Zoom, Skype Technical Q&A here:

[quincy]

2 hours ago, jwhess said:

My Android device updated Zoom to version 5.10.6 today but I still haven't seen the update on my Ipad or phone.

Not even offered in the App Store yet 

[Qapla]

[-Chris-]

TLDR: I messed things up at the meeting last night. Work on your plan B for when things go wrong.

 

We had a bit of a mess last night at the start of the meeting and I contributed more than my fair share of the disaster. Arrived at the hall later than I'd like but still early with the sound assignment but A/V is unclear because the brother assigned is on vacation. I start things up to at least get Zoom and KHCONF running for the friends until our assignments are clarified and find that the computer had been left on from last night's meeting and was very confused about what was AV desk monitor and what was audience monitor. Rather than simply trying to reboot (first mistake) I try to *fix* things, plugging and unplugging monitor cords, etc. We've had previous issues, thought 

 

Finally I reboot and all seems well. Get the Zoom and KHCONF going, get media prepared for Convention part, get my mind prepared for opening prayer assignment, Chairman announces opening song and ... no sound. Check audio devices and nothing. Prepare for plan B, iPad into 1/8" audio jack, hand that to brother coordinating sound now back at the opened sound desk. He grabs a cable and plugs into the iPad, we have song, I open with prayer.

 

I come back and kick off further troubleshooting. I delegate this as I was also last minute substituting with the first Treasures part. I had planned introducing it with "Have you ever completed a project and felt like you were missing something?" I couldn't help but add "Like tonight, with our missing song and lyrics". Got a good laugh out of that one, which went a long ways toward calming my nerves and letting me focus on the part. Meanwhile the very capable brothers were back there trying to get sound working. Later on in the part I hear some computer noises over the sound system and think "hey they've got it". Wrapping up and heading back they don't have it.

 

I go to the back of the sound desk and start re-thinking what I'm looking at. I look at the Pre-Out connection, now connected to the Line Out on the computer and feel like something's wrong. I wave the connector around and it hits me:

 

The Input to the mixer isn't connected!

 

I fish around and find it, connect it to the Line Out and connect the Pre-Out connection to the Line In. I ask our young brother coordinating sound who had plugged in my iPad for the song "Was there only one audio connector into the computer?" and he says "Yes". We very quietly set the computer back to the "Windows Sound Scheme", play some alerts very softly to confirm things are working as intended, check with our Zoom attendant that yes, now Zoom can hear the meeting, and sit back to finally enjoy the meeting. Oh, and text the myriad of friends who alerted me that things weren't working, to let them know that they were finally working and apologize for the problems.

 

I'm pretty sure I accidentally unplugged the audio when I started trying to fix the video.

 

Lessons learned:

1. Have a plan B. I've had this in mind because we've had previous problems with this computer but this underscores the necessity, we need a clear plan B to handle our current hybrid meetings. My phone connected to Zoom held by someone near the front would have been adequate, it would have let the friends on the conference know that something was up but it was being handled. We can get a HDMI adapter for the stage iPad and use that for lyrics on the screens.
2. Reboot the computer. Channel your Chris O'Dowd or your Richard Ayoade from IT Crowd and ask yourself in a proper British accent: "Have you tried turning it off and on again"?
3. Training and second opinion. More of the brothers involved should know the details of the connections and wires and connectors plugged into the computer. There's enough PC enthusiasts and a couple of audio enthusiasts that should know how this is all connected. Multitude of counselors and all of that.

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

"IT Crowd" ... lol. Luv it.

I think we should label our cables as well. Good tip...

Old (Downunder) Tone

Recent story. We started in person meetings a little later than most congs, as our hall was in the middle of renovations when Covid-19 shut it down. It was a mess. Anyhow...
We are up and running except for the security cameras that monitor the front gate. So Sunday after the meeting me and an proper 'Engineer' went to explore what was going on. We were at it for hours. He was googling the manuals of the gear (now over 2 years old) trying to guess the IP address to interrogate the server. Trying to find an app that talked to the security network.
Long story short (please don't ask why we didn't do this first), we 'Turn Off, Turn On'.
You guessed it, it popped up and turned on with no issues...really?
Yes really. What was the problem?
Why didn't we do this first!?

[The Outcast]

Passcode requirement

 

As of this week, more and more brothers who open Zoom meetings are getting a request for a one-time passcode.
It says, "We've seen an unusual sign-in attempt from a location or device you don't normally use, or haven't used in a while. To sign in to your Zoom account, check your email address and enter the verification code below."

The problem is that only one brother has access to the email account for the organizational account. But about 20 brothers start the various meetings.

When the message appears, someone else has to start the meeting in a hurry. Always afraid that the message will appear for him too.

How can I prevent or bypass this message?

[Skye]

More and more sites are adopting 2-step verification. Is there an option to not request this for 30days? After which Zoom would need to verify your identity.

 

Have you changed your location? I guess it’s for our safety, in these days of cyberattacks. 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Skye

[The Outcast]

45 minutes ago, Skye said:

Is there an option to not request this for 30days?

 

Have you changed your location?

Twice: no.

It affects almost all brothers who open meetings.
Only those who open a meeting place almost every day are not affected.

[Skye]

24 minutes ago, The German said:

Twice: no.

It affects almost all brothers who open meetings.
Only those who open a meeting place almost every day are not affected.

I take my comment back on location change. I just logged into my Zoom account from the same laptop i've used since 2019, in the same spot in the house....and got the 2-factor authentication request. The code expires in 10 minutes.

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

I got the request for the code today. I thought it was because it was a new month.... it delayed the group for a little while. Lol

At first all who tried to logon got the 'code' request. (We tried to get someone else to start the FS meeting. That didn't work.)
Once the code was entered, we all can now sign in again (without entering any code).

Might be a security check. Or possibly (it happened to me on Netflix) they try see who is sharing passwords... Try to force more to sign up.

Old (Downunder) Tone

[Qapla]

 

 

[AH173]

29 minutes ago, Qapla said:

 

 

OK, thanks. I checked before last night's meeting and nothing at that time. 

 

Another one. 

 

 

[howudodat]

sigh, another mediocre update from a mediocre software company produced by ...

Someday they might release what customers actually want

[jwhess]

Zoom updated on my Iphone and Ipad this morning.  They jumped all the way from 5.10.4, past all the incremental changes to 5.11.0

[Qapla]

[jwhess]

My Apple IOS devices (Ipad and Iphone) just updated Zoom to version 5.11.2 but not on Windows or Android yet.

[Qapla]

From my WIndows 10 PC

 

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

Zoom for Android is now 5.11.4 (7276)

Old (Downunder) Tone
 

Edited July 26, 2022 by ➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

Also now on Win 11

[Qapla]

Thanks - I had to remove the last update because I am one of those with the "subset of users with AND processor using virtual background(s)" who kept having the video freeze. I must have sent a couple dozen crash reports about this issue.

 

Then I was unable to update until they got the problem fixed.

 

Seems to be working now

 

 

[AH173]

On Monday's midweek meeting, I restarted the hall computer in hopes of no problems. 

 

It restarted good, performed my usual zoom checks. After testing the zoom participants and getting jw library ready, I could not download any of the 3 videos for the meeting. I tried for at least 30 to 45 minutes to get it to download. All to no success. I downloaded it on my phone and then used send anywhere app to send from my phone to Computer and then use vlc to play when needed. 

 

I thank Jehovah for having it all work out. 😃

Edited July 27, 2022 by AH173
Correction

[Pabo]

When setting up our computer for the KH, we had imported and download every video and release onto the machine and keep regularly download the new videos and publications when they are released before or after the meetings when we have time available.

 

I had installed a 2TB secondary hard drive which is the default setting for the JWL to store its videos and audio onto, whereas the main drive is a 512GB SSD for the operating system and everything else.

 

Thus when it comes to the meetings themselves, we generally have it already downloaded.

[Qapla]

[AH173]

Oh goody,  another one. 

 

😀

[Qapla]

 

 

[jwhess]

I have version 5.11.9 on my Windows and on my Android but I can't seem to get any update past 5.11.3 on my Iphone or Ipad.