1.Direct connection

This method involves a direct connection between the MeetingPlaza client program (ActiveX control or plug-in for your browser) and the MeetingPlaza server. The following ports between the MeetingPlaza client and server must be open for IP transmission to be established.

Notes:
If the ports used by MeetingPlaza are closed at the router or NAT, or if UDP forwarding for the NAT or IP masquerading is turned off, data transmission cannot be established. The router or NAT settings should be changed, or direct HTTP tunneling should be used.

2.Direct HTTP tunneling

Direct HTTP tunneling is used when there are issues with direct connection.
Direct transmission occurs between the MeetingPlaza client program and MeetingPlaza server, but all transmission data is sent and received as HTTP data. The following ports between the MeetingPlaza client and server must be open to establish IP transmission.

Notes:
The TCP ports for data transmission are checked in the following order: 15501, 80, 443. If the connection is maintained in spite of poor network performance, the quality may abruptly deteriorate.

The HTTP content type is "application/x-interspace-http-tunneling." If this content type is blocked by network equipment or software between the server and client, a connection cannot be established.

The HTTP content type "application/octet-stream" is used for file distribution as part of document sharing. If this content type is blocked by network equipment or software between the server and client, the local file cannot be shared.

3.HTTP tunneling

This method sends and receives data to and from the MeetingPlaza server through a proxy server. All transmission data is sent and received as HTTP data. HTTP tunneling is compatible with a proxy server that uses a cascade connection.

Notes:
If the connection is maintained in spite of poor network performance, the quality may abruptly degrade. A connection cannot be established using a proxy server that buffers POST requests. The following proxy servers are reported to be incompatible: DeleGate, Netscape Proxy, Microsoft Proxy.

The HTTP content type is "application/x-interspace-http-tunneling". If this content type is blocked by network equipment or software between the server and client, a connection cannot be established.

The HTTP content type "application/octet-stream" is used for file distribution as part of document sharing. If this content type is blocked by network equipment or software between the server and client, the local file cannot be shared.

4.Dedicated proxy

This method sends and receives data to and from the MeetingPlaza server through a MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy server. The conference transmission quality is equivalent to a direct connection.

Notes:
With this method, the proxy server (firewall) machine on the customer's corporate network must run the MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy server.

<Additional Information>

(1) Default ports

Server TCP ports: 15101 15201 15301 15801 80
Server UDP ports: 16101 16201 16301 16401 16601 16701 16801

Dedicated proxy TCP port: 15901
Dedicated proxy UDP port: 16901

Client TCP port: Automatically assigned by operating system
Client UDP port: 16901

(2) Connection quality

In the absence of packet loss, the connection quality is the same for any connection method. If you are using direct HTTP tunneling or an HTTP proxy, the quality will abruptly degrade with the onset of packet loss. If you are using a direct connection or MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy, the quality will be maintained up to a reasonable level of packet loss.

(3) Default settings

The default proxy setting for the MeetingPlaza client is Follow setting for Web browser.

- From Internet Explorer, click Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings. If the "Use proxy server" check box is selected, the MeetingPlaza client will try to connect through an HTTP proxy. Otherwise, the client will try a direct connection.

Notes about the default proxy setting

In the following situations, the MeetingPlaza client program is unable to automatically detect the necessary proxy information required to connect through an HTTP proxy.

- The user regularly uses a Netscape browser, and has not adjusted the settings for Internet Explorer.
- In Internet Explorer, an automatic configuration is selected under Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings.
- In Internet Explorer, "Use proxy server" is selected under Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings, but "Use the same proxy server for all protocols" is not selected from the Advanced button.

In this situation, clear the "Follow setting for Web browser" check box under Settings/Communication/Proxy on the MeetingPlaza client. Select the HTTP Tunneling check box and manually enter the proxy server information.

(4) Connection errors

In some situations, a connection will appear to have been established, but is then eventually followed by an error message. MeetingPlaza uses TCP for the initial login process, and UDP for the voice transmission. If you successfully logged in but receive an error message saying "When connecting through a direct connection or MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy, the TCP connection was successful but the UDP connection failed," the following factors may be at fault.

- The presence of issues as described for the direct connection method. In this situation, a connection should be possible using direct HTTP tunneling.
- Connection through an incompatible HTTP proxy
- Connection through an HTTP proxy, where the proxy server places a limitation on the maximum upload (POST) size and maximum download (GET) size. This can be resolved by adjusting the sizes under Settings/Communication/Proxy to match the proxy server settings. The minimum value for either setting is 500KB.