Downloading and Installing NetMeeting.

MOST USERS WILL NOT REQUIRE NETMEETING.  BUT IF THE IRB SOUND DOES NTO WORK IN YOUR SETUP THEN FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW TO CONFIGURE NETMEETING.

IF YOU ARE RUNNING WINDOWS XP DO NOT DOWNLOAD-- NETMEETING IS ALREADY INSTALLED AS PART OF WINDOWS OTHERWISE NETMEETING IS LOADED ON YOUR COMPUTER WHEN YOU DOWNLOAD THE FULL WEBXCVR SOFTWARE.

IT IS CRITICAL THAT NETMEETING BE SETUP AS ILLUSTRATED BELOW.

Note these are screens from my computer (XP Home OS) and may not be exactly the same as those for other Windows OS. After you have completed the installation you should review the test procedures and understand about internet audio delay.

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  • At “Tools, Options, General”, “My directory information” place <your callsign> in “First Name”, <your first name> in “Last Name”, and <your email address> in “E-mail address”

  • Check “Show the Net Meeting icon on the taskbar”. 

  • NOTE: The remote base does NOT use any directory server. So all that capability should remain disabled. The box to log onto the directory server should be unchecked and the   box to NOT list you in the directory should be checked. Incidentally Microsoft no longer supports this directory service for NetMeeting, although several third party organizations still provide this service..
nm6.gif (8250 bytes) At “Bandwidth Settings”, I recommend the 28800 setting initially even if you are connected to a higher bandwidth system.  When you have NetMeeting to working properly, then experimenting with the higher rates is fine. I have seen problems of data rate mismatch between the two ends and codec inconsistencies. Thus I recommend everyone starts out at same 28800 bandwidth setting.

Also make sure that the radio control "Sound" menu is set to a dial up connection also
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  • At “Tools, Options, General, Audio” review the settings to insure that the box for “Enable full-duplex audio” is checked

  • I do not recommend checking any auto gain control boxes. Just set the levels correctly for your voice.

  • If your box for DirectSound is highlighted then you can check that also

  • Be sure that the box for “Silence Detection”—“Adjust silence detection automatically (Recommended)”—is checked, and.

  • Bring up NM 3.01 and its associated Wizard to set your headset audio receiving level (starting at minimum level) to your own comfort level. There is a set of test tones to assist you. Try setting the NM receiving volume at 50 %. Try setting the NM microphone volume at 50%. It is critical that you keep both Windows and NetMeeting microphone volume levels relatively low so you do not overdrive and distort the remote base system audio.

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  • Make sure the security boxes are not checked. Selection of encrypted calling will prevent audio connection with the Remote Bases
nm4.gif (14962 bytes) BE SURE THAT THE TWO BOXES NEXT TO THE MICROPHONE AND SPEAKER ARE CHECKED.

 

Testing NetMeeting

There are two tests you should do with NetMeeting prior to operating the W4MQ remote station.

1.Run the Audio Setup Wizard to verify proper operation of both the output sound and input microphone audio. This verifies local operation only.

2. Log into the W4MQ Remote using the Standalone Interface and  run the audio loopback test from your computer through the internet to the remote and back to your computer. This verifies ALL aspects of NetMeeting operation through the actual communication channels you will use for radio operations. To set the remote into loopback mode (1)  Log on to the remote using your userID(callsign) and password and (2)  Enable the TX Monitor popup menu by clicking the green status label, i.e. “Off” , etc. and selecting the TXMonitor option.  Set the frequency to a little used segment, e.g. 29000MHz and the power to 5w. If you were hearing receiver audio, it will be silenced and you should now hear your microphone audio being transmitted by NetMeeting over the internet.  If you do not hear your audio, then go to the NetMeeting troubleshooting section. Make sure the audio is clean, i.e. the levels are set correctly. Remember this is what the other stations will hear upon transmit!!

When completed, disable loopback by selecting the TX Monitor Off or On from the popup menu

PROBLEMS: Occasionally some people cannot get a NM connection. Problems that cause it are usually firewalls and hardware routers (see below). Even without these some connections cannot be made. I have included another feature to allow the user to make the connection starting at the host end.

Use the key combination SHIFT+ALT+N to initiate the NM call from the host end. If you did not allow your NM to accept calls automatically then it will rig you and await your manual response..

 

Internet Audio Delay

NetMeeting is designed so the user does not lose any audio. Thus whenever a small network delay or outage occurs, it provides buffering so that audio is not lost. This, however, adds a delay between the source and your audio. (Note: for transmit users the same thing happens with your audio going back to the transmitter!!) Thus after a series of even small delays, this adds up and the tuning becomes out of sync with the audio and your response to a CQ or QSO is delayed. This is especially evident when chasing DX when your return call may be delayed so it it may overlap the DX station’s response to more quickly responding stations.

There is an easy way to fix this—Clear the NetMeeting receive buffer.  This can be done by the clicking the Clear NetMeeting button once or by using the ALT+B key combination. IMPORTANT:  BE SURE THAT THE TWO BOXES NEXT TO THE MICROPHONE AND SPEAKER ARE CHECKED AFTER THIS OPERATION IS COMPLETED. Make sure that you actually hear a dead period, i.e.no sound. The clear function is set to clear only a few seconds of the buffer with each click. Sometimes the delay is longer and the button needs to be activated several times.

NOTE: For DX chasing, contests, etc. it probably is better to continuously clear the receive buffer by directly clicking the box next to the speaker in the NetMeeting window.  Wail until the sounds stops and then immediately enable the sound again.

 

Firewalls

Firewalls such as Zone Alarm may protect your computer, but they also may inhibit proper operation of the Remote.  Additionally, even if the connection is established correctly, the firewall may prevent the audio from flowing into your computer.  NetMeeting uses many IP ports, including some dynamic settings for the audio ports, thus making it difficult to use NetMeeting through  high security firewalls.

If you know that NetMeeting is setup correctly, then reduce the security level of your firewall to check if it is preventing a connection or inhibiting the sound. My own experience with Zone Alarm is that it can inhibit the sound, and reducing the security level to Medium will allow the sound to pass through. You also may include the Remote in your list of “safe “ sites. The Remote IP  for W4MQ is 151.200.45.13

 

Routers

Many users are using routers to share internet connections among several computers. Unfortunately the typical NAT (Network Address Translation) type of inexpensive router used in most home applications will not support NetMeeting, except if the computer is placed outside of the router protection area, usually called the DMZ. It is very dangerous to do this, since it places that computer "naked" on the internet and subject to attacks from hackers, etc..

Recently several router manufacturers have introduced home routers that will support NetMeeting in its normal operations, i.e. without using the dangerous DMZ option.  I have installed one ( see www.nexland.com ) at W4MQ and it fully supports the remotebase operations. Addtional information can be viewed here.


Transmit Audio Quality

While NetMeeting provides reasonably good communications quality audio, it does not work well for all users.

If your voice is like mine and has a lot of low frequency tones, then some improvement in the transmit audio may be obtained by turning on the TX Equalization. The resultant spectral shaping provides similar characteristics to the Heil DX microphone element.

You can monitor your transmit audio as follows: