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SA NREN Mconf Web conferencing End User
Documentation:
1. How to start your first Mconf meeting
This document contains the following:
Step 1: Navigate the SA NREN website
Step 2: Log-in to the Mconf Service
Step 3: Understanding the spaces available on your web-portal
3.1 Using your personal meeting space
3.2 Creating a new space
Step 4: Inviting people to your meeting
Step 5: Starting the meeting room
Step 6: Audio tests
Step 7: Getting familiar with your meeting room
Additional Information
Troubleshooting Tips
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STEP 1: NAVIGATE THE SA NREN WEBSITE
A Mozilla Firefox browser should be used for full functionally of the Mconf system. This will allow the
use of the WebRTC Audio, Desktop Sharing and Recording feature.
Enter the following into your browser http://mconf.sanren.ac.za/
Please note that we are currently using a self-signed certificate for the website therefore a security
warning is expected. Please continue to the website.
STEP 2: LOG-IN TO THE MCONF SERVICE
If already registered as a user, sign in with your username or password
OR
Register a new account, validate your account with email received, then sign in with your username
and password at http://mconf.sanren.ac.za/
OR
Sign in with SAFIRE federation
STEP 3: UNDERSTANDING THE SPACES AVAILABLE ON YOUR WEB-PORTAL
Once signed into Mconf you will enter your web portal page, similar to that shown below.
You have the choice of two types of rooms:
1. You personal meeting room space
2. Option of creating a new space, for a specific type of meeting
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3.1 USING YOUR PERSONAL MEETING SPACE
If you chose to use your personal meeting space, “Your URL” is the location of your meeting room.
Each participant will enter your meeting room by using this URL.
(Refer to STEP 4)
3.2 CREATING A NEW SPACE: If you decide to create a new space, your will be redirected to the
“Create a New Space” screen:
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Here you fill in the details of your new virtual meeting room and can elect to make the room public
or private.
A public room is open to all users with access to the url for the room, a private room can only be
entered by users who have a passkey.
Click create to create the virtual room space.
Once your new space has been created, you will see something similar to this:
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If you have elected to use a Private room, you must navigate to the admin tab, and will see the
following:
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Check the Private box and provide a key for attendees and moderators.
Attendee key must be provided to attendees.
Moderator key must be provided to presenters.
Public rooms are suitable in most cases as the admin of the room can allow/disallow a person to
enter the room when they are requesting entry to the room.
STEP 4: INVITING PEOPLE TO YOUR MEETING
The recommended way to invite people to your meeting is to copy and paste your meeting room url
into your email client’s meeting invitation. This method is recommended as it will allow you to track
accepted, declined & tentative replies from your meeting participants through your email client.
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Alternatively, clicking on the gears icon will display the option to invite other people:
Click on invite other people. You will see:
You can fill in email addresses or Mconf usernames into the “User” field. Click send to send meeting
invitation.
Your participants will then receive the meeting invite, however with this option there is no way to
detect whether the participant has accepted/declined the meeting.
Once the meeting invites are sent you will return to your space’s home screen.
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STEP 5: STARTING THE MEETING ROOM
If your user has permission to record meetings, you can start the meeting in two ways. If you do not
have access to the recording feature, there is only one start icon option.
1. Click the left icon, “Start”, where you will be prompted with an option of recording the
meeting. (The recording feature will be explained in later documentation.) Please proceed
with the recording feature deselected and click “Done, start the meeting!”
2. Click the “Fast start” button to start the room immediately
Participants must click on the url given to them in the email invite received to enter the
meeting room.
If the room is a private room, participants will need the room url and passkey.
The room needs to be started by a member of the room to allow participants to enter the
room. As the administrator you are also able to give other participants rights to start the
room.
STEP 6: AUDIO TESTS
Depending on the browser being used, Mconf will first try to connect your audio over WebRTC or
through Flash Media Player if your browser does not support WebRTC.
Upon entering the meeting room, you will see this:
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Select how you want to join the audio and follow prompts to select your correct microphone and
speaker devices (headset preferred).
When using a WebRTC connection, you will see this screen, the audio takes about 10 second to
connect before displaying test prompts.
If you are unable to connect over WebRTC, your audio tests will take place over Flash media player.
You are also able to cancel the audio test over WebRTC to connect through Flash media player
Once the audio tests are complete you will have access to the meeting room.
STEP 7: GETTING FAMILIAR WITH YOUR MEETING ROOM
Audio status
Share webcam
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Presentation screen
Screen share
Share webcam
Microphone status
Public and private chat
options
Change between
presenter and
participant mode here
Change between
presenter and
participant mode here
Upload and download presentations
Hover, into the “Presentation window” for editing tools to appear on the right hand side of the window. These
tools can be used to annotate a presentation or draw/write on a whiteboard.
To create a whiteboard in this space, just upload a blank pdf page.
ADDITIONAL INFO
The best way to get familiar with the environment is to click around!
Other useful things that you can do if you are administrating a space:
-
Set up a document repository to populate with documents, minutes etc. for you space for others to
access
Publish any new information/changes made to your space
Invite participants to people permanent members of a space with different permissions
Set default layouts for a room
TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS
1. Check that you Network connection is working
2. Meeting Room Not opening:
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Deselect IPv6 option
3. Desktop Sharing Problem
Mconf requires Java 1.7.0_51 or later for Desktop Sharing.
The Chrome browser no longer supports the Java Plugin – It is recommended that users make use of
Mozilla Firefox in order to be able to use WebRTC Audio and Desktop Sharing.
4. WebRTC not connecting
Cancel audio test to default to Flash media audio
CONTACT DETAILS
As this is the first revision of this guide, please inform us any issues with the steps provided. Mconf is currently
is pre-production phase at the SA NREN. Please advise us if there are any problems with the system. We are
happy to assist you with any problems you may be experiencing.
Please contact:
Kasandra Isaac
SANReN Engineer, Building 43, Meraka
Institute, CSIR
Office: +27 12 841 2198
Cell: +27 84 382 1942
Patrick Holahan
TENET
Senior Network Engineer
Web: http://www.tenet.ac.za
Email: [email protected]
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Email: [email protected]
GSM: +27 79 523 5555