Troubleshooting Live for researchers
Running into technical trouble with your Live session? We're here to help! Follow these troubleshooting steps to get your session back up and running:
- Re-joining a dropped session
- Problems with internet connection
- Problems with firewall
- Problems with microphone or camera
- Other technical problems
Re-joining a dropped session
If you encounter a dropped call or other issue, don’t panic! If you stay in the Live session and simply refresh the page, the scout should be able to re-join. If you need to chat with the scout via the Manage page, open it up in a separate browser tab.
If you exit out of a session and are unable to re-join, you'll just need to add a new session. Go to the Manage page > scroll to the scout’s name > click on the dropdown arrow next to the scheduled time slot > click “Add Session.”
Problems with internet connection
Most of the time, technical problems related to dscout Live are the result of internet connectivity problems. It is important to keep tabs on your internet connection, as call quality is based on the strength of your internet connection.
During a Live session, you will see a status icon next to your and your scout's names. These represent your network latency. Latency is the measure of time it takes to send a packet of data from one endpoint to another.
If you or a scout are experiencing issues with your network:
- Close any other apps on your network that may be consuming large amounts of bandwidth
- Make sure your internet is working
- Try moving closer to the router
If you are unable to stabilize your network, we recommend communicating this with the other participant. Try to reschedule another time to complete your session when your network is reliable.
Run this test any time you are worried that the issue may be with your internet connection. This can help you diagnose the problem.
Note: Using a VPN? This may block you from joining your Live session. If possible, disable your VPN to see if this allows you to join the session using your usual device + WiFi network.
Problems with firewall
For some users, Firewall configurations may prevent the use of Live.
In order to use Live, your firewall should allow outgoing UDP to the the public internet from the browsers that will be using Twilio Client and allow return traffic in response. Additional requirements can be found here.
Problems with microphone or camera
If you or a scout experience microphone / camera problems, Chrome permissions may be to blame. To troubleshoot, click on the Menu icon in the top right corner of Google Chrome (it looks like three stacked dots) > Settings > scroll to Advanced > Content Settings > Microphone / Camera. Ensure that dscout is not in the "Block" section.
Other technical problems
Have a Live concern that isn't covered here? Direct your scout to email live@dscout.com, and our team of Live experts will troubleshoot with them directly. You can also chat with dscout Support between 9am - 5pm CST, Monday - Friday, by tapping the question mark icon in the top right corner of your mission.