Seven large-scale tests to perform before your next meeting

Seven large-scale tests to perform before your next meeting.

Meeting colleagues using an app like Zoom has become the new normal, but most people are still just getting used to it.

While group video chat has been around for a while, chances are good that until now you never had a reason to use it. This means you need to learn a whole new list of etiquette rules and technical background.

The good news is that you no longer need to worry about bad breath, but you should try the following Zoom tests before your next important meeting.

Prepare Your Environment

While you may not be in the same physical space with your colleagues, Zoom brings all of your individual spaces together. This also means that any problems in your environment can become a problem in your meeting. What problems? Well, that will depend on individual circumstances, but here are some key tips:

Make sure your surroundings are well lit.
If possible, choose a location with access control, such as a door that can be locked.
Try to choose a room that is not too echoed. Anywhere with carpet, thick curtains and soft furnishings is usually fine.
Check the room for sources of noise. A beep, squeaky fan, or other similar problem can get on the nerves of everyone else in the meeting.
Carefully check the framing of your video stream. Is there anything inappropriate or distracting? Consider moving from where you are sitting or getting these items out of the way.

This is not a complete list, so take a close look at the environment you will be using during a Zoom meeting and see if there are any issues.

Consider Using a Virtual Background

Zoom offers the ability to replace your background with a virtual one. This works the same as any green screen setting, but you don’t need a green screen specifically. If your background is uniform in color and evenly lit, you should get good results. Your virtual background doesn’t have to be perfect, but you can test it in the Zoom settings to make sure it works for you.

If you are not getting good results, you can try lighting the background more evenly, or purchase a pop-up green screen. There are even interesting ideas, such as the Webaround green screen mounted on the chair, which makes it pretty easy to cover the entire camera frame.

Have A Note-Taking Solution

This is preparatory advice that applies to real-life meetings, but you must have some kind of note-taking solution. This can be a pen and paper, a tablet with a pen, or a phone with an on-screen keyboard.

Some Zoom meetings are being recorded. In this case, you do not need to take notes intended to be used after the meeting ends. Instead, notes are useful for organizing your questions and feedback. At Zoom meetings, you probably won’t have much time to speak when it’s your turn. Taking notes can help you make the most of your time.

Check That Your Screen Is Appropriate To Share

Whether you plan to show your computer screen to other people during a meeting or not, always be ready to do so at any time. What does it mean? Make sure the wallpaper is right for the job, it might be best to replace it with one of the built-in Windows options. Close all open applications that might display private or confidential content.

If you are most likely using a web browser, you can turn off automatic search completion or use a portable browser with no search history. The last thing you want is for the websites or searches you visit in your free time to be displayed on the screen for the whole group.

Run an Internet Speed Test

Once you have found a suitable meeting place and prepared the environment, you should check if your internet speed is sufficient. Run the internet speed test and check if you have enough bandwidth to participate in a Zoom meeting.

The minimum requirement for a Zoom group video call is about 1 Mbps of bandwidth. It’s both ways. The upstream bandwidth is very important for video calls. If your Internet is slow to send information, it will affect the work of other participants. Ideally, you would need 3 Mbps in both directions to deliver high quality HD video streaming.

If the speed test shows that your connection is not as fast as it should be, then you will have to troubleshoot your Internet connection. This means that you have to make sure that the Wi-Fi signal strength is sufficient and make sure you are not in a blind spot. Check out our guide to speeding up your Wi-Fi internet or consider using an Ethernet cable if possible.

Make Sure Your Webcam and Microphone Are Working

Now we come to perhaps the most important test to do before a Zoom meeting: making sure your microphone and webcam are working. Here’s what you need to do:

Connect your microphone and webcam.
When prompted, you might need to install software or drivers for them. This is usually plug-and-play.
Open Zoom
Select cog settings
Select Video
Select the correct webcam from the drop-down list, if applicable.
Check the preview to see if it looks good (or displays at all).
Adjust other parameters, such as HD quality, according to your needs
Select sound.
Make sure the correct audio device is selected for the speaker and microphone.
Select test speaker and test microphone in turn to ensure they are ‘recyclable

We also recommend that you check the Mute when joining meeting checkbox, because that’s just good manners. It also prevents you from accidentally saying something that you don’t want the rest of the meeting to hear because you forgot to mute.

For detailed instructions on setting up Zoom, see How to set up and use Zoom – is it better than Skype? for expert advice.

If your webcam is not working, please go to the Quick Fixes When Your Zoom Meeting Camera Is Not Working to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Join a Test Meeting

The final step in the process before joining a Zoom meeting is to invoke the Zoom Test Meeting service. Just go to https://zoom.us/test and follow the instructions. You will be able to make sure that all your equipment is working and that you speak well to other meeting participants. If you are having problems with your microphone, camera, or internet connection, you can simply go through the checklist above again to find the problem.

Take some time to learn how to record a Zoom meeting. You can also learn how to organize a Zoom meeting.

Technical Problems Happen, Then Life Happens

We hope your Zoom meeting went well and without any problems, but the last thing you need to know is that some things just got out of your control. There is no preparation or backups you can do to make sure your meeting goes without a hitch. Technical problems can always arise and you should solve them.

The same goes for things that are not strictly technical. If your cat jumps on the table and blocks the camera, it’s just life. Don’t worry. We are all people and now we live in abnormal conditions. So relax, enjoy the meeting, and rest assured that you have done everything you can to do the correct Zoom tests before the meeting. Now all you have to do is learn how to simulate attention when calling Zoom.

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