Must Take Turns Speaking in NetMeeting

When you start a conference in Microsoft NetMeeting, both parties cannot Speak simultaneously, but have to take turns speaking.

You may have half-duplex audio instead of full-duplex audio.

Full-duplex audio allows you and the other person to talk (and hear) simultaneously. An example is a normal telephone conversation.

With half-duplex audio, you and the other person must take turns speaking. An example is a two-way radio, where you have to press the Send button to talk and release the button to listen.

The requirements for a full-duplex audio conversation are as follows:

• Full-duplex sound card
• Full-duplex sound card driver
• Full-duplex audio enabled in NetMeeting
• Other conference participant is also full-duplex audio capable
• Necessary speakers or headphones, and microphone

Determine whether the sound cards and drivers are capable of full-duplex audio, and verify that full-duplex audio is enabled in NetMeeting on both computers.

Determining If the Sound Card and Driver Support Full-Duplex Audio

To determine whether your sound card and driver support full-duplex audio, follow these steps:

1. In Windows 95 and Windows NT, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to Multimedia, and then click Sound Recorder. In Windows 98, click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point Entertainment, and then click Sound Recorder.
2. Repeat step 1 to start a second Sound Recorder session.
3. In the first Sound Recorder session, play a sound (.wav) file that is at least 30 seconds long. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. On the File menu, click Open
   2. In the Open dialog box, locate and select an appropriate .wav file.
   3. Click Open.
4. While the first session of Sound Recorder plays the .wav file, switch to the second session of Sound Recorder and record a .wav file. To do this, click the Record button at the bottom of the Sound Recorder window (the rightmost button with the red circle).

If you can record a .wav file while the other .wav file continues to play, your sound card and the sound card drivers support full-duplex audio.

If you cannot record a .wav file while another .wav file is playing, there is a problem in one of the following areas:

• The sound card does not support full-duplex audio
• The sound card driver does not support full-duplex audio
• The sound card or sound card driver is not properly configured to support full-duplex audio

Note that the sound card drivers included with Windows 95 do not support full-duplex audio. If your sound card supports full-duplex audio, you must obtain full-duplex drivers from the manufacturer of the sound card to use full-duplex audio in Windows 95.

Verify that Full-Duplex Audio Is Enabled in NetMeeting

The Audio Tuning Wizard included with NetMeeting can determine whether a sound card supports full-duplex audio. However, this tool does not enable full-duplex audio by default.

To verify that full-duplex audio is enabled in NetMeeting, follow these steps:

1. In NetMeeting, click Options on the Tools menu.
2. Click the Audio tab, and then make sure the Enable Full Duplex Audio check box is selected.

Other Full-Duplex and Half-Duplex Considerations

In order for both participants in the conference to have a full-duplex conversation, both participants must have full-duplex audio capabilities. If one party is full-duplex capable and one party is half-duplex capable, the full-duplex party can send and receive simultaneously. However, the half-duplex party cannot.

This means that if both parties are talking (sending) at the same time, the full-duplex party will hear (receive) what the half-duplex party is saying while the half-duplex party will not hear (receive) anything. Both parties have to adjust to what is effectively a half-duplex conversation.

A common technique is to say "Over" or "Your turn" or "Back to you" when you are through talking. Keep each turn fairly short (under 30 seconds) so that the other party can get a chance to respond.

Changes in Ambient (Background) Noise Levels

Changes in ambient noise levels can impact the ability send audio.

Suppose a full-duplex party is talking and a half-duplex party is receiving and everything seems to be working. Also suppose that the full- duplex system does not have the audio sensitivity tuned correctly for the current environment or the audio environment changes.

This can happen when there is a change in background noise from when the Audio Tuning Wizard had originally set the audio sensitivity. For example, a radio or television is playing nearby, an air conditioning or heating fan turns on, a quiet side discussion starts in the background, a door opens letting in traffic sounds, and so on.

At this point, the full-duplex party stops talking. However the microphone is picking up the ambient noise and sending it. Because the full-duplex system is still sending, the half-duplex system will not switch from receive to send mode. The sound may not be loud enough to be audible to the half-duplex party.

The resolution is for the full-duplex party to run the Audio Tuning Wizard again so that sound sensitivity can be re-tuned for current audio environment, including current ambient noise levels. To do this, click Audio Tuning Wizard on the Tools menu in NetMeeting.