Minimum requirements may vary depending on the device and browser being used.

We recommend all users ensure they are meeting the minimum requirements for Scout Classroom prior to their first live session.

 

Recommended Browsers

The recommended browsers are:

• Desktop/Laptop: Chrome, Firefox or Edge (latest versions)
• Mobile iOS (12.2+): Safari Mobile
• Mobile Android (6.0+): Chrome Mobile

At this time the IE and legacy EDGE browsers are not supported. 

 

Mobile Device Users

The following settings are recommended for all users connecting to Scout from a mobile device:

1. For data network, we recommended 4G LTI for best results or minimum 3G Network to use audio, view presentation content, and receive screen sharing.
2. For connection via wireless, we recommend private versus public networks.
3. For device settings, we recommend reducing device usage while connecting to BigBlueButton; close applications that may run in the background and reduce browsing activities.

 

Additional Recommendations for Moderator/Presenters

Moderators and presenters can join Scout using a mobile device, however, use of more bandwidth intensive features such as the screen sharing may be limited.

We recommend Moderators and Presenters connect from a desktop or laptop device whenever possible to ensure all features and functions available in Scout Classroom are accessible to the user.

IMPORTANT: Screen sharing is not supported from mobile devices. Presenters who wish to use the screen sharing function should use a laptop, desktop, or Chromebook device.

 

Desktop/Laptop Users

The following settings are recommended for all users connecting to Scout via desktop or laptop device:

1. For computer, you need a laptop or desktop computer with (at least) 4G of memory and a 2+ Ghz processor (any computer bought in the last three years should be fine).
2. For bandwidth, you must have at least 1.0 Mbits/second upstream and 2 Mbits/second downstream.  To check bandwidth use, https://speedtest.net/.
3. For browsers, we recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla FireFox or Microsoft Edge.  You can also use Safari on Mac OS X, but you will not be able to use the screen sharing feature .
4. For audio, we strongly recommend using a headset.  A headset will ensure that others can hear your voice clearly and you don’t cause echo or background noise for others.  You do not need to buy an expensive one — any basic headset with a built-in microphone will work.

A laptop with a built-in webcam and microphone will be sufficient as well if you’re in a quiet area.

Additional recommendations for Moderator/Presenters:

Moderators and Presenters have the same requirements as viewers. For screen sharing, we recommend using FireFox, Chrome or Edge for the best results.

Screen sharing uses more bandwidth than sharing a webcam.  To broadcast screen sharing takes about 1 Mbits/sec of upstream bandwidth.  Therefore, for the current presenter — such as when a viewer (student) is made presenter by a moderator — we recommend the presenter have upstream bandwidth of at least 2 Mbits/sec.

 

We recommend moderators or presenters connect through a wired network (not wireless) if possible.  If connecting from a wireless network that is not reliable, you may experience periodic disconnects or gaps in your audio.

 

What are the minimum bandwidth requirements for a user ?

For viewers (students), we recommend users have (at least) 0.5 Mbits/sec – which is 500 Kbits/sec – upstream bandwidth, and (at least) 1 Mbits/sec download bandwidth. The upstream bandwidth is the amount of bandwidth their computer has available to transmit data to the Scout server.

These are not hard and fast numbers, as it depends on the activity of the viewer. If the viewer is not broadcasting any webcam, the amount of upstream bandwidth used would be less than 0.5 Mbits/sec.

A good way for users to check their bandwidth is to visit speedtest.net. The results from speedtest.net give the user’s actual bandwidth. This actual number is important because a user may report that their ISP provides them 0.5 Mbits/sec upstream bandwidth; however, speedtest.net may report an actual number that is much lower. The difference may be throttling by the ISP and background activity on their computer (such as background downloads, file sharing clients, etc).

For presenters, we recommend as much upstream bandwidth as possible. For example, if the presenter shares their desktop, then Scout’s desktop sharing will attempt to publish their desktop updates as quickly as possible to the server.

 

Is wired connection better than wireless ?

Yes. A user may have very good experience with wireless internet, but if others hear their audio as broken or choppy, that user can either move closer to the wireless base station, try a different wireless network, or (best) connect directly to a wired connection.

Using public WiFi is not always best. It may be OK for surfing the web, but the latency and packet loss might be insufficient for real-time transmission of audio or video.

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