Ventrilo/Teamspeak servers.

Ventrilo and Teamspeak 2 are great VOIP's (Voice Over Internet Protocol's) that basically let you use your microphone to talk to people over the internet, sort of like a phone but without dialing a number. Both are very similar in most ways, but the clients are worked a little differently then each other. I'll explain how to setup both, very simply. We have both a Ventrilo and Teamspeak server for use. I do not run the run the Ventrilo server, but I do have admin rights to it in-case any spammers come on. The Ventrilo is also only a 10 slot server, so it is limited. I run a 10000 slot Teamspeak 2 server though, so we can always resort to that if needed.

Ventrilo

Ventrilo is a very simple program with a few more options then Teamspeak, however running the "Server" to hold more then 8 people ether need's a license, or you have to pay for it. A 8 slot server can be ran by anyone though, without a license. Ventrilo has a lot more control over what you can do. Organizing channels, setting specific limits on them, a in-depth ranking system, many controls over volume and special effects, and much more. Ventrilo is an ideal program for use.

I do not pay for it, or run a 8 slot server. The Ventrilo we have was offered to us, and I do not know how long we will have it, and if we are even really allowed, but I was told we could use it. I am not sure how many slots this server holds ether. It's unofficial use of the server, but Ventrilo certainly is the best VOIP program out there.

Getting started (Ventrilo)

Download the program at http://ventrilo.com/download.php. You will want the "Client" download, with the appropriate OS selection. If you do not know your windows type, go to the "Start" menu on your computer, click on Control Panel. Then click on "System" It should say 64-Bit or 64x, if it doesn't, then you have 32 Bit/86x. Install the program once you download it. Setting Ventrilo up is pretty easy. The main thing you will need is the Server IP/Host Address, and the Port number. Some servers also require a password to access.

The Main Screen (GUI):

You should see some very obvious buttons - Connect, Comment, Chat, Setup, About, Close, and Help. There are also "->" buttons across from User Name, Server, and Bindings. There should be for now at least, blank drop down boxes between the User Name, Server, and Bindings. We will begin by getting User Name and Server filled in.

User Name:

The very first thing you want to do is click on the "->" right across from User Name. Once the window comes up, click "New" and type in the name you wish to use. This will be your name throughout all the servers. You can type in a Phonetic, which is a "Voiced Name". So say you put in Charlie, when you go onto a server, everyone would be notified by hearing an audited voice, "Charlie". Description is about yourself. Working Directory is the programs save files for your servers, leave it blank. You can also leave Description and Phonetic blank if you want, the only thing you really need is the User Name created.

Once you click on Ok, and go back to the main GUI with all the buttons to be explained, you should now see the first drop down box next to User Name filled with the name you used. This name will be seen by everyone, most people use their gamer tag/name. We are still missing a few things before we can get on the Server to start voice chatting to everyone. We need to get the blank box next to Servers filled in now.

Server:

To setup the Server, we need to first click on the "->" button right across from Server. Another window will pop up. Click on New, choose a name for the server (Can be any name) and click Ok. Now we need the Hostname/IP (Provided below). Type in the address or the IP number for the server. Go to the next box, Port Number. Type in the Port Number (Provided below). Some servers will have a password required to access the server. Ours does not. Default channel is the name of the channel for that server, that you want to automatically join when logging onto the server. You can leave it blank for now. There are some options you can modify here, mainly whether you can possibly be spammed by people or not. It can be useful in many cases although though, so leave all options checked for now.

Now that the server is all setup, I would like to point out that for each "User Name", you can have as many "Servers" as you want. You can also have as many User Names as you want. So you can have one User Name, Charlie. Then have a server named "CA", a server named "Friends", and a server named "School", and each server setting will be saved. You can also have User Name Charlie, User Name Donald, and then put a server under Charlie named CA, and a server under Donald named Friends, and another server under Donald named School. This way you can use different names under different servers without having to change anything. It'll all be saved the same way just under a different user name.

Bindings:

Bindings are basically, actions designated to a specific key/combination of keys for quick access to whatever you need. This tool can be used for spamming, and it will get you kicked off the server if used more then 3 times in a short period of time, at least voiced commands are. You can do a variety of actions with key bindings. Recording, sending messages, mute sound/mic, switch channels, and much more when fully understood. Please do not abuse this system, as it will get you banned/kicked if abused. There is little need for this to the average person, so I won't go into detail how each option works.

Setting up your sound:

For the most part, the server is ready to be accessed. But there are a few things you should adjust before going on. Click on Setup. A window should pop up, with some options. The first thing you want to make sure is that your Output and Input devices are setup correctly. Usually you can keep it on default, and if it works I would. But occasionally there are problems where the person can't hear or be heard, and this is usually do to an incorrect device in default. To hear, is Inbound, to be heard, is Outbound.

You can manually change the default settings by checking the "Use Direct Sound" check marks at whichever end is not working, then clicking the drop down box, and choosing the device you normally use. Output would be your speakers, input would be your microphone. Only correct the issue of the device that's not working, if speakers are working but microphone is not, do not disrupt the Output Devices, only change the Input devices.

Hardware Input Mixer should usually be none, this is to control the devices volume. In most cases you would leave this blank, as you can control the volume with the bars below the mixer with the two "Amplifier" bars. Each bar controls the volume of the two kinds of devices. Output controls how loud you hear other people, Input controls how loud you are being heard.

To the left are a few check boxes. Leave "Enable outgoing voice communications" checked. This allows you to hear the conversation even while you are talking. Otherwise it will block out what everyone is saying while you are talking. I would advise using a "Push to Talk Hotkey" which is the button you would hold to talk, then let go to stop. Hearing a bunch of ruckus in the background can annoy other players. Keep "Use Direct Input to Detect Hotkey" checked if you are using PTT (Push to Talk) mode. Also uncheck "Play Key Clicks" as it can disturb a lot of the players, and maybe even yourself. Click Ok now.

There are many other options in that window, but they are not necessary to continue. Now if everything was done correctly, the main GUI should display "MSG: Server is Available. Press Connect.". If it says "MSG: Unable to resolve hostname." then there is a problem in the Server options, and need to be looked over. If you put in a hostname address instead of an IP, try the IP itself.

If you cannot find an IP, go to Start, click on Run (XP) or search Run (Vista/windows 7) and click on run. A small window should appear, type in "cmd" and click Ok. This activates the Command Prompt. Type in "Ping " do not include < or >, only the name of the address. This will display the IP in the replies that pop up.

Click on Connect, and you should be able to access the server now. The button "Chat" now becomes available, once clicked it opens another window, a chat room, for everyone on the server to chat with each other. There are many other options within this program, which makes it arguably the best VOIP program around!

Ventrilo Hostname/IP and Port Number

Hostname/IP - vent60.light-speed.com (Or IP: 66.228.127.48)

Port Number - 5931

Password -

Crimson Assassins Channel - crimsontide

There is no password to join the server, but there is a password on the Channel. So when you join the server, simply leave the server password blank and connect to the server. Then when you click on Crimson Assassins channel, you will be prompted for a password, then just put in the password and click ok.
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Teamspeak 2

Teamspeak 2 is a very simple to use program, with far less options then Ventrilo, but equally as useful. They do not require a license from anyone, so anyone can download the server, and start running their own 1000 slot*10 server. Yes, you can run 10 servers at the same time, each with 1000 slots. I run a Teamspeak server because of this, as it is completely free to run, just as useful as Ventrilo, and actually easier to setup because of it having less options. It may not have all the useful organizing tools like Ventrilo has, but it is very easy to adjust to it.

Getting started (Teamspeak):

I run Teamspeak 2, Teamspeak 3 is still Beta, so I have not bothered with it. Teamspeak 2 I know is stable, and there are not many features added to Teamspeak 3 as far as I know. Download Teamspeak 2 at http://www.teamspeak.com/?page=downloads&archive=1. You will want the "Client" download, with the appropriate OS selection. Luckly there is no complications with Windows 32 bit/64 bit, so it is an easy install. However I have not personally tried it with a 64 Bit system, so if it doesn't work, there isn't much I can do, since I don't know much about 64 Bit systems. Install the program once you download it.

Open the program to get the main GUI up. It features a blue/purplish window with only a few options. There is Connections, Channels, Players, Self, Recording, Info, Settings, and Help. The main options we will want to mess with are Connections and Settings. Lets continue.

Connections:

Clicking on Connect brings up a window to a list of all your saved Servers. For now it is blank, so first to add one. Right click where it says "Servers" and click "Add Server" and type in a name for it. It can be any name of your choosing, it does not effect how you connect to the server. Now click on CA, and you will get a list of things to the right to fill in, as well as some options.

You can change the name at any time by editing the "Label" in the first option to the right. The second option is the servers Hostname address/IP. This will usually come in IP form, sometimes it will display as an address though(IP/Address Below). If the address does not work, make sure it is correct, if it still does not work, go to Start, click on Run (XP) or search Run (Vista/windows 7) and click on run. A small window should appear, type in "cmd" and click Ok. This activates the Command Prompt. Type in "Ping " do not include < or >, only the name of the address. This will display the IP in the replies that pop up.

If there is a specific Port Number for Teamspeak 2, then type the IP address, followed by a ":" and the Port Number. For example, 192.168.1.1:9999

Now you need a Nickname, this can be any name you wish. This will be your display name which everyone sees you as. Keep "Allow server to assign a nickname" unchecked if you wish to choose a nickname for yourself.

Now you have one of two options. For first use of any server, you have to choose Anonymous. Since you have to choose Anonymous, you do not have to fill in anything yet. But for future reference, Login Name will be your registered User Name. You will also need your password to your User Name for that specific server if you were to register. Checking Auto-Reconnect allows you to reconnect to the server if you were to disconnect from it for any reason. Leave Default channel/Sub channel along with the channels password blank unless you wished to join that specific channel each time you logged

You can have as many servers saved as you want, and will keep them saved until you delete them. There is also a tab that says "Web Server List" right next to "Local Addressbook" (Your list of Servers). The Web Server List displays all the public servers on the internet.

Once the server is setup, click Cancel. You are ready to connect, however lets examine a few more options first.

Under Connections, there is also Quick Connect. If you only plan on using one or two servers, this is a quicker method of connecting to that server. This has similar blank fields as the one in your Local Addressbook. The server address (Hostname/IP address), Nickname, Login Name and the password. If you are going on Anonymous, you do not need a Login Name. In most cases you will not need a password, unless the server is password protected. Note that the Nickname is the display name only, this is also the case even if you were registered and logged in.

Fill in the Server Address (Hostname/IP Below) and Nickname (Any display name you choose) then click Connect leaving Login Name and Password blank (unless the server requires a password, in which case put in the servers password).

Now under the Connection option, you can view the Server info, or disconnect from the server. Server info displays how fast the server is running, and how long it's been running. Logging in also unlocks the Channels, Players, and Self options. Under Channels there is very little you can do, this is usually an Administration tool to create/edit channels. You can send a text to All channels, if you would want to contact people from another channel, or the entire server.

Under Players is also very little you can do. This is mainly an Administration tool again, used to kick/ban, move, promote, demote, etc.

Self:

Under self, you can mute your speakers/microphone, go afk, block incoming chat towards you, and Register With Server. When you click "Register With Server" and small box pops up, simple enter a Login Name, a password, and confirm the password. You are now registered, wasn't that easy! I have no idea what channel commander does, but it doesn't effect any privileges, as far as I know it just changes your dot color to red.

Under Recording are just two options. One to start Recording what is said, and one to stop.

Info gives some information about the server, and yourself.

Settings:

Lets look into settings. the first option is Input/Output settings. Output is what you hear, Input is what they hear. The Output is the only thing that can be altered, which is how loud you hear people. Under Voice Send Method, it is advised to select "Push to Talk" with any key you thing is easily accessible. This way no one hears random background noises from you. If you choose to keep voice activation, the bar below the option controls how sensitive it is. You can test it by clicking Activate Local Test Mode also.

The second option is Key settings. These are you key bindings. These are specific actions preformed when the key/key combination assigned is hit. It can do a range of helpful things, as well as some not so nice. Do not abuse the system as it has an auto-ban method for anyone that decides to spam key binds to players. I believe it has a 5 consecutive use in 10 seconds, I can change the strict level if problems occur though.
I will not explain much about key bindings since it is not necessary.

The third option is... Options. You'll mainly focus around the Sound Devices tab, if you are having trouble hearing, or being heard. This is usually due to having an incorrect device selected under each tab. Normally selecting the "Primary" devices will due, but sometimes you have to manually select each device to make it work correctly. Input would be your microphone/headset. Output is your speakers. I would not touch anything else for now.

Help just gives you a bunch of links to Teamspeak's website and other helpful links to get used to Teamspeak easier.

Teamspeak 2 Hostname/IP and Port Number

Hostname/IP - 98.237.53.223

Port Number - 8767 (Is not needed)

Password -

There is no password, leave it blank.

For future reference, for Teamspeak, when adding a port onto the IP since there is no field for you to put in a port. Simply type the IP, :, then the port. For this IP, if the port was needed, you would type 98.237.53.223:8767

"Ventrilo equalizer" makes everyone sound the same volume level.

Here's how to setup:

- Go to Setup

- Enable Direct Sound

- Select the SFX Button

- Select Compressor and click Add.

- Under Compressor Properties use the following settings

- Gain = Adjust for how loud you want people to be. (I use 15)

- Attack = 0.01

- Release = Around 500

- Threshold = Around -30

- Ratio = 100

- Pre delay = 4.0