Question
How do I join a Zoom Meeting using the Cisco equipment in my classroom or conference rooms?
Answer
Before you start this process, please be sure that your classroom or conference room has Cisco Telepresence listed in its room description.
Joining a Zoom Meeting in a Cisco-enabled room has three primary steps:
- Obtaining the meeting dialing address.
- Connecting to the meeting.
- Hosting a meeting.
Depending on the type of room and how you plan to use it, there are a few different ways to complete each of these steps. The following sections provide an overview of options for each of these steps.
Preparing Before Your Meeting
For a meeting you will schedule yourself...
Create a new Zoom meeting using one of the following methods:
Zoom uses a unique Host Key to identify you as the host of a meeting joined via a room system. This key is not the same as your BGSU password or a meeting passcode. If you do not already know your Host Key, you will need to set one up using the "How to view and customize your host key" section of this guide from Zoom, before you attempt to join a meeting using Cisco Telepresence.
Depending on how you will use this meeting, consider changing the following settings in your meeting:
Once you have saved the meeting, select the option to Copy Meeting Invitation and scroll through the text that appears until you find the following information:
- Join by SIP
- This should look something like 8266655555@zoomcrc.com.
- Passcode
- This should be a series of 5 numbers.
- Zoom Host Key
Keep these three things in a place where you can access them easily when you need to join the meeting.
For a meeting scheduled by another...
To join a meeting scheduled by someone else, you will need to obtain either the Join By SIP address or the Meeting Number and you will always need the passcode. If you did not receive this information in the original invitation, you will need to reach out to the person who scheduled the meeting and ask them to locate the meeting ID and passcode.
If you received the Meeting Number, you will need to add "@zoomcrc.com" to the end of that number to create a Join By SIP address. For example, if the meeting number you were sent is 8266655555, then the Join By SIP address will be 8266655555@zoomcrc.com.
Either way, you will need the following to join the meeting.
- Join by SIP
- This should look something like 8266655555@zoomcrc.com
- Passcode
- This should be a series of 5 numbers.
For a meeting scheduled on the calendar for a department-controlled conference room...
This option only exists for conference rooms equipped with Cisco Telepresence that have had the Zoom integration setup. During this process, a shared calendar in Outlook will be configured to communicate directly with the Cisco equipment. With the correct settings, a meeting booked on that calendar will allow someone to press a single button to join the meeting inside of the conference room. Follow these steps when scheduling the meeting:
Create a new Zoom meeting using one of the following methods:
Using the Zoom Web Application
- Once you finish creating the meeting, copy the Invite link from the meeting details page.
- Create a new meeting on the shared calendar for your conference room.
- In the meeting description, paste in the Invite link for the Zoom meeting and nothing else.
- If you would like to send a meeting invite to the meeting participants with more information, create a separate meeting.
- Save the meeting.
Using the Outlook Add-on for Zoom
- Create a new meeting on the shared calendar for your conference room.
- Use the steps in the guide above to add Zoom to that meeting.
- Do not modify the meeting description created by Zoom.
- If you would like to send a meeting invite to the meeting participants with a different description, create a separate meeting.
- Save the meeting.
While creating the meeting using either of the methods listed above, consider changing the following settings in your meeting:
Joining a Zoom Meeting Using Cisco Telepresence
Join by Dialing Address
If you are in a room that has both a black touch panel for room controls and a white Cisco touch panel, follow the steps below before joining the meeting. If the room you are in only has a white Cisco touch panel, then simply make sure the TV or projector is turned ON before starting.
- If the projectors/TVs in the room are already turned ON, press the red Shut Down button on the black touch panel.
- You may need to wait up to a minute for the system to finish restarting before you see the next option.
- With the equipment in the room OFF, press the green Start button on the black touch panel.
- Select the option on the screen to start the room using Telepresence.
To join the call, use the white Cisco touch panel to complete the steps below. Be sure to bring your Join By SIP address and Passcode. If you are hosting this meeting, you will also need your Host Key.
- Press the Call button.
- Click into the Search Box and select the number key.
- Enter the Join By SIP address into the box.
- This will end with @zoomcrc.com so you will need to switch back and forth between the numbers and letters keyboards.
- Select Call.
- Enter the meeting passcode by pressing the keypad and entering the numbers followed by #.
- If hosting the meeting, enter your Host Key when prompted followed by #.
- You are now in the meeting via Telepresence.
One Button Join - Department Conference Room and Distance Classes Only
This option is only available to departments that have access to a Telepresence equipped conference room or instructors with approved distance classes. If you are an instructor teaching an approved distance course, please contact ITS as soon as possible before the start of the semester to allow time for our setup to take place.
If you are in a room that has both a black touch panel for room controls and a white Cisco touch panel, follow the steps below before joining the meeting. If the room you are in only has a white Cisco touch panel, then simply make sure the TV or projector is turned ON before starting.
- If the projectors/TVs in the room are already turned ON, press the red Shut Down button on the black touch panel.
- You may need to wait up to a minute for the system to finish restarting before you see the next option.
- With the equipment in the room OFF, press the green Start button on the black touch panel.
- Select the option on the screen to start the room using Telepresence.
To join the call, use the white Cisco touch panel to complete the steps below. If you are hosting this meeting, you will need your Host Key.
- Press the Join button listed next to your meeting's name on the Cisco touch panel.
- If hosting the meeting, enter your Host Key when prompted followed by #.
- You are now in the meeting via Telepresence.
Running a Meeting Using Cisco Telepresence
Sharing a Computer's Screen
If you would like to share content from either equipment already in the classroom or from your own laptop, follow the appropriate steps below.
Sharing from equipment installed in a room with a Black Extron Touch Panel and a White Cisco Touch Panel
- If you would like to share content from a device other than the dedicated classroom computer, select the content option you would like to share at the top of the black touch panel.
- On the white touch panel, tap the Share button.
- Once the screen changes, tap the option to Share In Call.
Sharing from the dedicated computer installed in a Room with only a White Cisco Touch Panel
- Make sure the computer is turned on.
- On the white touch panel, tap the Share button.
- Once the screen changes, tap the option to Share In Call.
Sharing from your laptop in any Cisco Telepresence room
- Launch Zoom on your laptop and connect to the ongoing meeting.
- Press the Mute Microphone button inside of Zoom.
- Mute your laptop's speakers.
- Use the Screen Sharing feature on your laptop to share content.
- The content you select will be shared in the room with you as well as with any remote participants.
Accessing Meeting Host Features From the Cisco Touch Panel
If you entered your Host Key while joining the meeting, you will be able to use the White Cisco Touch Panel to access some of the host controls inside your meeting. You can bring up the main host menu by following these steps:
- During the meeting, tap the Keypad button on the White Cisco Touch Panel.
- Once the keypad appears, tap * followed by 1 to open the Host Menu.
- The local TV or projector in your room will now display a list of possible commands you can access by numbers on the keypad.
- To close the menu at any time by tapping *.
Once you have opened the Host Menu by tapping *1, here are a few useful commands to know:
- Tap 4 to turn your camera on or off.
- Tap 5 to start or stop the meeting recording.
- Top 6 to display all participants.
- Tap 7 to view more host options.
In addition to the keypad, there should be physical buttons on the White Cisco Touch Panel to Mute the microphone and increase the volume of remote participants.
Accessing Meeting Host Features from your laptop
Using your laptop to act as a host during the meeting will give you the most control over your meeting and its features.
- Launch Zoom on your laptop and connect to the ongoing meeting.
- Press the Mute Microphone button inside of Zoom.
- Mute your laptop's speakers.
- Use the host controls inside of Zoom for your meeting.
- While anyone can use a laptop to share content, only the meeting host or co-hosts can access these controls.
To mute the Telepresence microphone use the physical buttons on the White Cisco Touch Panel. The panel also has physical buttons to increase the volume of remote participants.
For additional assistance, please contact Information Technology Services at 419-372-0999 or through chat.