Instructions for schools on registering VC endpoints

Instructions for schools on the SEGfL
Video Conferencing Service
Registration of Endpoints

South East Grid for Learning

Version 1.6

Date: January 2007

SEGfL Video Conferencing Service Page 1

Registration of Endponts

Introduction ...............................................................................................................3
Getting Started..........................................................................................................5
Registering your Video Conferencing System ..........................................................6
Configuring your Endpoint ........................................................................................9
Testing ......................................................................................................................9
Making Calls ...........................................................................................................10

Appendix 1
Glossary of Terms...................................................................................................11
Record your information ........................................................................................13


Introduction
This document provides information on the South East Grid for Learning
(SEGfL) videoconferencing service (VCS) and how schools within the member
local authority who have chosen to use this facility, can register their
videoconferencing equipment and start conferencing over the educational
network.
The document assumes that schools have a broadband connection and are
able to connect directly to the regional network. If you are in any doubt about
the connectivity from your school please speak to your local authority support
team or contact the SEGfL Project Office.

SEGfL has developed this videoconferencing services in association with the
South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL). Consequently all school registered to
the VCS, through either SEGfL or the SWGfL, are able to use the directory for
conferencing.

Types of Connection

Traditionally, much videoconferencing in education has been point-to-point
between two cameras connected via a dedicated ISDN line. These lines are
connected in multiples of 128 kbps bandwidths (one line is 128kbps, 2 lines
256kbps etc…). As well as the rental on these lines, videoconferencing calls
attracted call charges, the greater the bandwidth the more the charges. With
the advent of broadband educational networks, we can now provide
videoconferencing services over Internet Protocols (IP). This shares your
broadband connection at no extra charge to the school,

Types of Videoconferencing

The VCS provides a gatekeeper service to all those local authorities who wish
to use it and it only supports H.323 videoconferencing (the standard for
videoconferencing over IP network). Some local authorities have their own
gatekeeper so if you are unsure which service to use, please contact your local
authority in the first instance.

VCS allows for point to point calls with other schools using the service and full
access to the Janet Videoconferencing service (JVCS). JVCS provides a wide
range of videoconferencing faculties including an ISDN gateway, testing facility,
comprehensive multipoint conference facilities and a booking service (see
below for more information on JVCS)

Security

The access to IP networks poses a security threat for vulnerable users so the
SEGfL VCS has created a secure method of videoconferencing for schools.
The endpoints at each site have to be registered separately and are given a
unique address (its E164 number) that conforms to an agreed national
standard. This hides the IP address of the equipment and also means that the
school can control who they conference with and who conference with them.


It is important that schools include videoconferencing in their e-safety
documents and Internet policy. Kent LA has an up to date comprehensive
policy. Additional information can be found on the Becta website.

Conferencing with Sites still on ISDN

If you need to use ISDN or wish to conference with another site on ISDN, you
will need to register on the JVCS service (see below). The school making the
booking will be billed for any ISDN used in a conference. You can specify for
ISDN site to ‘dial in’ in order to save on these costs.

Conferencing with External Sites

If you wish to conference with a school/site that is not using the SEGfL VC
service (i.e. not in the directory) then you can connect to them via the JVCS
service (see below). Once you are registered on the service you can either
book conferences with any registered educational site (HE, FE and UK wide
schools) or guest venues that are on either a public IP network or using ISDN.
There will be a cost for using ISDN to a guest site if you use this facility. Guest
venues are normally schools overseas or pupils at home. JVCS has user
acceptance policy which users must sign up to and the service can not be used
for non-educational use.

Conferencing with other educational sites in the UK including National
Museums and Universities using JVCS

The national schools videoconferencing project began in 2004, with the aim of
connecting all RBCs and opt-out LEAs to a national videoconferencing service
on the educational broadband network. This project was funded by Becta and
the service is delivered by JANET videoconferencing services (JVCS) though
UKERNA. SEGfL has connected to this service and schools have been using
the facilities to connect to other schools in other LEAs/regions in the UK,
universities, national content providers. During 2005, one of the aims of the
RBCs and JVCS was to connect to the National Museums to offer
videoconferencing workshops over the broadband network. Now there are 15
museums and content providers on this service and the number will continue to
grow. They have to comply with a strict security policy and conditions of use.
An up to date list of this providers can be found on the SEGfL website in the
videoconferencing section.

JVCS offers the following facilities: Automatic dial out to all sites, multipoint
conferences (unlimited sites and many layouts), various bandwidth options
(Max 2Meg per site) booking service for conferences, guest sites on both ISDN
and IP, ISDN gateway, data-sharing facility and a support desk.

To find out more information on the JVCS service, please go to the web site:

www.jvcs.ja.net/schools

The JVCS service is open to all schools and they need to be registered and
complete a quality assurance assessment before a conference can be booked.
All schools using only IP for videoconferencing and who wish to book
workshops with museums and content providers must register on JVCS.


To register, please contact Heather Pettitt via email after you have registered
on VCS: heather.pettitt@segfl.org.uk

Getting started
In order for your school to be set up on the Video Conferencing Service several
things need to be in place. These are as follows: (You might find it helpful to
refer to the glossary of terms at the end of this document)

1. Your school needs to be connected to the SEGfL broadband network.
This is through the local authority schools IP network. Your videoconferencing
equipment needs to be support H.323 and be connected to your school LAN.
Standalone pieces of videoconferencing equipment can connect directly via an
Ethernet cable and port, software codecs are connected via a networked PC.

2. You will need to decide which IP address to use on your school
network. It should be a free address.

3. To set up your school on the VCS service you need to supply SEGfL
VC helpdesk with the school’s DFES number (all 7 digits) plus the school’s
name, address, main contact details and LEA

Email these details to the helpdesk on:

support@segfl.ifl.net or telephone on 0870 908 1907

Your user name and password will be issued within approximately 2 days from
your initial request.

Once you receive your user name and password, keep it in a safe place as you
will need it in the future.


Registering your Video Conferencing System

Once you have received your user name and password, your
videoconferencing end points (cameras etc) need to be registered with the VCS
and the gatekeeper. To register an endpoint, on to the Video Conferencing
Service use any Internet enabled PC to visit http://vcs.segfl.org.uk/admin and
enter your username, DFES number and password.

If you are logging in for the first time you will be asked to agree to our user
policy and it is worth keeping a copy by printing it out.

A screen similar to the one shown below will appear. It will say which school
you are from and show any previously registered local endpoints (those
belonging to the school). If you are logging in for the first time, this area will be
empty as you have not registered any endpoints.


To add your endpoint (s), select Create New Endpoint and a screen with the
form below is displayed.

H323 ID: The H323 ID: is automatically prefixed with the school DfES
number. The remainder of field is used to describe your
system e.g. Maths room

Comment This is a free text field to add more information for future
reference

E 164: Enter three digits to uniquely define the end point in the school.
Note:1 is entered as 001. The 17 digit number generated will
be used by other users to call this video conferencing system.

Each new endpoint registered must have a different three digit
series. Most sites use 001,002,003 etc.

IP Address Enter your chosen VC IP address in this box. If it does not
accept the IP address as being valid in your range then you
need to call the helpdesk on 0870 908 1709 and check that
they have the correct address.

Ex directory Click on this box to prevent the details appearing the directory.

Endpoint Type Select from the drop down menu the type of endpoint that best
matches the Video Conferencing system

Then go to the next tab, ‘call rules’.


This table displays the call rules (who you can call and who can call you) for
your endpoint that you have created. Depending on your school (if it is primary
or secondary) certain boxes will be ticked and crossed as part of a standard
template for safe use. You can change the rules depending on who you wish to
conference with by clicking on the box. The call rules can be changed when
you want and are set as soon as you ‘save details’. All changes are real time
and can be changed as many times as you want.

*Note: If you try to call or be called by another site on the service and it does
not work and a message appears on the VC system about permissions denied
then it is these call rules that are blocking you call attempts. Some schools tick
all the boxes to prevent this but it then means that they a reducing the security
feature and have to be aware of the possible implications.

The final tab ‘E.164 exceptions’ allows each system to have exceptions to the
call rules. For example, if you wish to block all calls from secondary schools
except the one you are doing a project with, then place their E.164 number in
one of the boxes in the E.164 exceptions tab.

The third tab ‘system details’ allows you to set the rules for using the additional
services. We would advise all schools to check that the UKERNA boxes are
ticked because they allow you to use JVCS which most schools wish to do.

Save all these details by going to ‘save details’. You will get a help screen that
will provide you with all the details that you need to configure your endpoint.
You will need to record the IP Address, H323 name and E164 Number as they
will be used in the configuration of the video conferencing system. Write them
down or print the screen for you records

Once you endpoint has been created, you can come back and changing the
endpoint settings (call rules, system details and E.164 exceptions) at anytime.


Configuring your Endpoint

Once you have registered on the VCS web portal (as above) you will need to
ensure that the information is mirrored in your endpoint.

To do this you will need to go to the administrator setup on your endpoint. You
will need to add the gatekeeper details, H.323 name and E.164 number as well
as configure the IP address in the system. There is no standard interface for
configuring video conferencing systems and therefore the following information
is provided to help with the configuration process for your systems. Specific
product guides may be available via your local authority. It is advisable to
involve the company that you purchase your VC equipment from as they should
be able to install the system correctly (they will find it useful to have this
document).

Gatekeeper
The SEGfL Gatekeeper has an IP address of 62.171.194.50. On a few
systems the ports used for the gatekeeper are required and the IP address can
be entered as 62.171.194.50:1719. It might do this automatically.

H323 Name
Normally the H323 Name can be entered in a defined field in the configuration.
Do not forget to add the school DfES number prefix then – and the name. For
some systems the user name is used as the H323 name in which case replace
your name with the H323 Name. If the H.323 name is entered does not match
exactly the name created on the VCS web page then you will not get a
successful gatekeeper registration.

E164 Number
The full 17 digit E164 number is required. Check this is correct and matches
the VCS webpage.

Testing
Endpoint registration
Ensure that your endpoint is switched on and connected to the broadband
network. Confirm that the system is registered with the SEGfL gatekeeper by
visiting the video conferencing service web site http://vcs.segfl.org.uk . All
registered endpoints should appear in the top window with the E164 and H323
name displayed as entered during the registration process.

If your system is not displayed, check that your entries for the gatekeeper,
H323 name and E164 numbers are correct. If you still have problems
registering, contact the helpdesk on 0870 908 1709.


Test Conference
The VCS has a test conference. This conference is a reflection of the video
and audio being sent from your system. To call this conference, dial the E164
Number 00440213548101050. You should see the picture from your system
and hear your voice, albeit with a slight delay. You can use this conference at
any time to test your audio and video settings. Your system is now ready to
use the service.

Making Calls
A video conferencing call can only be made to systems that are currently on
line and registered with the gatekeeper. Calls can be made using either the
H323 name or the E164 number.

To view the list the systems currently registered and ‘live’, ready for conference
visit the web site http://vcs.segfl.org.uk

Available systems are displayed in one of three areas. The top area displays
endpoints registered within the grid. This list can be filtered based upon Grid or
Local LEA by using the links above.

The Resources area will display the SEGfL managed service and any LEA
support service for your school.

If you are using the JVCS service for you conference, you still need to be
registered on the VCS gatekeeper and appear as an ‘online endpoint’.

The directory shows all endpoints that are registered on the VCS in
alphabetical order but they are not necessarily available (view at Grid level for


all available endpoints). If you wish to conference with these schools it is best
to telephone first.

If you wish to look at some support material that explains videoconferencing
and some of the technical terms please look at the following site developed by
WMNet, the West Midlands RBC.

http://www.wmnet.org.uk/vc

For ideas on VC content or projects please visit the South East Grid for
Learning website on a regular basis.

www.segfl.org.uk

Glossary of Terms
CODEC
Short for Coder/decoder. It is a device that switches audio and video signals from
analogue to digital and then compresses it to be transmitted. At the receiving end the
signal is decompressed and turned back to analogue to be viewed. All
videoconferencing requires this process. Videoconferencing systems are sometimes
referred to as the ‘ codec’.

Desktop System
A videoconferencing system that is designed to be used by one person. It is run off a
PC and can be portable. These systems are usually Standards compliant.

Endpoint
This refers to any videoconferencing system. It could be a dedicated piece of
equipment or part of a PC software solution with a web camera.

E.164 number
This is a sequence of numbers that is 17 digits long. The schema was decided
nationally and is now adopted across the country. The combination of numbers acts
as an address so that a call can connect to the correct endpoint. It means that IP
addresses are not presented. Instead sites are dialled using the E.164 number.

Gatekeeper
This is a security device that controls video and audio traffic between networks. On
the VCS, the gatekeeper controls all the videoconferencing connections to and from
the registered schools on the grid. It uses the E.164 numbering scheme to control
traffic and aid security.

Gateway
The gateway enables sites IP H.323 networks to communicate with sites not on
H.323 networks. Usually it is used to connect sites on IP with sites on ISDN.

H.320
The ITU standard for videoconferencing over digital networks like ISDN


H.323
The ITU standard for videoconferencing over packet switched networks such as
LANs, the educational network and the internet (including broadband)

IP address
The unique combination of numbers assigned to a device on an IP network. They
contain a series of numbers and dots. Internal IP addresses are assigned usually on
a series starting on 10. and they are only relevant to devices on your internal
network. A Public IP address is public facing and can be mapped to internal
addresses for devices that wish to communicate outside the internal network (like
VC).

IP network
A network that uses TCP IP protocol.

ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network, ISDN is a digital telephone network that allows
both data and voice over the same line.

LAN
Local Area Network. A network that connects devices (computers, VC equipment) in
a small area such as a school.

Large Room based system
A videoconferencing system that is designed to be used in a large room by many
people. They contain their own powerful codec and connect to a screen (s). These
systems are often designed to fit the user’s exact requirements such as extra
microphones, additional cameras and in built multipoint facilities.

Small Room system
A videoconferencing system that is designed for a small group of people (2-5). It is
usually connected to a screen and contains it’s own codec. It is usually portable.

WAN
Wide Area Network. A network that connects devices over a large area such as LEA
or Grid.

Webcam
A web camera is connected to a PC and uses it processing power to act as a codec.
Software is used to manage the videoconferencing ( e.g. NetMeeting)

Record your Information

Fill in your details so that you have a record of them.

Log in details to SEGfL VCS at http://vcs.segfl.org.uk/admin


User name:
DfES number:
Password:
Internal IP address for VC:

Printed copy of the acceptable use policy? Yes / No

Have you included VC in your school internet policy? Yes / No

Your endpoint Information

Location of the VC H.323 name E.164 number

Are you registered on Ukerna’s JVCS? Yes / No

• Who is the JVCS registered user for your school:

• Additional users:

• Our venue name is:


Instructions for schools on registering VC endpoints

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