Knowledge Base » [402676] I keep getting disconnected from my class. What can I do?

If the status message is "No known issues at this time", then there are no known issues that may be causing your connection problem and you should continue reading below.

With the 'live' nature of GP5 meetings, it is imperative that there are no delays or interruptions in the flow of data due to the use of VoIP technology for the audio portion. While all other Internet sessions (browsing webpages, viewing email, remote desktop, etc.) can tolerate short connectivity disruptions, VoIP is far less forgiving. A several second delay when a webpage loads is barely discernible for most users, while a delay of that length will surely impact a live voice stream. At best, the audio will be choppy. At worst, the server simply disconnects the call since there is no way to 'catch that person up' with the conversation/audio once enough delays are introduced.

If you repeatedly get disconnected from a class, check for the following conditions/solutions.

Special note for GP5 users:

Under the Tools menu there is a new option labeled SIP TCP Signaling.
Depending on your local network and router, this option may need to be enabled (checkmark next to the option) or disabled (no checkmark next to the option) to maintain a connection.
If you are disconnected repeatedly then:

1. See if the option is enabled or disabled and remember which state it was set to.
   
2. Change to the other SIP TCP Signaling state by selecting the menu item from the Tools menu (you must be disconnected from the meeting to make the change).
   
3. Join the meeting again and see it it resolved the disconnect issue.
   
4. If changing the SIP TCP Signaling setting did not resolve the disconnect issue then re-set the SIP TCP Signaling to the initial state it was in (at step 1) and try one of the other solutions below.
   

• Make sure you are the only user in the house using the Internet during class times.
  This is especially true for dial-up and satellite connections where the connections have a low throughput or latency. The other computers can use enough bandwidth to cause class disconnects in a vast majority of cases. Even with a fast Internet connection (DSL, Cable, Fios, etc.) other users in the house can use enough bandwidth to cause GP4/GP5 to disconnect from the class especially if they are sending or receiving data (see #2 below).
  
  If there are other computers in the home which are turned on and are connected to the Internet, try shutting them all down except the one that is being used for class to see if that stops the disconnections. If it does, you found the problem. If not, check for other solutions below.
  
  
• Make sure you are not uploading or downloading anything on the Internet.
  For the best class experience you should NOT be uploading or downloading music, movies or anything else during the class.
  Never, Never, Never have a file sharing program* running while in class!
  File sharing programs saturate the network connection which does not allow enough bandwidth for GP5 meetings to operate properly.
  
  *Examples of file sharing programs are: BitTorrent, Gnutella, eDonkey, Freenet, GNUnet, Kazaa, Limewire, MUTE, I2P, etc.
  
  
• Make sure there are no software updates or active virus scans running.
  This includes automatic (or manual) program updates and active virus scans, such as scanning the whole computer with a 'Scan Now' option.
  Either of these can consume enough CPU to cause disconnections from the classes and audio to be delayed, choppy, or repeated.
  
  
• Using a wireless connection.
  Many devices such as microwaves, cordless phones, security cameras, amateur radio, and baby monitors can cause significant interference with wireless routers causing delays and loss of data transmission.
  Eliminating the wireless connection solves the disconnect issues in more than 95% of the cases we encounter. (See this article in Wikipedia for details on advantages and disadvantages of Wi-Fi).
  
  If the computer is using a wireless connection, try plugging it directly into one of the ports on the router or going directly to the modem with an ethernet wire/cable to see if that solves the problem. Also make sure to disable your wireless adapter once you have connected with an ethernet cable so the computer will not keep trying the wireless connection. See this article for information on disabling and re-enabling your wireless adapter on the computer.
  
  If you must use a wireless router, make sure it is locked down to prevent others in the area from accessing the Internet using your wireless signal, commonly called Piggybacking, which will reduce your available bandwidth and degrade the performance.
  
  Also see: Wikipedia article on Wireless Security
  
  
• Having many unnecessary programs running on the computer.
  Running numerous programs at the same time can cause the CPU to run at full capacity and may not give the GP5 program enough time to process the voice and presentation data properly which will effectively cause delays and thus disconnections.
  
  Try closing all programs that are not needed for the class to see if that corrects the disconnection issue.
  
  In some cases, programs can appear to be closed, but have actually become unresponsive so re-starting the computer may be necessary to ensure all programs are closed before trying GP5 again.
  
  
• Dialup and Satellite connections.
  Make sure that the Internet Speed setting in GP5 is set to 56K Dialup Modem.
  
  To check or set your Internet Speed in GP5:
  
  
  1. Select the Preferences option from the Tools menu on GP5 (Mac users select Preferences from the gp5 menu).
     
     
  2. Click the Network Setup tab on the Preferences dialog to see the network setup information.
     
     
  3. The Internet Speed is located at the bottom of the Network Setup preferences and can be set by clicking on the arrow to the right of the current selection and selecting the desired setting form the drop-down menu. If you do change the setting, make sure to click the Apply and then the OK button on the dialog so the setting is changed in the program.
  
  
  

If you have tried all of the above suggestions and are still experiencing disconnect issues, you will need to do a packet capture and send it to us so we can analyze the data to see where the problem is occurring.
Please see this article for the instructions on running a packet capture on your computer and sending it to us for analysis.