Equipment and preparations for Zoom meetings

Also read about how to join a meeting.

Equipment

The most common way to join a meeting is to join a from a computer where you have installed Zoom and are logged in as a UiO user. The most important thing is that you have a microphone and speaker (or headset). You can attend Zoom meetings without a camera, but especially in smaller meetings, we often prefer to see the person we are talking to. For many, the simplest is a laptop (with camera) and headset with a microphone, but a desktop computer with a connected camera or no camera also works.

• It is a good idea to have a headset because you can hear better and are more undisturbed, but if your computer has other speakers, you can of course use them.
• It is a good idea to have a headset with a microphone or other microphone that is close to you, because then the sound that reaches the others in the meeting will be better. But it is not a requirement.
• It is a good idea to have a camera, because we often prefer to see each other in meetings. If you are joining a large lecture or other larger meetings/events, the camera is less important. In Zoom you can also turn the camera on and off, so even if you have a camera, you do not have to show video of yourself in all meetings.

• If you are not using a headset, the microphone can pick up sounds made by the operating system (bells, "pling sounds", etc.). These can be disruptive during the meeting and should be turned off.

• To turn off sound from the operating system (in Windows):

  • Start -> select Control Panel

  • Select Sound -> Sounds -> Sound Scheme
  • Select No Sounds from the list
  • Click OK and close the Control Panel
• You should also consider light and background. What do the other participants see of you and the room you are in? Do not sit right in front of a window, remove clutter and unwanted things and think about whether you need a light source that illuminates you in a comfortable way.
  • If you wish, you can use a UiO background in Zoom (guide in Norwegian only). Then the other participants do not see the room you are in, but only you in front of the selected background.

Test audio and video

If this is your first Zoom meeting, if you have new equipment or something has been connected to or disconnected from the machine you are using, you may want to test that audio and camera work.

Switch sound and video on and off

In order not to disturb others with sounds you make during the meeting or from the surroundings around you, it is important that you mute the sound from your microphone when you do not speak. Remember to turn on the microphone again to say something.

In some cases, you may also want to turn off video of yourself so that the other participants can not see you.

• Learn how to turn audio and video on and off

Learn how to be active in meetings

In a Zoom meeting you should be able to do the same as in regular meetings, and a little more.

• Read about how to raise your hand to speak, share screen, join a chat or breakout room and more