Recommended hardware & software
You will need a webcam for your computer or laptop, or a camera on your smart phone with a minimum specification of 8Gb RAM, Intel Core processor 2Ghz+ (Windows 10 or 11) . Presently we do not support Chromebook laptops or MacBook laptops with flash drives or Huawei phones. If using a portable device e.g. laptop, it is advisable to have the mains power plugged in.
Tablet users should have the latest OS installed and a min 4Gb RAM.
If using a tablet with a large screen we’d recommend putting your browser in desktop mode for the best experience.
For Windows PCs, use the latest version of Chrome or Firefox. For Mac computers use Safari. For iPhones please use Safari. For Android devices use Chrome.
Preparations to get the best quality
Using a headset with a microphone (or earphones) without your volume levels set too high will improve sound quality and reduce echoing. If using a phone or tablet (except for larger tablets in desktop view) position it in portrait mode. USB style echo-cancelling speakers where headsets or earphones are not available can also help reduce echoing (for computers or laptops). Internet bandwidth recommendations are video 300kbps per stream and audio 50kbps per stream. Clicking "run test" from this link - https://tokbox.com/developer/tools/precall/ - will check your hardware, and internet connectivity. It may not guarantee your hardware will work but will provide an indication. The faster and more stable your broadband connection is, the better the video quality will be. If your bandwidth drops below a certain threshold, especially if being throttled, or if you have little bandwidth, behaviour can be unpredictable. Interviews may be choppy both audio and video, and the connection could be dropped.
If using a mobile device we strongly recommend keeping your device in portrait mode in order to see yourself fully and other participants.
Screen sharing
Only one person at a time can share their screen within an online room and the person who shares their screen won't see the screen being shared, though they have the option to stop sharing. It is recommended to avoid using Firefox for screen sharing.
Connection issues
You may enter a room, see and hear everyone in that room but they cannot see or hear you. The invite code session will be out of sync with all other participants. To remedy this, perform a re-fresh on your browser (by pressing F5) or log out completely and log back in. If the issue persists, then we suggest you check your internet connection for stability and reliable connectivity.
Blank video screens
If a participant’s screen is black with a red signal indicator in the bottom corner of their video screen, it means their connection is weak. We try to compensate by focussing on audio. It can also mean a user who is using a portable device may have low battery (in which case, advise them to plug in their device).
Disappearing participants
If a user suddenly disappears from the meeting room, their internet signal may have dropped. They themselves will be logged out and will need to log back in to continue participating. It is important that the host, if recording, has a strong and reliable connection and decent hardware and software. If the host's signal drops during a recording, the recording will cease at that point and no further recording can take place unless the online room is reset. Note: resetting a room will remove any previous recordings.
Room is locked
The host can lock a room to deny access to any more participants. If this occurs and you require access to the room, contact the host (or any other assessor). Online rooms have one host. The host can control room access, record the meeting and remove participants. Meeting rooms can have multiple assessors attend. These may be other interviewers but won’t have the ability to record etc. Guests are for example end users who will in most cases be the interviewee. All three user types can hide their video and audio (mute themselves) and share their screen. A maximum of 10 participants can access an online room at any one time.
Do not disturb
Note: if you are using a mobile device, it might be a good idea to set your do not disturb settings on. The last thing you want during an important meeting or interview is to receive an unexpected phone call or social media notification popping up at the wrong time.
Background blur
If this feature is available you can toggle on/off the ability to blur out your background.
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