RealTime Audio Troubleshooting Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Use Chrome for Best Results
Microphone or Camera Not Working
Camera or Microphone Not Allowed
RealTime Audio-Powered Device Does Not Turn On
RealTime Audio-Powered Device is Not Detected
Audio Interface NOT Detected
Audio Interface Not Compatible
Enable and select the microphone, speakers, and camera on the computer (Mac)
MAC only: Allow computer permission to access the microphone, camera, and screen recording
“Allow” access to the microphone and camera on the browser
Adjust Video Quality
Turn Off Anti-Virus Programs (especially Avast)
Turn Off Ad Blocking Extensions
Disable Ad Blocking for PC
Disable Ad Blocking for Mac
Turn off Firewalls
Internet Connection Issue - Mesh Network
Internet Connection Issue - Symmetric NAT
Internet Connection Issue - Cannot Connect Device to Internet
Unknown Device Ethernet Connection Error
Port Forwarding
Screen Sharing Issue on Mac

Use Chrome for Best Results 

When using Webcam, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox for the best results. Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Brave will work with most features (i.e. live speech translation, echo cancellation) however they may not provide the best experience. 

Microphone or Camera Not Working

Code: JV-101, JA-101

If your microphone or camera is not working, there are a few things to check.

First, make sure that there are no other video conferencing applications running such as Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc. Computers often don’t allow multiple apps to have camera control at the same time. You will need to completely close out of those programs so Webcam can access your camera.

Window users can use the "Task Manager" to see what applications are being used. To open the task manager:

1. Enter "task" in the search bar in your dock and select the "Task Manager" app.
2. Select "Run as Administrator".
3. Look at the list of programs that are running, and locate the other video conferencing program that is currently running.
4. Press the "End Task" button in the bottom right of the window to quit the application completely. 

1. Go to your control panel (Can't find it? Search for it in the search bar found in your dock).
2. Select Hardware and Sound.
3. Select Sound.
4. Under the "Recording" tab you can find the microphones that are available. If the microphone is disabled, right-click on the microphone and select "Enable".

Mac users will need to open their "Activity Monitor" to see what applications are being used. To open the Activity monitor:

1. Click on the finder icon in your dock which should open a window on your desktop.

2. If it isn't already selected, select your "Applications" folder.

3. Scroll down to find your "Utilities" folder and open it.

4. Select "Activity Monitor".

5. Look at the list of programs that are running, and locate the other video conferencing program that is currently running.

6. Select that program by clicking once on the name.

7. Click the "X" in the hexagon at the top of the window

(it should turn a dark grey color to let you know it's available).

8. A pop-up will display asking you to confirm that you want to quit this application. Click Quit.

1. Go to your System Settings.
2. Choose "Sound".
3. Select "Input".
4. Choose the microphone that you would like to use.

From Inside Your Webcam Room

Code: JA-102, JV-102, JA-103, JV-103

In the RealTime Audio webcam, make sure that the mic and camera icons do not have a line going through them. If there is a line going through the mic or camera icons, click on the appropriate icon to unmute your mic and/or start your camera. 

You may need to select your device by clicking on the up arrow next to the microphone or camera icon and selecting the microphone or camera you would like to use by clicking on your choice. 

To make sure your camera is enabled with your operating system see Camera or Microphone Not Allowed.

For Windows users, you may need to enable the microphone in your computer settings. To do this:

1. Go to your control panel (Can't find it? Search for it in your search bar found in your dock).
2. Select Hardware and Sound.
3. Select Sound.
4. Under the "Recording" tab you can find the microphones that are available. If the microphone is disabled, right-click on the microphone and select "Enable".

For Mac users:

1. Go to your System Settings.
2. Choose "Sound".
3. Select "Input".
4. Choose the microphone that you would like to use. 

To make sure your camera is enabled with your computer operating system see Camera or Microphone Not Allowed.

Camera or Microphone Not Allowed

Code: JV-101

• The camera or microphone is not plugged in.
• Your Windows operating system has your camera or microphone disabled.
• If you have a MAC operating system, the correct camera or microphone may not be selected.
• If you have a MAC operating system, it could be the Safari or Chrome browser has denied the website access to your camera or microphone.

This section will show you how to enable your microphone or camera in your Windows and MAC operating systems.

Click here for Windows 10 instructions. Click here for Mac instructions.

WINDOWS 10:

To enable and select the microphone, speakers, and camera on the computer:

1. Click on Start > Settings.

2. Click on "System".

3. Click on "Sound".

4. In the Output drop-down box, make sure the correct speakers are selected. Then click on the “Device properties” link and make sure it is NOT disabled. Click on the arrow to go back to the previous screen.

5. In the Input drop-down box, make sure the correct microphone is selected. Then click on the “Device properties” link and make sure it is NOT disabled.

Enabling your camera

The following steps will guide you through how to check if your camera has been turned off or not.

1. Click on Start > Settings.

2. Click on "Privacy".

3. Click on "Camera".

4. Make sure that the switch to allow apps to use your camera is switched on.

You can do the same thing with your microphone to allow for specific programs to use the microphone.

MAC:

To select the microphone and speakers on your MAC:

1. Open your System Preferences.

2. Click on "Sound".

3. Click on the Input tab.

4. Select which microphone, from the list, that you would like to use.

1. Click on the Output tab.

6. Select which speakers, from the list, that you would like to use.

RealTime Audio-Powered Device Does Not Turn On

Code: L-105

If your RealTime Audio-powered device is not powering on, here are a couple of things you can try.

1. Check to make sure that the USB-C plug is firmly plugged into the power port on the side of the RealTime Audio-Powered device.
2. Make sure that the other end of the power adapter is firmly plugged into a live power strip or wall outlet.

It is best to make sure that you are using the supplied USB-C power supply that came with your RealTime Audio-powered device. If for some reason you do not have the power supply, make sure you are using a USB-C power supply that has an Input of 100-240V-50/60Hz 0.8A and an Output of  9.0V/2.5A. If the RealTime Audio-powered device does not turn on, please contact support@realtimeaudio.com.

RealTime Audio-Powered Device is Not Detected

Code: L-102, L-109

If your RealTime Audio-Powered device is not detected, there are a few things you can do so that the system can detect it.

1. Reboot the RealTime Audio-powered device by unplugging the power from the power port and plugging it back in. You should hear voice prompts from your headphones plugged into your audio interface, which will let you know the status of the boot-up process. 

If the system doesn't automatically detect your device, you can also access the detection popup window by clicking on the white RealTime Audio logo found in the toolbar.

The system will display a popup that lets you know it is searching for the device.

If the device is found, you will be shown another popup that shows the device ID number with a connect button next to it. Click the connect button and you should pair to the device. 

If you do not see the popup screen and have a RealTime Audio device connected you can refresh the search by clicking on the refresh icon located in the upper left corner of this pop-up (the icon that is made up of arrows that make a circle). You can also click on the “Troubleshoot Device Detection” button to show the setup guide and get further information for help with setup. From here you can email RealTime Audio if you are still experiencing trouble. 

Audio Interface NOT Detected

Code: A-101

1. Make sure you are using a class-compliant audio interface. Class compliance means that there is no additional software needed to run your audio interface.
2. Make sure that the USB cable is securely seated into the blue USB port on your RealTime Audio-powered device. Some audio interfaces have a separate power supply that is needed to power up the audio interface. Please make sure that you have the power cable for your audio interface plugged into a live power strip or wall outlet and that the power switch for your audio interface is switched on.
3. If everything is connected properly and you still aren't seeing power to your audio interface, unplug the USB-C power cable from the power port on the RealTime Audio-powered device. Wait a few seconds and plug it back in again. This will reboot the RealTime Audio-powered device and should supply power or have some sort of indicator light up on your audio interface. You should also hear a voice prompt coming from the headphones connected to your audio interface.

Audio Interface Not Compatible

Code: UE-102

1. 1. Unplug the USB-C power cable from your RealTime Audio-powered device.
   2. Wait a few seconds.
   3. Plug the USB-C power cable back in.
   4. Wait for your RealTime Audio-powered device to complete the boot-up process.

• The make and model of your audio interface.
• Your RealTime Audio-powered device ID number. Located on the bottom of the unit. 
• A description of the trouble you are having.

• Your audio interface is a USB interface instead of a Thunderbolt audio interface (Adapters may work with some Thunderbolt audio interfaces).
• Your audio interface is able to process 48kHz samples.
• Your audio interface is able to operate with 64 and 128-frame sizes.
• That audio is going to go in and out from this interface. Make sure that there is some sort of audio-out option. (Some USB Microphones do not have this -another reason we do not recommend them).
• You also want to make sure that the audio interface has a direct monitor control so that you can hear the audio coming from the Real Time Portal Box and not just through your audio interface.

“Allow” access to the microphone and camera on the browser

Code: JV-101

When you first use the RealTime Audio Webcam, your browser should ask you to allow permission to use the camera and microphone. If you did not see this, or if you accidentally clicked on "Deny" you can grant access to the mic and camera very easily.

Start by clicking on the camera icon located in the web address bar. There may be a different location for this icon in the web address bar depending on what browser you are using. This guide is using the Google Chrome browser for the example images. 2. In the menu that appears make sure that you are "Allowing" the browser, to access the camera and microphone. Then click the "Done" button. Your browser should load with the new changes.

Note: If for some reason the browser does not reload you can manually refresh your cache. Windows users press and hold the CNTRL, Shift, and "R" buttons. Mac users press and hold the CMD, Shift, and "R" buttons.

Another possible solution is that you may need to unmute your mic and turn on your camera in the RealTime Audio Webcam. To do this:

1. Click on the microphone or camera icon in the toolbar. The icon will change from having a line through it to having no line.  If this solved the issue, then you should be able to see yourself and others should be able to hear you.

Turn off Firewalls

Code: L-110

In rare cases, usually when someone in the user's home has manually adjusted their router settings or when users are connecting from corporate or institutional locations (i.e. hotels or dorm rooms), there may be overprotective firewalls preventing connections from requiring certain types of connections. 

If this is the case, follow these directions to access your router and disable the firewall.  You may need to speak with a member of the IT department to change firewall settings if you are using a corporate or institutional network.

Internet Connection Issue - Mesh Network

Code: L-110

Mesh networking is one of the newest forms of wireless internet. A mesh network is designed to blanket your entire home with WiFi coverage. A WiFi mesh network is a system composed of multiple mesh nodes (referred to as points, mesh extenders, or satellites) that work together as one large home WiFi system. If you are connecting using a mesh network, make sure that your RealTime Audio-powered device is plugged into the primary node. This primary node is the one connected directly to your router/modem, which is provided by your internet service provider.

Internet Connection Issue - Symmetric NAT

If your internet connection is using an educational or corporate network it is possible that the router is behind a Symmetric NAT which may cause issues. You can find out what kind of NAT you are behind by testing with this site: https://tomchen.github.io/symmetric-nat-test/ If you are behind a permissive NAT you will need to open up some ports in your router to allow the network to work with the RealTime Audio-powered device. See the section about Port Forwarding for more information.

Internet Connection Issue - Cannont Connect Device to Internet

Code: L-110, L-117

• Check to see if the ethernet cable is securely seated in the port on both ends. One end will be in the RealTime Audio-powered device, the other end is typically in your router/modem. The best way to make sure that the cable is securely seated is to take the cable out and then push it back in. You should hear a "clicking" sound when the connector is securely seated.
• You can also try plugging the ethernet cable into a different ethernet port on your router/modem. If you need, try each open ethernet port until one of the ports lights up. If none of them light up then the issue may be with your router/modem.
• Try using a different ethernet cable.
• Reboot your router/modem. You can reboot your router by unplugging it from the power plug that is going into your router or by unplugging the plug going into your power outlet. Wait about 60 seconds, and plug it back in. Your router may take up to five minutes to turn back on.

Unknown Device Ethernet Connection Error

Code: UE-101

To try and resolve this issue, first try unplugging the USB-C power cable from the RealTime Audio-powered device's power port. Wait a few seconds, and then plug it back in.  Wait for your RealTime Audio-powered device to finish booting up, then see if that solved the issue. If that didn’t work, it may be an issue with your internet connection. See the Internet Connection Issue - Cannont Connect Device to Internet.

If this problem persists please contact support@realtimeaudio.com.

Port Forwarding

Code: I-101

You may need to open ports on your router to allow your RealTime Audio-powered device to be able to connect to your router. Click here for directions on how to set up port forwarding in your router. Once you have accessed your router settings you will need to open ports 22124 to 22130.

Note: Make sure that your router is not a hotspot or connected via mobile internet networks.

MAC only: Allow computer permission to access the microphone, camera, and screen recording:

1. Select Security and Privacy.

2. Select Camera from the left menu.

3. Select the checkbox next to the application that you want to allow access to your camera. To use RealTime Audio, you will want to select the checkbox next to your preferred browser.

Now select Microphone from the left menu and select the application you would like to allow access to the microphone. To use RealTime Audio, you will want to select the checkbox next to your preferred browser.

In order to share your screen you need to enable screen recording on your Mac:

1. In your Security & Privacy settings, scroll down on the left menu and select Screen Recording.

2. Choose the application that you want to be allowed to record.

Adjust Video Quality 

If the internet connection is a problem, users can click on the icon with the three dots (ellipsis) in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and select “Performance Settings”. Tap on the white circles on the black line to make your adjustments. You can select from "Best performance" through "Highest quality". If you select the “Best performance” mode, your camera will stop. You will still be able to share your screen. This setting does reduce a lot of bandwidth usage and is recommended if you have upload speeds under 10Mbps. 

Turn Off Anti-Virus Programs (especially Avast)

The biggest culprit we’ve found is Avast antivirus software running on a MAC. Often users don’t even know this is running in the background. This can prevent the browser from getting camera access. To turn off Avast:

1. Open Avast Security

2. “Click Preferences"

3. Disable “Web Shield”

4. Enter your username and password

Turn Off Ad Blocking Extensions 

Ad blocker extensions can also prevent camera access. Users will need to switch off these extensions in their browser settings. 

Windows Users:

Mac Users:

Screen Sharing Issue on Mac (found with Mojave Operating System and Google Chrome)

You may find that you are having an issue with screen sharing after a browser has updated. Follow the steps below to set your screen-sharing permissions for your browser. The Google Chrome browser is being used for this example. 

1. Choose the Apple menu 

2. Select System Preferences,

 3. Click Security & Privacy

4. Select Privacy

5. Select “Screen Recording” from the left menu

You may need to unlock the lock at the bottom of the left-hand corner with your computer login and password. 

6. Remove Google chrome by selecting it from the list, then click the "-" button below to remove it from the list.

7. Save (by locking the lock at the bottom of the screen, and then unlocking it).

8. Add Screen Recording permission (by clicking the "+" under the list of apps). 

9. Select Google Chrome or your preferred web browser by pressing the blue "open" button.

10. Quit and reopen Google chrome again and you should be good to go.

For more support information, please visit https://realtimeaudio.com/support/ 

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to email support@realtimeaudio.com.

Play together from anywhere.

https://realtimeaudio.com

https://realtimeaudio.com/support

support@realtimeaudio.com