Adobe Connect Community

General Questions
G1. What is Adobe Connect?
G2. How do I get started using Adobe Connect?
G3. How do I create a meeting?
G4. Do I have to recreate my meeting room every time I want to use it?
G5. How do I close a meeting room?
G6. How do people find out where to go for a meeting?
G7. Where do I find out about accessibility information for Adobe Connect?
G8. Is Adobe Connect the same as Macromedia Breeze Meeting?
G9. Is Adobe Connect the same as Connect Pro?
G10. How do students obtain access to a meeting room?

Attendees
A1. How can I restrict who may enter a meeting room?
A2. Is there a limit to the number of Attendees who may attend a meeting?
A3. What's the difference between the guest account and the Penn State account? Do guests have the same rights as Penn State people?
A4. Do I need an Adobe Connect license to invite people from another University to a meeting?
A5. I want to add someone to the Participant List for a meeting I am setting up but I can't find their name in the list.
Running a Meeting
R1. Would I be considered a Host if I was running my own meeting?
R2. Can I record a meeting or training that is being broadcast through Adobe Connect?
R3. Must recorded meetings reside on the Adobe Connect server?
R4. What should I do if my meeting room connection is dropped while I am in a meeting?
R5. What types of files can I upload into an Adobe Connect meeting?"
R6. How can I "pass the mic?"
R7. I agreed to allow someone to take control of my screen and now I don't know where my meeting room went.

Pods and Layouts
P1. What are layouts? How do I create them? How do I switch between them?
P2. What's the difference between the File Share pod and the Share pod?
P3. How do I limit permissions to pods? Is it possible to allow access to just some of the tools in a pod?

Video and Sound
V1. How do people broadcast audio and video in an Adobe Connect meeting?
V2. How many people can broadcast audio and video in an Adobe Connect meeting?
V3. I am having a problem with echo and feedback when I attend an Adobe Connect meeting. What can I do to eliminate this problem?

Hardware
H1. Is there a recommended web camera for Adobe Connect?
H2. Can I use a Verizon card with Adobe Connect?
H3. Can I use a drawing tablet and stylus with Adobe Connect?
H4. Can I use a video-over-IP videoconferencing system (such as Sony IPELA) with Adobe Connect?
H5. Do Polycom cameras work with Adobe Connect?
Networking
N1. Are we using a Penn State server for Adobe Connect?
N2. What do I do if I suspect a network problem when connecting to an Adobe Connect meeting?
N3. What settings are needed for Network Administrators to allow Adobe Connect meetings through our Firewall/Proxy Server?
N4. Can I access Adobe Connect from behind a router?
N5. Why can I enter my meeting rooms from my home computer but not my office? I am using Internet Explorer from my office.

Other Programs
O1. What is Adobe Presenter? How does it work? How is it distributed? When can I get it? How to insert hyperlinks that work? How do I publish it? Can I publish it to the Penn State Adobe Connect server?
O2. How do I use Captivate with Adobe Connect?
O3. Is Adobe Connect going to take the place of Centra?

FAQ Answers

G1) Q: What is Adobe Connect?
A: Adobe Connect is a collaboration tool that includes video conferencing, application sharing, live polling, chat, whiteboards, and presentations. Live, synchronous interactions with small or large groups take place right on your desktop.

Using Adobe Connect, you and other meeting attendees can join a live, on-line meeting from anywhere in the world, as long as you have a browser, Flash Player plug-in, and an Internet connection. A meeting can have as few as two or as many as several hundred attendees.

The full name of Adobe Connect is Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional, formerly Macromedia Breeze Meeting.
[back to General Questions]

G2) Q: How do I get started using Adobe Connect?
A: To get started using Adobe Connect as a general user, see Getting Started under the top menu.
[back to General Questions]

G3) Q: How do I create a meeting?
A: To get started creating Adobe Connect meetings, see Creating/Editing Meetings under the top menu.
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G4) Q: Do I have to recreate my meeting room every time I want to use it?
A: No. Once you create a meeting room, it exists until the owner deletes it. Once created, meeting rooms are available 24/7. If you have created an open meeting, anyone with the URL may enter at any time. If you have created a closed meeting, anyone on the Participant List may enter at any time. Open/closed access can be set when creating a meeting (see Creating New Meetings under Creating/Editing Meetings), or through the Adobe Connect Central Web interface (see Editing and Deleting Meetings under Creating/Editing Meetings).
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G5) Q: How do I close a meeting room?
A:To log out of a meeting room, simply close the meeting room window (see Joining/Leaving a Meeting under Getting Started for details).

Hosts can also temporarily close a meeting room, restricting access to all non-Hosts. For details, see Closing a Meeting Room under Using Adobe Connect.
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G6) Q: How do people find out where to go for a meeting?
A: There are three ways to invite participants to a meeting:

• Using the Adobe Connect Central Web interface to send invitations to the Current Participants list
• From withing a meeting room selecting the "Invite Participants" option from "Manage Access &Entry" in the Meeting menu to compose an email invitation to send
• Directly sending the meeting room URL to meeting attendees

(See Editing and Deleting Meetings under Creating/Editing Meetings)
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G7) Q: Where do I find out about accessibility information for Adobe Connect?
A: For accessibility information, see the Adobe Connect website at http://www.adobe.com/macromedia/accessibility/features/breeze/ and
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Connect/6.0/AcrobatConnect/help.html?content...

Adobe also has an extension that allows for real-time audio captioning. It is available for free download from Adobe: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&lo... (you may have to create a new user name and password if you are not already registered with Adobe). Note that in order for a meeting to be captioned using the extension, the meeting creator or Host must set up a captioning service ahead of time.

A PDF with instructions for using the captioning extension, including tips for captioning services, can be found at
http://www.adobe.com/education/resources/k12/resourcecenters/communicati...
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G8) Q: Is Adobe Connect the same as Macromedia Breeze Meeting?
A: Yes. Macromedia Breeze Meeting was renamed to Adobe Connect.
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G9) Q: Is Adobe Connect the same as Connect Pro?
A: Yes. The full name of Adobe Connect is Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional. Here it is known as Adobe Connect, but is also referred to by other names, such as Connect Pro and Acrobat Connect.
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G10) Q: How do students obtain access to a meeting room?
A: Undergraduate students aren't permitted to create or own meeting rooms. They have to work with their instructor or staff adviser to be assigned access to a room for appropriate course or project-related work.

All students, both undergrad and grad, are allowed to be Hosts in meeting rooms -- Hosts have access to all of the tools in the room, just as if they had created the room themselves.

The student's instructor or staff adviser should work with their Adobe Connect Contact (http://meeting.psu.edu/contacts) to obtain a license and/or create a room.

Once the room is created, the faculty or staff member needs to:

(1.) Edit the Participant List in the Meeting Manager Interface (http://meeting.psu.edu/editparticipants) and add the student as a Host.

(2.) Then give the URL for the meeting room to the student.

Once the student completes his work, the faculty or staff member can re-assign the room to others by editing the participant list and assigning a new host.
[back to General Questions]

A1) Q: How can I restrict who may enter a meeting room?
A: When you create an Adobe Connect meeting room you specify if it will be an open meeting for anyone with the URL, or a closed meeting for only those listed on the Participant's List. For closed meetings, you also specify if attendees not on the Participant's List may or may not "knock" to enter the meeting (see Creating a New Meeting under Creating/Editing Meetings). The meeting host can also make a meeting room inaccessible to participants by ending the meeting or by placing the meeting on hold (see Closing a Meeting Room under Using Adobe Connect).
[back to Attendees]

A2) Q: Is there a limit to the number of Attendees who may attend a meeting?
A: No. An unlimited number of people may attend a meeting.
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A3) Q: What's the difference between the guest account and the Penn State account? Do guests have the same rights as Penn State people?
A: If someone attending a meeting does not have a current Penn State Access Account, they may log in to the meeting as a Friend of Penn State (FPS). Everyone who uses the Penn State Adobe Connect resource must log in, either with a Penn State Access Account or a Penn State Friends of Penn State Account. Due to security reasons, it is necessary to allow only registered users to access the system. Even if a meeting is set to allow everyone with the URL to enter, everyone will still have to log in with either an Access Account or FPS Account.

To get a Friends of Penn State account, each guest must go to http://fps.psu.edu and complete the form. A new tutorial is available if users need help with the FPS Account form. View the tutorial

When using Adobe Connect, there is no difference between an Access account and a Friends of Penn State account.
[back to Attendees]

A4) Q: Do I need an Adobe Connect license to invite people from another University to a meeting?
A: You may set up your meeting so that anyone in the world can attend. You do not need to purchase licenses for your participants; the Penn State Adobe Connect server license allows for unlimited participants.
[back to Attendees]

A5) Q: I want to add someone to the Participant List for a meeting I am setting up but I can't find their name in the list.
A: In order for a name to appear on the list of available users, that user must have logged in to Adobe Connect at least once before. If you want to add someone to your meeting whose name does not appear in the list of available users, you will need to use the Penn State Bulk Upload utility. See Bulk Upload Utility under Creating/Editing Meetings for details.

When adding people to the Current Participants list in the Meeting Manager interface, remember that the available users list is sorted by first name. When using the Search utility, you can search on first and last name, but not on user ID.
[back to Attendees]

R1) Q: Would I be considered a Host if I was running my own meeting?
A: Yes. The person who creates the meeting room in Adobe Connect is automatically the Host for that room. A Host can also designate other meeting participants to be meeting Hosts. There is no limit to the number of Hosts that can be in a meeting room at one time.
[back to Running a Meeting]

R2) Q: Can I record a meeting or training that is being broadcast through Adobe Connect?
A: Yes, you can record a meeting. See Recording Meetings under Using Adobe Connect.
[back to Running a Meeting]

R3) Q: Must recorded meetings reside on the Adobe Connect server?
A: No, recorded Adobe Connect meetings may reside on the server or they can be downloaded and placed on a CD or Web server. Viewing a recorded meeting from the Adobe Connect server doesn't take up concurrent user "seats" on the server but the recordings do take up disk space. See Recording Meetings under Using Adobe Connect.
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R4) Q: What should I do if my meeting room connection is dropped while I am in a meeting?
A: The Penn State Adobe Connect “server” is actually composed of two servers that are clustered. This means that if one server malfunctions, the other server will take over for it. If you are in the meeting and the server hosting your meeting stops responding, your meeting will automatically be switched to the other server. The catch is that while in the meeting room, you will get a message that the connection has been dropped. When/if you get this message, don’t panic! Just be patient. You need to wait up to 45 to 60 seconds for the server cluster to re-establish the connection for you on a different server - then you will be able to continue your meeting. You don’t need to quit out of your meeting or take any other corrective action.
[back to Running a Meeting]

R5) Q: What types of files can I upload into an Adobe Connect meeting?
A: For step-by-step directions for uploading files into the Share pod, see Share Pod: Sharing Files and Whiteboards under Using Adobe Connect.
[back to Running a Meeting]

R6) Q: How can I "pass the mic?"
A: Granting audio access through the Attendee List Pod allows you to "pass the mic." See Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video under Using Adobe Connect for details.
[back to Running a Meeting]

R7) Q: I agreed to allow someone to take control of my screen and now I don't know where my meeting room went.
A: Adobe Connect minimizes when you share an application and when you give control of that application to someone else. The Adobe Connect meeting icon should be in the dock on a Mac and in the task bar on a PC.
[back to Running a Meeting]

P1) Q: What are layouts? How do I create them? How do I switch between them?
A: A layout is a specific arrangement of display panels, called pods. There are eight types of pods that you can add to a layout, each with its own function. A meeting room may have one layout or several. To change layouts in a room, see Customizing Layouts under Using Adobe Connect.
[back to Pods and Layouts]

P2) Q: What's the difference between the File Sharing pod and the Share pod?
A: There are two pods in Adobe Connect for sharing files. The File Sharing pod allows you to upload files to a meeting and have participants download a copy of the file to their computer. All file types can be uploaded to this pod. The actual file is never displayed in the meeting, only a link to download it.

The Share pod will actually display the file that is uploaded, but is limited in the types of files it will accommodate. For information on the Share pod, see Share Pod: Sharing Files and Whiteboards under Using Adobe Connect.
[back to Pods and Layouts]

P3) Q: How do I limit permissions to pods? Is it possible to allow access to just some of the tools in a pod?
A: A Host can limit access to select pods. See Roles and Permissions under Using Adobe Connect for details. Hosts are not able to allow access to just some of the tools in a pod. Your only choices are all or none.
[back to Pods and Layouts]

V1) Q: How do people broadcast audio and video in an Adobe Connect meeting?
A: Users broadcasting audio and video must have a wired, high speed connection to the Internet. Starting with V.7, Hosts have more options for allowing Attendees to broadcast audio and video and are able to give Attendees access to the microphone to broadcast audio without giving them access to the Camera and Voice pod.

To broadcast video: Attendees must have Presenter or Host permissions to the Camera and Voice pod. Having Presenter or Host permissions to the Camera and Voice pod also allows them to broadcast audio.

To broadcast audio without video: The Host can use the flyout options associated with each Attendee’s name in the Attendee List pod to grant access to the microphone. Attendees can also request access to the microphone by using the “Raise Hand” emoticon. The Host has the option of granting or denying this request. Once given permission, the Attendee uses the “Talk” button at the bottom of the screen to broadcast audio.

For more information about roles, see Roles and Permissions under Using Adobe Connect. For more information about broadcasting audio and video, see Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video under Getting Started.
[back to Video and Sound]

V2) Q: How many people can broadcast audio and video in an Adobe Connect meeting?
A: Users broadcasting audio and video must have a wired, high speed connection to the Internet. The more people who are actively broadcasting audio and video, the more bandwidth Adobe Connect needs to operate and the better the chance for performance issues. In our pilot tests we found that having more than four people simultaneously broadcasting audio and video negatively affected performance.

For information about bandwidth and how to set the meeting bandwidth for best performance, see Improving Performance under Using Adobe Connect -> Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video.
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V3) Q: I am having a problem with echo and feedback when I attend an Adobe Connect meeting. What can I do to eliminate this problem?
A: Echo happens when multiple people, who aren't wearing headsets, have the talk button locked to an on position. The microphone on the camera picks up the audio from the computer speakers and feeds it back to Adobe Connect.

To avoid the echo feedback either wear a headset with a microphone, or press the talk button when you want to talk and release it when you have finished instead of using the hands-free button to lock it on.

There is also a setting in the Flash Player Settings window that might also help some with echo. From the Meeting menu under "Manage My Settings," select "Select Camera..." Click on the microphone icon and check the box beside "Reduce Echo."

For additional audio troubleshooting tips, see Audio Troubleshooting and Recommendations under Using Adobe Connect -> Camera and Voice Pod: Broadcasting Audio and Video.
[back to Video and Sound]

H1) Q: Is there a recommended web camera for Adobe Connect?
A: Yes. See Web Camera and Headset under Getting Started.
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H2) Q: Can I use a Verizon card with Adobe Connect?
A: Yes. Just make sure you download the flash driver before the particular meeting if this will be the first time you are using Adobe Connect and allow up to 20 minutes to actually connect to the meeting room. This is an issue with the bandwidth of the Verizon Card. Although you will be able to participate in the meeting using the wireless card, you will not be able to broadcast audio or video or be an active presenter.
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H3) Q: Can I use a drawing tablet and stylus with Adobe Connect?
A: Yes. This works well, especially when using the whiteboard.
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H4) Q: Can I use a video-over-IP videoconferencing system (such as Sony IPELA) with Adobe Connect?
A: No. The camera and microphone used with Adobe Connect must plug into your local computer via USB.
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H5) Q: Do Polycom cameras work with Adobe Connect?
A: No. Proprietary cameras from Polycom will not work with Adobe Connect. This includes any H.323 room-based camera and the older Polycom desktop camera. However, a standard USB camera that works with Polycom PVX will work with Adobe Connect.
[back to Hardware]

N1) Q: Are we using a Penn State server for Adobe Connect?
A: Yes. Penn State is running Adobe Connect from a server located within the Penn State system.
[back to Networking]

N2) Q: What do I do if I suspect a network problem when connecting to an Adobe Connect meeting?
A: For the best experience, Adobe Connect requires suitable connectivity from each user to the Adobe Connect server. While Adobe Connect can accommodate different bandwidth levels such as modem, DSL, and LAN, each type of connection requires a certain minimum for acceptable performance.

In addition to the plain throughput on any given type of connection, there are other factors such as firewalls and proxy servers that can affect the overall bandwidth of a connection to Adobe Connect.

Adobe Connect presentations are normally delivered as HTTP data on port 80 and port 443, while Adobe Connect audio and video streams are delivered as RTMP data on port 80. If you are using a proxy server to connect to the Internet, most proxy servers only negotiate HTTP traffic. For this reason, attempts to connect to the Macromedia Flash Communication Server using RTMP through a proxy server fail.

Additionally, it is common for many DSL connections to have better download bandwidth than upload bandwidth. This can affect Adobe Connect recordings that incorporate screen sharing since there is greater bandwidth burden when uploading data to the Adobe Connect server.

There are two principle diagnostic tests to help troubleshoot connectivity issues in Adobe Connect.

Port Test: http://www.macromedia.com/go/16466

The Port Test shows connectivity from a client to Macromedia and reveals which ports are open or closed on the client side. The PSU Adobe Connect Implementation requires the second test to Pass which is RTMP over port 80. In addition any proxy server or firewall you are using needs to be configured to pass this data. This may include any software firewall installed on your local computer and/or configuration needed by your local area network administrator. Network Administrators can contact us at breeze@psu.edu for further information.

Adobe Connect connectivity test:
https://breeze.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

This will test overall connectivity and will show upstream and downstream bandwidth (note this may vary due to internet traffic) and should reveal whether or not you have sufficient bandwidth (> 350K bps) to achieve acceptable results when recording an Adobe Connect meeting while screen sharing.

Source: http://www.adobe.com/go/f83a452b

NOTE: If the report you get back from the connection test indicates that you are unable to connect to the Penn State server, it is almost always caused by a firewall or proxy server at your location. Your local network administrator would be most knowledgeable to help you solve these issues.

Another potential issue could be 3rd party firewall software on your computer, or possibly web proxy software that you might have your browser configured to use. Your local tech support staff should be able to help you adjust your settings. The ITS Help Desk may also be able to help you determine if it is a local software issue. Use the form at http://meeting.psu.edu/issueform to let them know what was in your report and what firewall/proxy server software you may be using.

[back to Networking]

N3) Q: What settings are needed for Network Administrators to allow Adobe Connect meetings through our Firewall/Proxy Server?
A: The hosts breezemtg1.win.psu.edu (146.186.34.12) and breezemtg2.win.psu.edu (146.186.34.13) need to be added to the firewall/proxy rules to allow RTMP data over port 80 from the Flash Media Servers. We may add additional servers later for load balancing so it is safe to add 146.186.34.0/27 into your rules. Also the Web Server breeze.psu.edu is located at 146.186.34.16 and only uses standard HTTP.

You can then test the connection at https://breeze.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
[back to Networking]

N4) Q: Can I access Adobe Connect from behind a router?
A: Yes, in most cases. However, if attempting to load a meeting room causes Adobe Connect to hang on the grey screen that first says "loading" and then "connecting", you have a network problem that may be caused by your router. Run the Adobe Connect connectivity test at https://breeze.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm. If step 2 (Enterprise Server Connection Test) fails, try bypassing your router and connecting to the internet directly.

For more help with networking, see FAQ questions N2. What do I do if I suspect a network problem when connecting to an Adobe Connect meeting? and N3. What settings are needed for Network Administrators to allow Adobe Connect meetings through our Firewall/Proxy Server?
[back to Networking]

N4) Q: Why can I enter my meeting rooms from my home computer but not my office? I am using Internet Explorer from my office.
A: During the transition from Adobe Connect Version 6 to Adobe Connect 7 we have found that in most cases simply clearing the "History" in Internet Explorer will resolve the problem.
[back to Networking]

O1) Q: What is Adobe Presenter? How does it work? How is it distributed? When can I get it? How to insert hyperlinks that work? How do I publish it? Can I publish it to the Penn State Adobe Connect server?
A: Adobe Presenter is an optional plug-in for Windows that provides an easy means of adding narration to PowerPoint presentations. See Adobe Presenter: Narrating Presentations under Using Adobe Connect. Contact breeze@psu.edu for additional information.
[back to Other Programs]

O2) Q: How do I use Captivate with Adobe Connect?
A: Captivate is an application for Windows that allows screen captures and screen recordings. The resulting files are Flash files that can be uploaded into Adobe Connect meeting or embedded into Adobe Presenter. The Adobe Web site has a number of resources available.
[back to Other Programs]

O3) Q: Is Adobe Connect going to take the place of Centra?
A: Yes. Adobe Connect is the desktop, Web-based video conferencing system supported by ITS and is taking the place of Centra.
[back to Other Programs]