FAQ MLUconf/en

General Questions

What kind of video conferencing systems are available at the MLU?

The MLU offers two systems: MLUconf and Webex. MLUconf is fully accessible to both students and MLU-staff. It is based on the open source system BigBlueButton and runs on our own server, ensuring complete compliance with data protection regulations.

On Webex, only MLU staff members have access to configuring and starting a conference. Please refer to our Wiki for a brief comparison between MLUconf and Webex.

What is the maximum number of participants for a MLUconf meeting?

After testing, we have found that a meeting with a maximum of 250 participants is possible. To ensure this, please avoid private chats and the use of more than one camera. Additionally, only the presenter should actively use their microphone and camera. Instead of using the screensharing option, please upload the presentation slides for better performance.

Meetings held with Stud.IP and ILIAS are automatically limited to 250 participants. However, meetings set up directly on mluconf.uni-halle.de do not have this limitation, theoretically allowing for more than 250 participants.

Video conferences with all participants actively using both their microphones and their cameras can accommodate up to 25 people. If this number is exceeded, connectivity issues may arise. Explanations for this are provided in the general documentation of BigBlueButton, the open source software utilized for MLUconf.

Concerning accessibility: Do screen readers work with MLUconf?

Yes, MLUconf and its software BigBlueButton are compatible with screen readers. We recommend using the Firefox or Chrome browser. Tutorials for using a screen reader with BigBlueButton can be found on this [site].

For the hearing-impaired, automatically generated subtitles can be enabled. For this, click on the little ‘settings’ symbol and select the subtitles-function. However, please note that the automatically generated subtitles may not be reliable.

When should I use which system?

If you are a member of the MLU, we recommend using MLUconf. Its system is tailored to the needs of the MLU, designed to match the common MLU colours, and hosted on our own servers to ensure compliance with data protection regulations.

Students
Students can only use MLUconf, while Webex is exclusively available for staff members.

Lecturers
MLUconf should be the primary platform for video conferences. Additionally, Cisco Webex can be used by staff members.

The meeting should take place during the course.

• Please use the MLUconf plugin on Stud.IP or ILIAS

External participants should be able to easily access the meeting.

• Set up your meeting on MLUconf at mluconf.uni-halle.de and share the link with the participants.

The conference has over 100 attendees.

• Consider using Webex for meetings as it can accommodate up to 1000 participants without connectivity issues. MLUconf meetings can support up to 100 participants without connectivity problems if the webcams are not used. The ITZ is still testing the definite maximum on MLUconf.

The conference should be hosted on an internal MLU server.

• Use MLUconf for meetings as they are hosted on our own servers, ensuring compliancy with data protection regulations.
• Webex is a software developed by Cisco Systems. Its servers are located in different countries.

What are the technical requirements for MLUconf?

To actively participate in a video conference, a stable internet connection, microphone, and web-camera are required. For optimal speech quality and to reduce background noise, it is recommended to use a headset. Web-cameras are often integrated into tablets or notebooks.

Does MLUconf offer long-term meetings where all the material remains in the online room?

Currently, there is no option to set up long-term or permanent meetings where participants can leave the room and return the next day to find all the material and the chats still available.

Who do I contact if I have any questions or problems?

Please email mluconf@itz.uni-halle.de with your details:

• When the error occurred
• What type of video conference was held
• If possible, the concrete error message
• Which node you were on (you can find the node in the address bar of your browser, e.g. node5.conf.uni-halle…)
• Which system you are using (browser, software system)
• Which network you were using (MLU w-lan, an external network) and if possible your IP-address

We will get back to you as soon as possible. We guarantee a close support from the ITZ and LLZ.

Current fault report can be found here.