Web cam help please

11 Feb 2005

Hi, I have a Logitech Pro 4000 Web Cam & the visual part is fine... I can see people & they can see me. The problem is the sound does not work at the moment & I would really appreciate some help to sort this out. biggrin

I'm using Win XP & I've got "Logitech Microphone" selected as the Sound Recording default device in Sound & Audion Devices Properties. In Speech Properties I've got it selected in Audio Input Settings.
So what do I need to do? Any ideas?

11 Feb 2005

When you click the audio tab, do you get a little green sliding volume scale on the right?
It should move when you talk.
BTW, is it the sound you can't get or is it that your mic doesn't work?

11 Feb 2005

Quote by Parrot
When you click the audio tab, do you get a little green sliding volume scale on the right?
It should move when you talk.
BTW, is it the sound you can't get or is it that your mic doesn't work?

The sliding volume scale works now, because I was messing around before I started the thread & selected the Logitech microphone in the relevant box. Perhaps its sorted! confused

So the question I should have asked before is..... Is there a web site where I could test the cam & mic?

11 Feb 2005

You can test it easily if you have MSN.
At the top of the MSN screen there is a tab for Tools and if you click on that, you can test sound, vision and mic.

11 Feb 2005

Quote by Parrot
You can test it easily if you have MSN.
At the top of the MSN screen there is a tab for Tools and if you click on that, you can test sound, vision and mic.

Cheers Parrot, seems to work according to that tool. I just need to get the ultimate reassurance of using the thing with one of those human being things on the other end who actually says she (preferably wink

) can hear me OK. biggrin

11 Feb 2005

"Real people"???
Holy shat, Bitman.
I thought it was just me and thousands of bots who's sole purpose in life was to piss me off, lol
(Discounting the Scutters on Red Dwarf, naturally)

11 Feb 2005

Quote by manofmuchfun
oh so ya edited ya post to female .......... sod ya !
last time I offer ....no ...no ....! not now !!!

It was NOT edited in response to your post :shock:
wink

although it might be now lol

Thanks for the offer.

11 Feb 2005

With help from Novice_1 & manofmuchfun we've established that the cam & mic both work fine. Web cam sessions work fine, but with no sound.
However Audio sessions never get connected, regardless of whether I or the other person initiates them. Tries to connect for ages, then MSN tells me the audio session has been ended.
Any ideas?

11 Feb 2005

you are using a router of some sort I think, msn messnger works great thru routers with video, for some reason the audio just wont
and no I still have no cure

11 Feb 2005

Quote by kristof
you are using a router of some sort I think, msn messnger works great thru routers with video, for some reason the audio just wont
and no I still have no cure

Errr, nope. I'm on Broadband with an ADSL modem. Not a router.

11 Feb 2005

As a non techie type of person, my best guess is that your firewall is blocking the sound files.
Is there a way to lower your firewall for the sound but not for anything else?
Would you want to do that?

11 Feb 2005

Quote by kristof
you are using a router of some sort I think, msn messnger works great thru routers with video, for some reason the audio just wont
and no I still have no cure

Kristoff
If your router has uPNP (this is not plug & play but universal pnp which sets up the firewall of the router) this needs to be enabled in both Win XP and the router. MSN uses uPNP to set up the pass ports in the router automatically.
Hungry
I suspect that software firewalls would have the same problem. Video uses one port, while audio uses another. The firewall will only see the primary port, which will be video, and block the audio.

11 Feb 2005

So does that mean it is the person "receiving" the audio that needs to lower the firewall? confused

:

11 Feb 2005

Quote by BaldEagle
I suspect that software firewalls would have the same problem. Video uses one port, while audio uses another. The firewall will only see the primary port, which will be video, and block the audio.

Well so far I'm unable to find a web site where I can test the cam, so can't check that at the moment. Does anyone else who uses a webcam have a firewall as well? I would have thought it was normal to use the two both together!!!

11 Feb 2005

Quote by Parrot
So does that mean it is the person "receiving" the audio that needs to lower the firewall? :

No, it's just sending that needs the open ports.

11 Feb 2005

Quote by HungryP
Well so far I'm unable to find a web site where I can test the cam, so can't check that at the moment. Does anyone else who uses a webcam have a firewall as well?

I do not know of any web site that will "reflect" your webcam output back to you so you can see if it is working.
To use video and audio on the webcam through my DG834 Hardware firewall router and McAfee software firewall, I need to have uPNP enabled in XP and the router. Also I have to allow McAfee firewall to open ports in the 5000 and 2500 region. However, uPNP has security issues, and once opened, McAFee leaves the ports open even if you are not using the webcam . So, for security, I don't use audio on the webcam.
As a side issue, NTL has it's own firewall on it's backbone and many people cannot get audio and video to work with NTL cable.
With software firewalls, you have to determine which services or ports are required and manually OPEN these to the outside world to enable video and audio to work. Of course, you now have open ports which could cause a security risk.
<End of Tech lecture>