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Troubleshooting (Tutor Room)

This is a guide to fixing technical issues experienced in the Tutor Room.

 

Starting a lesson

During a lesson

 

The Tutor Room won't load

If the Tutor Room won't load or is blank (e.g. the toolbars and whiteboard are not visible):

  • The room may be being blocked by a firewall or web filter. This can sometimes occur for users who are on school premises, if the school internet security has not been setup to allow access to the Tutor Room. Inform the school's IT manager so they can resolve the issue.
  • Check your browser is compatible:
      • Desktops and laptops: Chrome or Edge Chrome 78 or higher; Firefox 72 or higher; or Safari 12 or higher.
      • Tablets and phones: Android Chrome 78 or higher; or iOS Safari 12 or higher.

 

I can't see my own camera

  • I can't see a video box with my name.
      • Click Set_-_Webcam.png Start then ensure you Allow access to your camera and microphone when prompted. If you have previously blocked access you may need to unblock access.
  • I can see a User.png video box with my name but it's blank.

 

I can't see / hear the other person

  • I can't see a video box with the other person's name
      • They are not currently in the Tutor Room and need to enter.
  • I can see the other person's User.png video box but it's blank

Click Set.png Setup > Set_-_Troubleshooting.png Troubleshooting > [person's name]

You'll be shown diagnostic information for the person - see below for details.

    • Permission Prompt Open: The person is in the Lobby and has not yet clicked to Allow access to their camera and microphone (they may not be present at their computer or device). They need to click Allow and then Join.
    • Lobby Open: The person is still in the Lobby (they may not be present at their computer or device). They just need to click Join.
    • Camera and Microphone access blocked: The person blocked access to their camera and microphone when prompted, so although they can see and hear you, you cannot see or hear them. They need to click Start Video and then Allow access when prompted.
    • Joined without Audio & Video: The person did not allow access to their camera and microphone, so although they can see and hear you, you cannot see or hear them. They need to click Start Video and then Allow access when prompted.
    • Everything Looks Good: No problems are detected for the person. They may have manually turned off their camera, in which case you can request for them to turn it on again (Chat.png Chat > People > [person's name] > Set_-_Webcam.png Ask to resume video). Alternatively, there may be a problem with their camera or device.
  •  
  • I can see the other person on camera but can't hear them
      • Make sure your speakers are turned on and working correctly (Set.png Setup > Set_-_Troubleshooting.png Troubleshooting > Test Speakers).
      • The other person may have manually muted their microphone (via the Set_-_Mic.png Mic button at the bottom of the room). You can request for them to turn it on again (Chat.png Chat > People > [person's name] > Set_-_Mic.png Ask to unmute microphone).
      • Otherwise, there's a problem with their microphone or device.

 

The other person can see me but can't hear me

Open the Tutor Room device setup (Set.png Setup > Set_-_Device.png Device Setup). Check the correct microphone is selected and is detecting your voice.

  • If you can see a coloured horizontal bar moving across the bottom of your camera image when you speak then your microphone is detecting your voice correctly. The other person should check their speakers are turned on and working correctly.
  • If your microphone isn't detecting your voice (you don't see the coloured bar), see My camera/microphone isn't working.

 

I need to unblock access to my camera and microphone

When you enter the Tutor Room you'll be prompted to allow access to your camera and microphone - simply click Allow. If the prompt isn't showing, refresh the page. However, if you accidentally blocked access then won't be able to turn on your camera or microphone, so no-one else will be able to see or hear you. Enter the Tutor Room and follow the steps below (depending upon your browser) to unblock access.

 

Chrome:

  • At the far right of the Chrome address (URL) bar, click the small camera icon. If you can't find it, click the padlock icon at the far left instead.
  • If Block is selected, change to Allow and then reload the page.
  • If Allow is selected, choose the correct Camera and/or Microphone from the dropdown menu (if available), then reload the page.

Firefox:

  • At the far left of the Firefox address (URL) bar, click the camera or microphone icon.
  • If Blocked appears for camera or microphone use, click the Cross symbols to remove the blocks, then reload the page.
  • If Allowed appears for camera and microphone use, reload the page.
  • Select the correct Camera and/or Microphone from the dropdown menus, then click Allow. 

Safari:

  • From the Safari menu, select Preferences.
  • Select the Websites tab along the top, then select Camera and/or Microphone on the left.
  • Select Allow from the dropdown menu.
  • Reload the Tutor Room page.

Edge:

  • At the far left of the Edge address (URL) bar, click the small padlock icon.
  • Under Website permissions, ensure the Camera and Microphone are both set to On, then reload the page.

 

My camera / microphone isn't working

If you've allowed access to your camera and microphone but they are still not working, follow the steps below.

  • Refresh the page.
  • Make sure your camera / microphone is turned on (use the Set_-_Mic.png Mic and Set_-_Webcam.png Video buttons at the bottom of the Tutor Room to toggle them on or off).
  • Restart your device.
  • If your camera / microphone is external then make sure it's plugged in correctly.
  • Close any other programs which may be accessing the camera or microphone (e.g. Zoom, Skype, Teams, Hangouts, etc). You may also need to restart.
  • Switch to a different web browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge) or try opening a Private or Incognito window (from the File menu), then login to your account again and enter the Tutor Room.
  • Make sure the camera or microphone is setup correctly on your device.
  • Try using a different device, if you have one, or a different camera or microphone.

 

Video is lagging or disconnecting

These issues are almost always caused by users' internet connections. If a poor internet connection is detected for a user an Set_-_Poor_Connection.png icon will display in their video window. If someone else's video is lagging or freezing or they're getting disconnected then they should follow the steps below. If you're getting disconnected or you think your own internet connection maybe causing issues, you should follow the steps below.

  • Test your connection speed. 
      • Response time should be below 150ms.
      • Download speed should be above 5Mbps.
      • Upload speed should be above 2.5Mbps.
  • Move closer to your WiFi router.
  • Ask others not to use the same internet connection during the lesson.
  • Try using a different device, if possible.

 

Audio quality is poor

  • There's an echo / background noise
      • Activate Advanced Noice Cancellation (Set.png Setup > Set_-_Noise.png Advanced Noise Cancellation).

      • If one person's voice is echoing back then the other person should try the following:

        • Turn down their speaker volume.
        • Plug in some headphones, then reload the page.
        • Restart their device.
        • Switch to a different browser or device.
  • Words are getting dropped / clipped
      • If someone's speech is getting clipped or cut off for you, then try using some headphones rather than your speakers. If someone else is finding that your vocals are getting clipped or cut off for them, then they should use some headphones.

 

I can't upload files to the whiteboard

  • Files won't upload
      • Check the file type is supported (i.e. images, PDFs, PowerPoint, Word).
      • Convert your file to PDF first, then upload it.
      • Remove any special characters from the filename (e.g. / " ' | $ ).
      • Reduce the number of pages or remove any high resolution images.
  • Files won't display correctly
      • Convert your file to PDF first, then upload it.
      • Remove any animations or embedded elements.

 

Whiteboard view is out of sync

If the whiteboard view is our of sync, the tutor simply needs to move the page or change the zoom to re-sync all users' views (providing Leading Mode is enabled). Alternatively, re-load the page to re-sync the views.

  • Updated