Downloading and Installing the Media Plug-In

To participate in audio conversations or listen to audio presentations in the PlaceWare Auditorium, you must download and install the PlaceWare Media Plug-In package for your platform:

Windows 95 or Windows NT	pwmedia.exe
Solaris 2.x on a Sun SPARC	pwmedia-solaris2.tar.Z
HP-UX 10.x on a Hewlett-Packard machine	pwmedia-hpux.tar.Z

Checking Audio for Windows

If you are having difficulty establishing an audio connection when using a PlaceWare-enhanced web page, you need to ensure that your microphone is functioning and that the sound levels are adjusted appropriately.

Checking your microphone:

1. Go to the Sound Recorder by selecting Programs > Accessories > Multimedia > Sound Recorder.
2. Press down on the red (record) button and start talking. If your microphone is working, you will see the green line fluctuate as you talk. You can use the controls to play back the sound. If your voice is not recorded then check the Recording Control to ensure that the microphone is selected and the volume is set at a proper level. If the Recording Control is properly set, then your microphone is not working.

1. Go to the Volume Control by selecting Programs > Accessories > Multimedia > Volume Control.
2. Now select Options > Properties
3. Under Adjust Volume for, pick Recording and ensure that Microphone is checked in the white box. Click OK.
4. Under Microphone Balance ensure that it is selected and the volume control is in at least the middle position.

Controlling unwanted feedback

1. Go to the Volume Control by selecting Programs > Accessories > Multimedia > Volume Control.
2. Ensure that Microphone Balance is not selected and the volume control is all the way down.

PlaceWare Media and Firewalls

Audio requires sending UDP data, which is blocked by most firewalls. If your site is protected by a firewall, you may be unable to use the PlaceWare audio features at this time. For more information, see the section on Configuring your firewall for PlaceWare in the PlaceWare Administrator's Guide.

Using the plug-in with Netscape Communicator 4.0

The first time you run a PlaceWare application after installing the plug-in for Netscape Communicator 4.0, you will get a dialog telling you that a Java applet from PlaceWare Incorporated is requesting "Access required by Navigator plug-ins and similar programs." This is a normal part of the new security mechanisms Netscape implemented in Communicator 4.0.

In order for the PlaceWare Media Plug-In to work properly, you must choose the "Grant" option near the lower right corner of the dialog. The "Remember this decision" option at left controls whether you will see this dialog in the future. If you leave it unchecked, you will see the dialog the first time you run a PlaceWare application in each browser session. If you check "Remember this decision," you will no longer see this dialog when using PlaceWare software.

If you change your mind later, you can click the "Security" button in the toolbar, then click on "Java/JavaScript" in the pop-up it gives you. This will show the list of software publishers your browser trusts, and will allow you to remove entries from this list.