How to Use Conference Call Controls

Overview

Conference Call Controls provides a dedicated interface for managing teleconference operations independently of your event. The tool allows you to control (start/stop) teleconference operations separately from the event itself. This gives you three essential control buttons to set up, start, and end conference calls with a specialized.

Key purpose: Users must manually route audio as needed, giving you full control over when and how teleconference audio is integrated into your event.

Prerequisites

Before accessing Conference Call Controls, ensure you have:

• A Web Studio with teleconference enabled
• A teleconference bridge already created for your event

Accessing Conference Call Controls

You need to create a Web studio with teleconference to see Conference Call Controls.

To access the Conference Call Controls interface:

1. Navigate to Event Admin → Advanced Settings → Teleconference Settings

2. Locate the Conference call controls section at the top of the page

3. Click the external link icon to open it control call controls

The Control Interface

The Conference Call Controls interface displays three main control buttons:

• Set up conference call - Prepares the teleconference bridge
• Start conference call - Makes the conference live
• End conference call - Terminates the active conference

These buttons become active or disabled based on the current state of your teleconference, ensuring you can only perform valid actions.

Setting Up the Conference Call

Before you can start a conference call, you must set it up:

1. Click the Set up conference call button

2. The button will display Setting up conference call… while the system connects the teleconference bridge to your Web Studio

3. Once setup is complete, the button changes to Reset setup. The virtual host and SIP bridge/phone bridge will now appear, and you’ll be moved to the pre-conference room

Testing Your Connection

To test the teleconference connection before going live:

1. Register for dial-in access:

   • Go to your teleconference dial-in page
   • Register to receive dial-in credentials

2. Dial in to the conference:

   • Call the phone number provided on your dial-in page
   • Enter the conference ID when prompted
   • Enter your user ID when prompted

3. Raise your hand:

   • Press #5 on your phone keypad to raise your hand

4. Access test lines:

   • You will appear in the People tab list in Web Studio
   • Click on your name in the list to open a menu
   • Select Test lines from the menu
   • This moves you to the pre-conference room where you can test your audio connection
   • You can move back to the main conference by clicking your name again and selecting Stop testing from the same dropdown menu

Resetting the Setup

If you need to reconfigure your conference call setup:

1. Click Reset setup (only available after initial setup)

2. The button displays Resetting conference call… while it disconnects the teleconference bridge and returns to the initial setup state

3. After reset, you can click Set up conference call again

Starting the Conference Call

Once setup is complete, you can start the conference call:

1. When you are ready, click the Start conference call button

2. During activation, you’ll see Starting conference call…

3. You are now live and the conference connection goes live, which means listeners on the line will be able to hear you

Ending the Conference Call

When your event concludes or you need to stop the conference:

1. Click the End conference call button (only enabled when conference is live)

2. The button shows Ending conference call… while the system:

   • Disconnects all active teleconference participants
   • Stops the conference bridge
   • Returns to the setup state

3. After completion, you’ll see Conference call ended

Best Practices

• Test Before Live: Use the Conference Call Controls to test your setup before your actual event starts
• Reset When Needed: If you encounter issues, use the “Reset setup” function to start fresh

Troubleshooting

Button is Disabled

If a control button is disabled (grayed out), it means that action isn’t valid for the current state. Follow the sequence: Set up → Start → End.

Setup Fails

If setup fails:

• Verify your teleconference bridge is properly configured in Event Admin
• Check that you have admin permissions
• Try refreshing the page and attempting setup again

Cannot Start Conference

If you cannot start the conference:

• Ensure setup completed successfully (button shows “Reset setup”)
• Verify you’re using the correct admin URL
• Check that no other errors are displayed in the interface

Participants Cannot Join

If participants report they cannot join:

• Confirm the conference call status shows “Conference call live”
• Verify dial-in numbers are correctly configured in Event Admin
• Check that participants are using the correct dial-in information

Virtual Host or Bridge Disconnects During Live Call

If the virtual host or phone bridge/SIP bridge drops during a live conference call, you can easily restore the connection:

1. A Reconnect button will appear when the virtual host or bridge disconnects

2. Click the Reconnect button to re-establish the connection

3. The system will reconnect the dropped component without needing to end and restart the entire conference call

This allows you to quickly recover from temporary connection issues without disrupting the entire conference.

Related Articles

• Videosync Conference Call Feature - Learn about basic teleconference setup and configuration
• Web Studio dial-out to speakers - Dial out to speakers’ phones from Web Studio