Diagnostics

Webcasting Problems

• This problem can cause the encoder to shut down which can then cause the media server to shut down. In order to buy some diagnostic time, I recommend placing a note on the camera's monitor telling the operator to immediately switch to another camera if there is a problem. If the operator is quick, you may be able to stop encoder shutdowns.

  The only simply diagnosed problem is when a pan/tilt camera fails while moving, because then you are pretty sure it is a connection on the back of that camera. All other situations are hard to diagnose. Start with a visual inspection of the connectors and progress by cost. Switching wire pairs and replacing baluns is fairly cheap. Swapping available distribution amplifiers costs nothing, as does plugging into different power supplies. Make a schematic of the possible problem points and mark them off one by one.

Client Problems

• Insufficient bandwidth capacity:
  • Most broadband connections are rated at 1 Mbps and can easily handle 750 kbps. Yet there are times, especially when MicroSoft decides to send out an update, that the service provider becomes overloaded. Nothing can be done about this problem except finding a service provider with extra capacity.
  • Clients may test their current capacity at Speakeasy, but it is no guarantee the capacity will be available during the webcast.
• Behind the scenes updates:
  • Various programs, including Windows itself, may decide to update while the webcast is being received. This is especially true for those who only turn on the computer occasionally. The best way to minimize this problem is to have your clients turn on any computer that might be receiving the webcast a couple of hours before the webcast begins.
  • For diagnosis, you can check the Windows log by following this click procedure:
    > Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools >> Event Viewer
    Then, use the Date/Time in the listings as your guide as you dig around.