Technical Tips
SEATTLE STUDY CLUB SYMPOSIUM 2021
Virtual events rely heavily on video streaming, which takes a significant amount of computer processing power and internet bandwidth. To ensure the best possible experience, we recommend you perform the following steps on your streaming device: 1. Download Google Chrome 2. Update Google Chrome 3. Close unnecessary browser windows and unused programs 4. If using WIFI, make sure you have a strong signal 5. Disable all VPN connections 6. Disable browser pop-up blockers 7. Clear your browser cache and cookies
Technical Tips for Mac Users | Technical Tips for PC Users [1]
TECHNICAL TIPS [MAC] 1. Download Google Chrome. Type “download Google Chrome” in the search bar. If the first search entry looks like the image below, and the website is www.google.com, then click on that link.
You should see a screen that looks like this. Click the blue “Download Chrome” button.
[2]
You’ll see a screen that looks like this. Most likely, you will have a “Mac with Intel chip,” so click that button. If you are not sure, follow the directions listed on the page.
Next, you’ll see a pop-up window with the Chrome icon, and an Applications folder icon. Drag the Chrome icon into the Applications folder icon.
[3]
When you’ve added the Chrome icon into your Applications folder, the actual Applications folder will open. Find the Chrome icon and drag it to your dock (the most common location is at the bottom of your screen), into a place that’s easy to find.
When you’ve added the Chrome icon to your dock, right-click the icon, go to Options, and click “Keep in Dock.” This will ensure you don’t need to find Google Chrome every time you’d like to watch a Symposium event—it will stay in your dock.
[4]
2. Update Google Chrome. In order to make sure Symposium will run as smoothly as possible on your computer, you should double check that your version of Google Chrome is up to date. If there is an update available, you will see “Update” with three black dots stacked on top of each other in the upper right corner of your Chrome browser. Click the three dots.
In the dropdown menu, scroll down to “Help,” then click on “About Google Chrome.”
[5]
You will see a screen that looks like this. If there is an update available, you will see it here. Click on the “Update Google Chrome” button.
Once it has downloaded, close your Google Chrome window and then quit the program. To do that, right-click on the icon in the applications bar on dock. Click “Quit” on the dropdown menu.
Once Google Chrome has shut down, you can reopen the program, and it will run the updated version of the program.
[6]
3. Close unnecessary browser windows and unused programs. On Mac computers, you can shut down programs by right-clicking on the icon in the application bar, and clicking Quit. When you are watching a Symposium session, you can shut down all programs other than Google Chrome, in order for it to run more efficiently.
4. If you are using WiFi, make sure you have a strong signal. To check if you have a strong WiFi signal, go to www.speedtest.net. Click the “GO” button and let the program run.
This is an example of internet speed that is NOT fast enough.
Ideally, you want your download speed to be at 40mbps or above. If your WiFi’s download speed is less than 40 mbps, try the following: • Reboot your computer and router and try the test again (you can just unplug the router, wait 30 seconds, and plug it in again) • Move closer to your router/internet connection • Hardwire your device (using an ethernet cable), instead of relying on a WiFi connection • Contact your internet provider [7]
5. Disable all VPN connections. Most VPNs have different ways of being disconnected/disabled, and there is no one-size-fits-all disabling technique. If you need help disabling your VPN connection, contact the tech support associated with your VPN provider. (If you do not know if you have a VPN, you likely do not have one.)
6. Disable browser pop-up blockers. Like VPNs, ad blockers and pop-up blockers are all different, and each has a different way of being disabled. The most common kind of pop-up blocker for Google Chrome is a Chrome extension. You can change the settings for these pop-up blocker extensions by clicking the puzzle piece in the top right-hand corner of your Chrome browser. You can then click on the three dots next to your pop-up blocker extension:
[8]
After you click on the three dots, you can select options like “pause on all sites,� or click the power button, or whatever button indicates that it will no longer run on that website. If you have further trouble, contact the support team for your ad blocker/pop-up blocker.
[9]
7. Clear browser cache and cookies. If you are experiencing technical difficulties, clear your browser cache and cookies. Then log back into the site. At the top right corner of your Google Chrome browser, click the three dots for more options. Navigate down to “More Tools,” then follow it to “Clear Browsing Data.”
You will then be directed to a screen that looks like the image below. Change the “Time range” option to say “All time.” Make sure the three check boxes (browsing history, cookies, and cached images) are all checked. Click “Clear data.”
Important note. Clearing your browser’s cache will automatically sign you out of the Symposium website, so you will need to login again to access it.
If you have more questions about what this does, or how to do it, you can follow this link for more information.
Questions?
[10]
Miranda Bumstead: miranda.bumstead@seattlestudyclub.com Diana Escutia: diana.escutia@seattlestudyclub.com
TECHNICAL TIPS [PC] 1. Download Google Chrome. Type “download Google Chrome” in the search bar. If the first search entry looks like the image below, and the website is www.google.com, then click on that link.
You should see a screen that looks like this. Click the blue “Download Chrome” button.
[11]
You will then see a screen that looks like the image below: Follow the steps listed.
If you need further assistance downloading Chrome, follow this link. An icon should automatically appear on your desktop, so you can access the browser easily.
[12]
2. Update Google Chrome. In order to make sure Symposium will run as smoothly as possible on your computer, you should double check that your version of Google Chrome is up to date. If there is an update available, you will see “Update” with three black dots stacked on top of each other in the upper right corner of your Chrome browser. Click the three dots.
In the dropdown menu, scroll down to “Help,” then click on “About Google Chrome.”
[13]
You will see a screen that looks like this. If there is an update available, you will see it here. Click on the “Update Google Chrome” button.
Once it has downloaded, close your Google Chrome window, and then quit the program by right-clicking on the icon in the applications bar on the bottom of your screen. Click “Quit” or “Close window” on the dropdown menu.
Once Google Chrome has shut down, you can reopen the program, and it will run the updated version of the program.
[14]
3. Close unnecessary browser windows and unused programs. In order for your Symposium video stream to run more efficiently, shut down all programs other than Google Chrome.
4. If you are using WiFi, make sure you have a strong signal. To check if you have a strong WiFi signal, go to www.speedtest.net. Click the “GO” button and let the program run.
This is an example of internet speed that is NOT fast enough.
Ideally, you want your download speed to be at 40mbps or above. If your WiFi’s download speed is less than 40 mbps, try the following: • Reboot your computer and router and try the test again (you can just unplug the router, wait 30 seconds, and plug it in again) • Move closer to your router/internet connection • Hardwire your device (using an ethernet cable), instead of relying on a WiFi connection • Contact your internet provider [15]
5. Disable all VPN connections. Most VPNs have different ways of being disconnected/disabled, and there is no one-size-fits-all disabling technique. If you need help disabling your VPN connection, contact the tech support associated with your VPN provider. (If you do not know if you have a VPN, you likely do not have one.)
6. Disable browser pop-up blockers. Like VPNs, ad blockers and pop-up blockers are all different, and each has a different way of being disabled. The most common kind of pop-up blocker for Google Chrome is a Chrome extension. You can change the settings for these pop-up blocker extensions by clicking the puzzle piece in the top right-hand corner of your Chrome browser. You can then click on the three dots next to your pop-up blocker extension:
[16]
After you click on the three dots, you can select options like “pause on all sites,” or click the power button, or whatever button indicates that it will no longer run on that website. If you have further trouble, contact the support team for your ad blocker/pop-up blocker.
If that doesn’t work, you can find other ways to block or allow pop-ups here.
[17]
7. Clear browser cache and cookies. If you are experiencing technical difficulties, clear your browser cache and cookies. Then log back into the site. At the top right corner of your Google Chrome browser, click the three dots for more options. Navigate down to “More Tools,” then follow it to “Clear Browsing Data.”
You will then be directed to a screen that looks like the image below. Change the “Time range” option to say “All time.” Make sure the three check boxes (browsing history, cookies, and cached images) are all checked. Click “Clear data.”
Important note. Clearing your browser’s cache will automatically sign you out of the Symposium website, so you will need to login again to access it.
If you have more questions about what this does, or how to do it, you can follow this link for more information.
Questions?
[18]
Miranda Bumstead: miranda.bumstead@seattlestudyclub.com Diana Escutia: diana.escutia@seattlestudyclub.com