Engineering Classroom & Conference Room Video Conferencing

Room conferencing systems in the Grainger College of Engineering generally follow the processes described below. These are general instructions for conferencing in multiple rooms. For specific room information, please visit go.engineering.illinois.edu/rooms or submit a ticket to engrit-help@illinois.edu. 

In most Engineering IT supported spaces, the conferencing system is capable of switching between the room PC and a BYOD device; however, a small number of rooms only support room PC conferencing or BYOD conferencing. These are soft-codec conferencing systems which provide two-way audio and web-cam style video over USB to compatible devices running most conferencing software. They are not equipped to capture video sources (document cameras, DVD players, wireless presenters, etc) other than the PC on which the conferencing software is running. 

When using the installed conference system with your own device

• Plug your device into the conference room system using USB
  • There should be a standard USB-A cable available in the room, this may be stored in a drawer or cabinet
  • In rooms where the cable is not secured into the lectern, there will be a USB-B plug on the main input panel where the cable plugs in
• Make sure your device is currently selected to be displayed by the AV system, in rooms capable of switching between conferencing devices only the displayed source is connected to the conferencing system

When using the installed conference system with the room PC

• Make sure the PC is currently selected to be displayed by the AV system, in rooms capable of switching between conferencing devices only the displayed source is connected to the conferencing system

Using the conference system with Skype for Business

• Open Skype for Business if it is not already running and sign-in if not automatic.
• Verify the audio and video settings:
  1. Click the Cog in Skype for Business toolbar
  2. In the Options window, select Audio Device from the left menu
  3. Select Custom Device from the Select Device drop-down
  4. Under the customization options, select the appropriate devices for the room – see the Room Device Table
  5. In the Options window, select Video Device from the left menu
  6. Select the appropriate video devices for the room – see the Room Device Table
• Place your call or join your meeting

Note: Generally, Skype for Business logs in automatically to your account if you logged into the computer or a shared account if the computer uses a generic account.

Using the conference system with Zoom

• Open Zoom and sign-in using SSO (Illinois.zoom.us)
• Verify the audio and video settings:
  1. Click on your user icon in the upper right corner of Zoom, then select Settings
  2. In the Settings window, select Video from the left menu
  3. Select the appropriate primary video device for the room – see the room device table
  4. Ensure that the other video settings match your preferences
  5. In the Settings window, select Audio from the left menu
  6. Select the appropriate Speaker and Microphone for the room – see the room device table
  7. Uncheck Automatically adjust volume under microphone settings
  8. Ensure that the other audio settings match your preferences
• Place your call or join your meeting

Room Device Table