Troubleshooting Audio, Video, and Other Connectivity Issues During Online Tutoring Sessions

Experiencing issues with your camera, microphone, audio, or connectivity during online sessions can be frustrating! So that you can make the most of your session time, we've written this guide to walk you through different troubleshooting steps to try so that you can have a smooth experience in the Virtual Learning Center (VLC). 

Reporting Issues Within the VLC

Built into the VLC is the ability for you to submit a report to our tech team. This report captures information about your session that may help us find the cause of your connectivity issue. To report a VLC issue, please start by clicking the Report Issue button in the top-right corner of the Virtual Learning Center. Below shows the Report Issue button within the VLC as a student (left) and tutor (right).

Report Issue Button - Student View:

Report Issue Button - Tutor View:

Within the pop-up, please select the aspects of the VLC that are causing you trouble, then provide a description of the issues. 

Once you're finished, click the Submit button. A confirmation message should populate, notifying you that your report was submitted. 

With the issue report submitted, please try the troubleshooting tips below to attempt to resolve your connectivity issues within your session.

Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues

During your online session, you may be having trouble with your microphone if the other user cannot hear you, the VLC indicates that no microphone is detected, or the microphone icon shows the color red (disabled) and cannot be enabled. If you are having trouble with your microphone, please check the following:

Check Your Microphone and Camera Connection

• Check to make sure there aren't any other applications or websites open on your device that could be using your microphone and camera, such as other video call applications.
• If you are using an external microphone, such as a microphone built into your headphones, check to make sure your headphones are securely plugged into your device.
• If you are using a bluetooth headset or headphones, check to make sure your device is connected to the bluetooth device.
• If you are using a webcam, confirm the webcam is connected to your device. Test your webcam using another video call application to confirm the webcam is connected properly.

Check Your Microphone and Camera Settings Within the VLC

Within the VLC, click on the wrench icon in the top-right corner of the VLC to open the Audio & Video Settings menu.

Make sure the microphone selected for the VLC is the microphone you're using in the drop-down menu below Microphone. Say a few words to test that your voice is being captured by your microphone. The bars next to "Input Level" should turn blue if audio is being captured, as shown below:

Make sure the camera selected for the VLC is the camera you're using in the drop-down menu below Camera. If you are using an external webcam, make sure the webcam you are using shows in this drop-down menu.

If the incorrect microphone or camera was being used, select the correct microphone/camera, then click on the Join Session button. Note: you must click on the Join Session button after making any changes to your audio & video settings to apply those changes. Clicking the X icon in the upper corner of the pop-up will not apply your changes.

Take a look at this article for more information about adjusting your audio settings within the VLC: Communicating in the VLC: Setting Up Your Audio & Video Settings and Using the Chat

Run a Pre-Call Test

To complete an all-in-one checklist for connectivity, media access, and quality, please run the test on this website: https://tokbox.com/developer/tools/precall/

This will let you know if the audio and video settings, and your connectivity are suitable for your online session.

Check Your Browser and Browser Permissions

Browser Recommendations

If you are encountering issues with your microphone during your online session, please first check to make sure you are accessing Upswing from either of our recommended browsers: Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

Using Upswing on an unsupported browser, such as Microsoft Edge or Safari, can lead to connectivity issues. For additional information about browser requirements and recommendations, as well as helpful links to download either of the recommended browsers, please take a look at this article: What are the software requirements to use Upswing?

Browser Updates

In addition to using a supported browser, you also want to check to make sure the browser you're using is updated. Follow the steps in the articles below to check if your browser is up-to-date:

• How to Check for Updates in Google Chrome 
• How to Check for Updates in Mozilla Firefox

Browser Permissions

The first time you join the VLC from your internet browser, your browser will ask if you would like to give Upswing permission to use your microphone and camera. You will need to enable these permissions in order to use your microphone and camera during your online session. 

Google Chrome Users:

• To check your Google Chrome site permissions while in your session, click on the site information settings icon next to the website URL in your browser. 
• Confirm that the toggles next to Microphone and Sound are switched to the on position.
  
• Please take a look at this article for more information about the recommended Google Chrome site permissions: What site permissions in Google Chrome are recommended when using Upswing?

Mozilla Firefox Users:

• To check to see if the microphone and camera permissions are enabled while in your session, click on the site information settings icon next to the website URL in your browser. Confirm that the permissions for Use the camera and Use the microphone are both enabled, as shown below.
  
• Please take a look at this article for more information about Mozilla Firefox site permissions, as well as additional troubleshooting tips specific to Firefox users: What site permissions in Mozilla Firefox are recommended when using Upswing?

Clear Your Browser's Cache and Cookies.

Stored browser data may cause problems with connectivity and performance. Please follow the instructions in this article to clear your cache and cookies: How to Clear Your Cache and Cookies

Access Upswing from a Different Browser.

If you are experiencing audio or video issues during your session, try to log into Upswing from a different browser. If you are experiencing issues during your session while using Google Chrome, download Mozilla Firefox and try to join your session from the Firefox browser (and vice versa). This will help determine if the issue is caused by the internet browser you're using.

Optimize Your Computer's Performance

Online tutoring sessions use a lot of bandwidth! This means that you may run into connectivity issues during your session if your computer is running a lot of applications or if you have a lot of tabs open at once. If you experience connectivity issues, a rather quick possible solution would be to optimize your computer's performance by doing the following:

• Completely close any other browsers or programs (Skype, Zoom, Teams) that may also be accessing your camera and microphone.
• Close out of any applications on your computer that you won't need to use during your online session. It may be helpful to check the number of active applications you have running first:
  • Windows: Right-click the Taskbar > Task Manager > End unnecessary tasks
  • Mac: Use Activity Monitor > Close unneeded applications
• If you haven't restarted your device recently, we recommend restarting your computer.

Check Your System / Device Settings

If you are having trouble with your audio or video during an online session, the issue could be associated with your device. 

Check Your Audio Input & Output Settings

Audio input and output settings determine which microphone or speaker your computer or device uses to capture and share sound.

How to Check Audio Input and Output Settings on Mac:

1. Click the Apple menu ()
2. Go to System Settings or System Preferences (depending on your macOS version).
3. Select Sound
4. Click on Input. Check to see that the input device is the microphone you're trying to use within the VLC, and that the input volume is not turned down.
5. Click on Output. Check to see that the output device is the speaker you're trying to use within the VLC. If you are using headphones or a headset, you should see the device listed here.

How to Check Audio Input and Output Settings on Windows:

Check the Sound Settings:

1. Select and hold (or right-click) the Speakers icon on the taskbar.
2. Next, select the arrow to the right of the speaker volume slider to open a list of audio devices connected to your computer. The tool tip should display as Select a sound output when hovering over the arrow.
3. Select settings icon to the right of the Volume mixer slider to open Volume mixer settings. The tool tip should display as More mixer settings when hovering over the settings icon.

4. You’ll see a set of volume controls for your devices.

   1. If any of them are muted, you’ll see an "x" next to the volume control . To unmute, click on the mute icon. 

   2. Confirm the correct devices are showing for the output and input devices.

How to Update Your System Drivers (Windows Only):

If a specific hardware component on your device, such as your camera, speaker, or microphone, are not working 

• For Lenovo users: Update drivers by following this guide.
• For Dell users: Update your camera and microphone drivers with Dell’s guide.
• For HP users: Update your drivers by following this guide.

Contacting Support About Connectivity Issues

If you're running into connectivity issues after troubleshooting the issues using the information in this guide, please contact our Support Team! We've put together a list of questions that would help us troubleshoot these connectivity issues with you on this article: Reporting Audio, Video, and Other Connectivity Issues During Online Tutoring Sessions to Our Support Team.

1.