NetMeeting BackPak^™  

Getting Started  |  Before the meeting  |  During the meeting  |  Admin Guidelines 
Glossary  |  Troubleshooting  |  Cameras and Headsets  |  About

Getting Started

Positioning the NetMeeting BackPak on your Desktop 
The NetMeeting BackPak can be repositioned along either side of your desktop.  Just point to its titlebar and  hold down the left mouse button as you drag and drop the BackPak along the side you prefer.  To automatically hide the BackPak along the edge of your desktop check the Auto Hide option,  and then click anywhere on your desktop to hide it.  

An alternate method of opening and hiding the BackPak toolbar is to check the Use Taskbar option. When in taskbar mode pop-up menus may be displayed by right-clicking on the titlebar, or by right-clicking on the BackPak's icon which is located in the lower right corner of your screen.  The Open menu opens and displays the BackPak toolbar, and the Minimize menu reduces it once again to an icon.

Setup and Configuration 
Configuration of your software and hardware begins by pressing the My Settings button.  The dialog that next appears allow you to enter your local settings, and to adjust your video, audio and security settings.  Wizards are provided for tuning and testing your audio and video subsystems before you join an online meeting.

Placing a Call
The BackPak's "Dial/Hang-up" field and buttons are used to call someone.  The most common methods of initializing a connection are to enter the other party's IP address, or to select the other party from an online list of connected users called a Directory (also see About Directory Servers).  After entering an IP address simply click on the button that look's like a telephone (see figure below) to initiate the connection.

Additional methods of initializing a connection include entering your party's computer name (if they're on the same LAN), or by entering the DNS address of a Host Server that all members of a meeting can connect to (also see Connecting over a wide area network).  It is even possible to initialize a connection by entering your party's e-mail address or telephone number when using the SIP registrar service that's available on .NET Servers. 

Using BackPak Tools
It's easy to share programs, transfer files, and start Chat and Whiteboard sessions using the buttons shown under Tools on the BackPak. In addition, you can start and stop sending video, adjust preference settings and adjust volume levels at any time during an online meeting using the BackPak. The BackPak tools are located near the top of the BackPak as depicted in the picture below:

Making a Call

You can call others using an IP address, computer name, telephone number, e-mail address, or a DNS address.

• To call someone connected to a local area network use their computer name or IP address.

• To call someone using a modem, set a meeting time with the person, and then both of you can connect to a directory server. When you log onto the directory server, you can connect to the other person using their name.

About Directory Servers

Directory servers are computers that you can log onto and find other people to talk to from a list on the server. You can switch servers and can view directory servers without being logged onto them. However, you can only be logged onto one server at a time. If you switch servers, you are disconnected from the first one and then connected to the one you chose.

If you can't see yourself in a directory listing, then you may not be logged into that directory. The status bar at the bottom of the BackPak tells you what server you are logged onto. In addition, you may have Do not list my name in the directory checked. When this check box is selected, it is similar to having an unlisted phone number. You are logged onto the server, but your identifying information is not displayed. To see if this check box is selected, click on Local Settings, and then on the General tab select or clear Do not list my name in the directory.

Hosting a Meeting

Typically, one person schedules and then hosts a meeting. Meetings can be hosted from your computer or a computer called the conferencing server. When hosting a meeting, you choose a meeting name, password, security, and who can be invited to the meeting. When hosting a meeting from a conferencing server, you can access the server and then select a meeting from a list. If a meeting is not named, you can use the default name, Personal Conference, or provide a name of your own.

You can also choose to have secure meetings, limit who can accept and invite people to the meeting, and define what tools, such as Whiteboard and Chat can be used for the meeting.

For more information about meetings, see the NetMeeting Help which is available when you right-click.

Home |  Downloads  | Ordering |  Contact Us