DComTalk.com

I have been attempting to set-up NetMeeting 3.01 on my XP system but so far,
unsuccessfully! One of my problems appears to be "Directory Settings". The
default choice in the window is "Microsoft Internet Directory", but when that
produced a drop-down window saying "The directory server could not be found.", I
tried my ISP's directory "news.verizon.net", but that doesn't work either.

I use Norton Internet Security and have the firewall set to permit Windows
NetMeeting. BTW, I currently do not have a webcam, but I understand that one is
not needed.

Suggestions, please!

Bill

http://www.meetingbywire.com/NetMeeting101.htm has a general description of
how the call initiation works in NetMeeting (the article is a little long
in the tooth but so is NetMeeting).

Generally these days I think most users ignore directory servers (though
there are still a few third party ones out there) and use direct IP calling
as the call initiation strategy.

So the general call initiation procedure is:

1) One end determines its IP address (using the help about of NetMeeting),
the waits in NetMeeting
2) The IP address is communicated to the caller ( using email, IM or ...)
3) The caller calls the waiting callee using the IP address and the call is
connected

Either end behind a router or gateway complicates the procedure requiring
use of the dmz feature of the router and the call placed to the WAN IP of
the router (if the callee is behind a router).

If both ends are using XP Msn Messenger would be a much better choice for
video calls.

--
Brian Sullivan
Courses by Wire (http://www.coursesbywire.com)

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your response! I should have said up-front, that while I consider
myself very computer literate, I'm definitely a novice when it come to
communications, so please bear with me! The article in NetMeeting 101, which I
had seen previously, made a comment that confused me even more. It said "In
response to problems Microsoft has chosen to take all of its ILS servers
permanently out of service and is favouring MSN Messenger as the prime
connection strategy.. ". Can I assume then that MSN Messenger is the preferred
program for audio/video Internet meeting? It appears that I am "signed in" when
I open Messenger, so is all that remains is to define contacts?

Bill

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your response! I should have said up-front, that while I consider
myself very computer literate, I'm definitely a novice when it come to
communications, so please bear with me! The article in NetMeeting 101, which I
had seen previously, made a comment that confused me even more. It said "In
response to problems Microsoft has chosen to take all of its ILS servers
permanently out of service and is favouring MSN Messenger as the prime
connection strategy.. ".

Yes -- but that comment is from 1999. At that time Msn Messenger had a
built in feature to start NetMeeting calls -- that feature in Messenger has
since also been removed.

Can I assume then that MSN Messenger is the preferred
program for audio/video Internet meeting?

If both ends are using XP -- the current version of MSN Messenger is a much
better choice for P2P audio/video calls. It navigates through most modern
gateway/routers more easily and has better audio/video fidelity than
NetMeeting.

NetMeeting has been officially "retired" -- no future versions of Windows
will contain NetMeeting.

It appears that I am "signed in" when
I open Messenger, so is all that remains is to define contacts?

Yes you would have to establish contacts/buddies based on a mutually agreed
basis. Messenger would then allow you to make and receive audio/video calls
with your contacts using Messenger only (NetMeeting is not part of this
equation).


--
Brian Sullivan
Courses by Wire (http://www.coursesbywire.com)