the bottom it will show they're IP # thats what I use. Some IP's change each time you dial up so this is one method

[moonlight burner]

Didz, so when the NetMeeting is loaded, as you say, there a IPs displayed,

" But how do you know which specific IP address is the correct party that you want to 'talk' to ? "

[courto]

moonlight burner,
You need the other party to tell you their IP address so that you can connect or "call" them.

[dldz]

After your 'client' is connected to they're ISP load NM and find out they'e IP address,Help/About. Then email you they're IP addy '123.546.00'
Then you enter that # in the black box (see pic) then hit the phone icon to connect.
I hope this helps you if not please repost, and we can go a little further on this. Good Luck Don

[moonlight burner]

Oright ! I got the 'picture' now

BTW, another question, what kind of ' WebCAM ' do you use for 'NetMeetin' video conferencing ?

[highrisemech]

Just a note avoid all of that and download yahoo instant messenger. It works great with a logitech quick cam. I talk to my sister in California live no problem. Not to mention you can talk hands free. Best thing since sliced bread if you ask me.

[moonlight burner]

Originally posted by highrisemech Just a note avoid all of that and download yahoo instant messenger. It works great with a logitech quick cam. I talk to my sister in California live no problem. Not to mention you can talk hands free. Best thing since sliced bread if you ask me.

Finally decided 'yaho instant messenger' instead of MS Netmeeting 3.0, as Highrisemech convinced me -"best thing since sliced bread". And today , I did make progress into the road to video conferencing. Yes, installing was a 'breeze' , took less than 5 mins on our dial-up ISDN. After a reboot , choose an ID, which was quite some 'work' as 'millions of names' that you can think of were used up already. Got over that, "wha-la", that's that. Installed yahoo messenger on another computer, and after 'inviting' each other, we did 'phone' on the internet, just like that ! So simply, I don't have to get 'scared' by 'netmeeting directory stuff, LDAP' and lots of techqy stuff, that I've not seen or done before.

My Boss was pretty happy, next I hit the phone, and get some quotation on " Logitech QuickCam Pro 3000", as many people seem to favour it, after 3COM home connect and Intel , which are as extinct as dinasoar here.

Well we see how it goes with the video performance.

[moonlight burner]

Whooo...managed to find this thread to continue my 'findings'. Well I managed to get my hands on 'Logitech QuickCam 3000 Pro', at abt US 90 bucks. Frankly, felt like a 'kid', when buying it, cause it's really look like a toy . Well, it's good to be young again Oh, for those who are on Win95, you can forget abt installing it, cause it allows Win98SE onwards. Ok, it comes with 3 CDs, the webcam and a USB cable, nothing out of the ordinary. The Cam looks like golf ball, and has a little shield, which u can slot in, for privacy. It has a nice 'U' shaped stand. Overall, looks 'acceptable' at 90 bucks. Though I frankly feel it's a bit pricy, and 'cheapy' look. Well can't expect too much, I guess I always felt 'Camera' would looks and feels like a 'brick' guess it's a 'new mindset' I can to overcome.
Well , manuals says, you install the software first, until it ask you to insert the cable. Yes, installation wise, it was 'brezzey', no problem at all, you don't need to be a expert.
Interface wise, it has litttle icon found at the right hand corner of the desktop. After clicking it , the 'oomps' are there waiting for you.
Yes, you can just take you picture, either clicking on the mouse, or manually pressing a button on top of the webcam. The 'picture' was quite good,at first I was annoyed by the 'flickering', later I found one option that would 'do' away it. Yes, you can adjust 'brightness', 'Contrast'. 'Saturation', 'Hue', you can orientate it upside down, and there was 'horizontal' mirror that I think it's neat. Pretty powerful feature I would say would gratify most demanding people.
After shooting a picture of myself, immediately, the shot was presented on the screen, and there 's a button, saying you could 'email' straight away ! NEAT !
Ok, for those of you , who loves to do a 'full mounty' show, boy, you would love the streaming feature, just a 'click' and you can do your show Boy, talk abt 'art' these days !
And for those who loves to broadcast you show at a website, you can do it too. There are others like photo editing software, which I have yet to explore . But generally, this is what you 'are getting.

Oright, the 'tricky' part , was using the WebCam for the Yahoo messenger. I wouldn't say it's " The next best thing, after slicing the bread', for people like me, who is lying behind a 'firewall'. Boy, when It wouldn't work, really 'sweat' till my pants were wet.
But I guess it's fair, it's implying general modem players, which I excessivey overly bought it. But I managed to got over that 'huge' obstacles, as I have spare public IPs for my disposal, what a close call. For a moment, I thought I have bear the price of two pricy cameras for a failed project. Boy, it'a no fun I can tell you.
Ok, overall when I have my camera on, my invited party would see me, there's a text beside the online icon, saying so. The other party just right click on it , and choose to view , and that's thats simple to see each other. I think I have not tried out the 'microphone' throughly, I think, you need to be in quite a 'quiet place' to good 'audio' results.
But generally, I felt quite happy, it works. But remember I'm doing on a ISDN 64KB, for 56K modem, I'm not too sure , it will work 'satisfactorily'.
Well , thats 'wrap' up the saga of the 'Stupid netmeeting question', that I have not tried, maybe IF I have time. Till next time.

Enjoy

[jamesrpm]

THANKS for the review and the followup!!
Very informative

[highrisemech]

I knew you could do it quite easily using this method. Although the more computer savvy you are the easier it is to configure. The microphone is quite easy to configure as well. Be advised that the speakers can not be to close to the microphone also RF shielded speakers work better for this application. I never really configured net meeting so I can't really give a comparison as to its simplicity. ( I just knew that Yahoo is quite easy to configure).
As to the price of the logitech camera I bout mine generically on Ebay for $24.00 with no driver I downloaded the driver off thier web site. Although I did have to go to the instant messanger help section and download an additional file since apparently this file does not come with the OEM version of the camera only the retail version, but this never bothers me since I love working through computer issues. It seems it it just gets easier and easier.