International-Related Internet Connection Issues
Possible Solutions
Drexel CCI has students from all over the world, and the online tools we use sometimes can run into issues with the infrastructure, policies, or providers in countries outside the United States.
Here are some possible solutions:
- Try our suggestions for those internet connection speed or reliability issues within the US.
- Many of the same strategies we recommend to those who are in the US could be viable for those living outside the US.
- WiFi Internet or Web Speed Issues at Home or Apartment
- If you want to test any of these, or just have further questions or run into issues implementing these, reach out to ihelp@drexel.edu if you want to arrange a test Zoom or Ultra or other call with us.
- Let us know if you are not in the United States, and then what time zone you are in.
Try setting the Cloudflare 1.1.1.1. DNS resolving address as your primary DNS address on your computer.
- Disable location services in your web browser.
- Anecdotal evidence is that it helps improve Zoom or Ultra or streaming meeting video quality if you are in China or parts of Asia. Possibly other countries and applications as well.
- This is how you do it without the little prompt asking in the major web browsers if you want to share your location or not.
- Using Zoom? Issues still? As last resort, try disabling end-to-end encryption in Zoom on your end.
- Maybe ask the instructor to do so as well.
- The encryption could possibly again slow things down further if you are having issues.
- The Zoom live stream is still fairly secure.
- Try as last resort.
Anyway, you can try these on your own, or again, try reaching out to ihelp@drexel.edu if you want someone to test these out or if you need help or have questions enabling them.
ONLY students taking Drexel CCI classes should email ihelp@drexel.edu.
Secondary Work-Around Solutions
Try the above suggestions first.
If the suggestions above do not resolve the issue, the following work-around solutions may need to be employed.
- Instructors, be prepared to allow students to watch lecture recordings rather than live streams, or work asynchronously on labs.
- Confirm you can login to Bb Learn at https://learn.dcollege.net (or Partners Bb Learn at https://partners.dcollege.net ).
- Use your Drexel userid and password (or Partners Bb Learn email and password).
- Have instructor share direct Unlisted links to videos uploaded to Kaltura Drexel Streams, which works with Drexel and non-Drexel users.
- Kaltura Drexel Streams -- Sharing Kaltura Audio or Video with Non-Drexel Users
- Test video you can share with students to test this: https://1513041.mediaspace.kaltura.com/edit/1_9wpezg2v
- Instructors, try live streams in and record, or pre-record lectures in Bb Collaborate Ultra within the Bb Learn course section.
- Send a test link to student to the recording to confirm access.
- Live Ultra Use: Bb Collaborate Ultra
- Ultra Pre-Record: Bb Collaborate Ultra -- Pre-Record Lectures in Bb Collaborate Ultra
- Access Recordings in Ultra (Instructors and Students: Bb Collaborate Ultra -- Accessing Recordings)
- Instructors, try uploading recorded videos to OneDrive in your web browser at https://portal.office.com .
- Click the *cloud* or “OneDrive” icon in left nav panel.
- You could can create a folder in OneDrive and upload videos there, and share the folder with certain Drexel students or Drexel individuals. If you need to share with any non-Drexel students or individuals, set access so anyone with link can access it. You can set a password as well if you wish.
- See Office 365 -- OneDrive Sharing Files and Folders
- Instructors, try all the above first, but if not feasible, upload mp4 files directly to Bb Learn. Click "Build Content" > "Video" in a "Week" or other content area.
- Ask student or end user if they can access that.
- This slows down Bb Learn for all users, so this should not be done unless a last resort.
- Work with international student or end user. Ask them if they have a cloud storage or video storage service that works for them.
- If a 1 GB or 2 GB or other size video file is too big, Handbrake easily lets you down convert. See link below.