Difference between revisions of "Multipoint Conference Unit (MCU)"

From Fab Lab Wiki - by NMÍ Kvikan
Jump to: navigation, search
(added jabbervideo, xmeeting 0.3.4 on Mac OS 10.8 Mountain Lion)
(MacOS: .48 instead of .46)
Line 37: Line 37:
 
#[commercial, free for 5 minutes per call to H.323/SIP equipment] [http://www.mirial.com/products/ClearSea_desktop_video.html '''ClearSea''']. Need an account at clearsea.com; calls are actually made via the clearsea cloud service. Client works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording, echo cancellation. Also for Windows, iOS, Android.  
 
#[commercial, free for 5 minutes per call to H.323/SIP equipment] [http://www.mirial.com/products/ClearSea_desktop_video.html '''ClearSea''']. Need an account at clearsea.com; calls are actually made via the clearsea cloud service. Client works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording, echo cancellation. Also for Windows, iOS, Android.  
 
#[commercial, expensive: 169 EUR] [http://www.mirial.com/products/Mirial_Softphone_HD.html '''Mirial Softphone''']. Works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), , includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording.  
 
#[commercial, expensive: 169 EUR] [http://www.mirial.com/products/Mirial_Softphone_HD.html '''Mirial Softphone''']. Works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), , includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording.  
#'''[http://xmeeting.sourceforge.net Xmeeting]'''. Xmeeting is a free piece of open source software that knows how to speak to the MCU using the SIP protocol.  Works sometimes with quirks up to OS 10.6 (need to start it twice to make it work). Has distorted video on 10.5. Does not work on 10.7, version 0.3.4 works on 10.8 (if you remove the XMeeting prefs file first and add a sip registrar). After you download and install Xmeeting, simply use "SIP:18.85.8.46" in the connect to tab. To select conferences, use the "dialpad" tab (click hammer symbol, and then 'remote control') and click on the number 1 and then # to join the FabLab conference.
+
#'''[http://xmeeting.sourceforge.net Xmeeting]'''. Xmeeting is a free piece of open source software that knows how to speak to the MCU using the SIP protocol.  Works sometimes with quirks up to OS 10.6 (need to start it twice to make it work). Has distorted video on 10.5. Does not work on 10.7, version 0.3.4 works on 10.8 (if you remove the XMeeting prefs file first and add a sip registrar). After you download and install Xmeeting, simply use "SIP:18.85.8.48" in the connect to tab. To select conferences, use the "dialpad" tab (click hammer symbol, and then 'remote control') and click on the number 1 and then # to join the FabLab conference.
 
#'''[http://www.linphone.org Linphone]'''.
 
#'''[http://www.linphone.org Linphone]'''.
  

Revision as of 12:22, 21 June 2013

Equipment
Mcu screenshot.jpg
Fab Lab Video Conference

The video conference server is mcu.cba.mit.edu which has a static IP address of 18.85.8.48.

Most of you know this as "the Polycom" or "video conference system at MIT". "MCU" stands for Multipoint Control Unit" and is the switchbox that takes in lots of individual connections and joins them together into groups. Some companies specialize in running MCU's as a service. MIT CBA purchased our own from a company named Codian and the MCU lives in the back of our lab in E15-023. It is maintained mostly by David Dalrymple and Neil Gershenfeld.

Connecting to the MCU

Dedicated Unit (ie, Polycom or Lifesize)

Polycom Unit

Most fab labs have a Polycom which is an all-in-one camera+speakers+computer unit. With the polycom, you simply connect power and ethernet cable and some kind of screen or TV. It has a dialing menu and you simply type in the IP address of our MCU which is 18.85.8.48. Done! Some labs have higher end units which may have multiple microphones, remote control to move the camera, and more features.

The problem for most people is that Polycom units are rather expensive to keep at home or to carry around when you're not in a Fab Lab. But you can still join the conference if you've got a computer with speakers and microphone or a headset. While a camera isn't necessary, it will let everyone else see you too.

Windows

  1. Jabber from Cisco (download at https://www.ciscojabbervideo.com/ or via cisco.com and get a jabber account from Cisco). Connect to the MCU by calling jabbervideo@18.85.8.48
  2. ConferenceMe. Using a web browser (such as Firefox, Explorer, Opera) go to http://mcu.cba.mit.edu Lower on the screen is an option to "Join a conference using ConferenceMe". Enter Conference ID "1" and click on "Join Conference". There is a link to install the ConferenceMe software on that page if you haven't done it already. After you install ConferenceMe, click on "Click here to join the conference using ConferenceMe".
  3. [commercial, free] ClearSea. Need an account at clearsea.com; calls are actually made via the clearsea cloud service. Client works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording, echo cancellation. Also for Mac, iOS, Android.
  4. Ekiga for Windows. Based on GnomeMeeting, Ekiga is a free piece of open source software that knows how to speak to the MCU using the SIP protocol. After you download and install Ekiga (get the regular release, not the debug version), simply use "SIP:18.85.8.46" in the connect to tab. (Skip the part where you register a SIP name or get an Ekiga username.) To select conferences, use the "dialpad" tab and click on the number 1 to join the FabLab conference.
  5. Polycom software I don't know too much about this but you can apparently purchase software directly from Polycom which will turn a computer+camera+speakers+microphone in to the all-in-one unit.
  6. Linphone.

Ubuntu/Knoppix/Linux

  1. Ekiga. Based on GnomeMeeting, Ekiga is a free piece of open source software that knows how to speak to the MCU using the SIP protocol. After you download and install Ekiga (get the regular release, not the debug version), go to ekiga settings, disable all video codecs except "h261". Simply use "h323:18.85.8.46" in the connect to tab. (Skip the part where you register a SIP name or get an Ekiga username.) To select conferences, use the "dialpad" tab and click on the number 1 to join the FabLab conference. If you have problems with your video signal during the conference, try to change the camers resolution in the settings.
  2. Empathy. Also open source and freely available, Empathy is a Gnome project which supports many protocols. To connect to the MCU, after downloading and installing Empathy, you should use the SIP protocol to connect to 18.85.8.46. Use the "dialpad" to click on the number 1 to join the FabLab conference.

MacOS

  1. Jabber from Cisco (download at https://www.ciscojabbervideo.com/ or via cisco.com and get a jabber account from Cisco). Connect to the MCU by calling jabbervideo@18.85.8.48
  2. [commercial, free for 5 minutes per call to H.323/SIP equipment] ClearSea. Need an account at clearsea.com; calls are actually made via the clearsea cloud service. Client works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording, echo cancellation. Also for Windows, iOS, Android.
  3. [commercial, expensive: 169 EUR] Mirial Softphone. Works plug-and-play (tested with OS X 10.7.2), , includes H239 (presentation mode), far end camera control, call recording.
  4. Xmeeting. Xmeeting is a free piece of open source software that knows how to speak to the MCU using the SIP protocol.  Works sometimes with quirks up to OS 10.6 (need to start it twice to make it work). Has distorted video on 10.5. Does not work on 10.7, version 0.3.4 works on 10.8 (if you remove the XMeeting prefs file first and add a sip registrar). After you download and install Xmeeting, simply use "SIP:18.85.8.48" in the connect to tab. To select conferences, use the "dialpad" tab (click hammer symbol, and then 'remote control') and click on the number 1 and then # to join the FabLab conference.
  5. Linphone.

Settings for Xmeeting: use stun (stunserver.org), enable H323 and SIP, no gatekeeper, no registrar.