INTERACT VIDEO CONFERENCE SYSTEM
SET UP GUIDE

The Interact System uses cutting edge, patent pending video compression technology from CODECSYS to make high quality low cost, fully duplexed audio and superior video images over a wide range of Internet band-widths.

The successful use of video conferencing requires both a properly configured connection to the Internet, and a video conference system correctly configured to operate on that connection. These two requirements are related but independent. Improper set up of either the internet network, or the video conference system, will hinder successful video conferencing.

This guide will provide suggestions on how to connect your Video Conference System to the Internet.

SETTING UP YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

For your Video Conference System to work on the Internet, it must have an Internet address called a public IP address. This is like a phone number on the Internet. This IP Address can be either Static, or Dynamic.

Static IP Address

A static IP address is an Internet address that does not change over time, is similar to a business phone number, and is assigned to a business by your Internet local service provider, (LSP). It is also called a Public IP address. A static or public IP is a unique, un-shared address to a business’s internal LAN, (Local Area Network) and is how the Interact System is finds and reaches other video conference participants.

The LAN is the network a business uses to connect its various computing and processing hardware together. This section will suggest two possible LAN set-up configurations for video conferencing, one putting the Video Conference System before (outside) your firewall, and the second behind your firewall using port forwarding.

Routers, switches, and firewalls are some of the tools used build a network. The following explanations will help clarify the role each plays in designing a network. To help understand how these work together, we will use the analogy of events at the Olympics to help define the following terms.

    Node: A system on a network, usually a PC, server, terminal, or video-conference system. The nodes will be running software that provides some service to a user or another node. In our analogy, nodes are specific Olympic event venues.

    Switch: Most are relatively inexpensive and simply direct data from one device to others. A switch has no software and cannot tell one type of Internet data from another.

    Router: Your network’s routers use software to direct different types of Internet data or packets to the equipment connected to your network behind the router. The router has the ability to differentiate between different packets and direct them to a specific node. Think of a router as directing Olympic spectators with the proper ticket towards a specific venue.

    Port: This is a virtual passageway. Each port passes data to and from programs running on the node. A port can be open or closed to a specific Internet protocol or data.

There are many protocols and there is a specific port for each of them. The most common are http: and ftp:. There are specific ports for Video Conferencing, and these ports must be “open” for Video Conferencing to work. These are ports TCP1720, TCP 30,000 through 30,013, and UDP 5,000 through 5,003. As with our Olympic example, a port is like a passageway or gate to a specific event, taking place at a specific venue.

    Firewall: A firewall is software that implements security rules so that malicious data packets are less likely to find their way on to a network. An analogy for a firewall is the ticket-taker or security at an Olympic venue. If the Internet packet does not meet the criteria of the firewall, (in our analogy, the correct event and location), it is not allowed to pass. Since a firewall and a router complement each other, they are often combined into one device.

    Port Forwarding: is where a router and firewall allow traffic on certain ports to pass, and directs the data to the proper device (node) that is running a program that uses the data. In our Olympic analogy it is the usher that directs a ticket holder to the correct seating section.

    Gateway: is the route between the Internet and your Local Area Network (LAN). A gateway is not specific to any particular IP address. To use our analogy, the freeway off ramp that gets you to the Olympic Village parking lot.

    Netmask: This allows the division of a large LAN into smaller sub-networks. This could be used if the accounting department’s network and the sales departments network were to be separated. The video conference signal needs to know which netmask to go to.

    ISP, Internet Service Provider: This is the company that provides Internet service to your building or business. This is who determines the bandwidth available to your system. Dial up phone modems typically provide 28Kbs to 56Kbs, DSL and cable modems will generally provide between 128 and 256Kps. T1 service will provide up to 1.5mbs.

Putting your Video Conference System Before the Firewall

Placing the Video Conference System before the firewall offers the most safety to the network and involves less router and firewall set up. In this configuration, the Video Conference System will not have firewall protection, but video conferencing is not a valuable target for those evil network hackers.

As shown in the Figure 1, the first router is used to direct the Video Conference specific data towards the Interact System. Internet data destined for the other nodes on the protected network will need to pass through the network’s second router and firewall. This is the easiest and most reliable configuration.

The ISP may also have a firewall if they offer any spam or hacker protection. We suggest you confirm with your ISP that ports TCP1720, TCP 30,000 through 30,013, and UDP 5,000 through 5,003 are being forwarded from the ISP’s equipment.

Putting your Video Conference System Behind your Firewall

For your Video Conference System to work behind the firewall, as shown in Figure 2, the system must have access to Internet ports TCP1720, TCP 30,000 through 30,013, and UDP 5,000 through 5,003. This means that your network router and firewall must be set to not block these ports, and must also be set to forward the data to the Video Conference System. Changing the router and firewall settings requires changes in software settings. Most router manufacturers allow you to make these changes on a web page designed for this function. The manual that came with your router/firewall will tell you where to go. You can also go to the manufacturers web page and search for the Router Set Up page.

The Router/Firewall set up procedure, in general, will follow these steps.

Login to the firewall/router: this is usually done from a web page.
Go to the Firewall section: this is usually a button graphic or link on a web page.
If the firewall is not ‘enabled’ or ‘active’, you don’t need to configure it, since it is not blocking anything. If the firewall is enabled, you may need to configure it depending on the manufacturer. Some manufacturers, such as Linksys, configure the firewall for you when you set up ‘Forwarding’ (see later section). Look for a section on ‘open ports’. If you see one, open the following ports: TCP 1720, TCP 30000 through 30013, UDP 5000 through 5003. If you do not see a section on ‘open ports’, continue on to step 4.
Find the Forwarding section: this is usually a button graphic or link on the web page, but you may have to go to an ‘Advanced’ or ‘Expert’ section first to find it.
Look for ‘Ports’ or ‘Ext. Ports’ – use 3 of these for port ranges 1720 to 1720, 30000 to 30013, and 5000 to 5003.
Select ‘TCP’ for both the 1720 to 1720 and 30000 to 30013 port ranges. Select ‘UDP’ for 5000 to 5003 port range.
Type in the same IP address of the Interact system for each port range.
If there is an ‘Enable’ or ‘Allow’ for each port range, make sure each is set to ‘Enable’ or ‘Allow’
Click on ‘Save’ or ‘Apply’ to make the new configuration active. Your router may ask you to click ‘OK’ to reboot – if so, click ‘OK’.

In this configuration, the single router/firewall will analyze, block or forward data depending on its software settings. This gives the Video Conference System the protections of the firewall, but makes the system’s performance dependent on the smooth function of the router/firewall’s software.

Your ISP may also have a firewall if they offer any spam or hacker protection. We suggest you confirm with your ISP that ports TCP1720, TCP 30,000 through 30,013, and UDP 5,000 through 5,003 are being forwarded.

Units of Measurement - Broadband Internet Access Speed