🚀 go-pugleaf

MS NetMeeting works perfectly for me - I work for a small company and we 
use it for face-to-face meetings between employees at their home 
offices.  By itself it requires a fixed IP address for the person you're 
calling, but if you register with MSN Messenger it can be called via 
"Invite" from a Messenger chat session, and in that case it auto-detects 
the current IP address when NetMeeting is invoked, so it works fine with 
DHCP connections.

However, some warnings:-
* NetMeeting uses several ports of the target machine for video and 
audio, so if you or the called party are connected behind a firewall you 
are sure to have problems. The same is probably true for all the 
videoconf systems you listed. You'll need a firewall guru (not me!) to 
open up the necessary resources in that case.
* Different videoconf systems have limitations on which webcams they 
support. I use a Dolphin PenCam, which seems fine on NetMeeting, 
CUSeeMe, and Eyeball. Some friends found problems with better cams than 
mine.
* Videoconf is very hungry on bandwidth, you'll find that the voice 
channel is less stable when video is running than when it's not. If you 
have a broadband connection you should be OK, but via my 56K modem it's 
on the edge - it's only satisfactory when I get a full-rate connection.
* Get an "unlimited download" contract with your ISP before you start 
chatting, or it will work out cheaper to fly first class to see your 
colleague!
* It works best when both parties are connected via the same ISP (no 
bottlenecks from Internet traffic).

Now a question: I'm looking for a videoconf system which will allow me 
to set up video chat with perhaps 5 other people, but which does not 
require a remote server (like CUSeeMe). Does any reader have any 
recommendations?

Ingar Holst wrote:

> Does anyone have suggestions for video conferencing software? I've got a
> couple of webcams set up at two PCs. So far, I've tried Yahoo messenger,
> MS Netmeeting, Eyeball and Dualview, none of which work. I am looking
> for software that doesn't require passwords or registering, but routes
> the connection directly to a specified IP (the other PC).
> 
> Suggestions welcome.
> 
> --
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Ingar Holst
> publisher materia sinica
> www.holst.no