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Writing Studio

Troubleshooting Guide: Online Consultation Sessions

We use WCOnline as both our scheduling platform and for its built-in Online Consultation capabilities. In most cases WCOnline works well for synchronous online consulting, but this guide provides tips for troubleshooting the most frequent audiovisual connectivity issues our writing consultants and clients encounter.

The tips are intended to offer guidance once you have made an online appointment and accessed the online consultation module.

Top Troubleshooting Tips for Online Consultations in WCOnline

In our experience the following steps will resolve virtually all issues with audio as well as video connectivity issues in WCOnline, and we suggest proceeding down the list.

  1. Make sure you have allowed your browser access to your camera and microphone.
    1. If audio is not working, use the chat feature in the sidebar in the meantime.
    2. You should be prompted for camera access when first joining a session. To be prompted again, simply refresh this screen.
  2. Exit the online session and reenter from the Appointment form by selecting “Start or Join Online Consultation” again.
    1. Try this simplest of steps first, especially if the connection issues appear mid-session.
  3. Switch browsers.
    1. Firefox, Chrome, and Safari can all work fine. Many times simply closing your current browser and signing back in via an alternate browser resolves audiovisual connection issues in which video and audio seem to be blocked.
  4. Make sure your browser is fully updated.
    1. WCOnline is a web-based platform and runs best on fully updated browser software.
    2. To make sure you browser has all recent software updates installed, following the steps outlined in the next section below.
    3. Consider taking this step after your current session. In the meantime, it might be time to jump to our final suggestion: Switch to another mode of interaction.
  5. Close everything and restart your computer.
    1. While the most time-consuming step on this list, a complete shutdown and reboot has proven effective for resolving rare connectivity issues that persist beyond the steps above, especially  an issue in which users in the same online session could not see that others were logged into the platform at all.
    2. Consider taking this step after your current session. In the meantime, it might be time to jump to our final suggestion: Switch to another mode of interaction.
  6. Switch to another mode of interaction.
    1. We don’t want you to lose significant time during a session with these troubleshooting steps, some of which are better left to after a session.
    2. In the meantime, writing consultants can generate a Zoom meeting link (using their VU Zoom account) to share with their clients in the WCOnline session chat or via email.
      troubleshooting audio/visual issues.

How to Update Your Browser

Because WCOnline is a web-based platform and runs best on fully updated browser software. In particular, audio issues may occur when browsers are not updated to their latest version.

Before your session (or if you start a session and find your audio is not transmitting), we recommend that you check for updates to your browser. You can do so following the quick steps below.

Updating your browser on a Mac

Chrome (on Mac)

Click on “Chrome” next to the apple in the upper-left corner, then select “About Chrome.” It will open a page that should automatically check for updates. Select to apply the update if an update is detected (which will close and relaunch Chrome).

Firefox (on Mac)

Click on “Firefox” next to the apple in the upper-left corner of the screen, then select “About Firefox.” In the window that opens, a message will either display that Firefox is up to date or that it can be updated. Select the update, which will relaunch the browser.

Updating your browser on a PC

Chrome (on PC)

Click on the three vertical dots to the right of the address bar, then select “Help,” and then “About Chrome.” Select to apply the update if one is missing.

Firefox (On PC)

Click on the icon of three stacked bars to the right of the address bar, then select the “?” at the bottom of that menu, and then at the bottom of the list “About Firefox.” In the window that opens, a message will either display that Firefox is up to date or that it can be updated. Select the update, which will relaunch the browser.