Lync PreCall Diagnostics Tool

In Lync, and indeed with almost any VOIP product, call quality can vary. This variation can be caused by a number of factors, including network delay, jitter, packet loss, and under powered PCs. Diagnosing the causes is difficult if you don’t have all the facts.

Microsoft has issues a pair of new tools< PreCall Diagnostics Tool, that run on Win 7 (desktop) and Win 8 (as a metro/modern app). You can get the Desktop application here, and the modern app here.

To understand more about the tool(s) and what the out means, take a look at an excellent blog article by Byron Spurlock.

del.icio.us Tags: Lync

Lync Client Configuration via the Registry

With Lync (as with OCS), your client is partly configured, in band, from the server and partly based on locally set registry keys.  Things such as your contact list are obtained from the server once you are fully registered. Other things, such as whether to check spelling as you type, are set via registry settings. In a number of cases, these registry settings can be overridden by client policy settings. For example, you could set the registry to show emoticons, but disable it via client policy.

Richard Brynsteon has written two excellent blog posts that map every client setting to the registry entry that controls that setting. As well, Richard shows where the registry setting can be overridden by a suitable client policy.

Part one, which sets out information on the General and Personal tabs can be found: Here. Part 2 sets out information on the Contacts List and Status tab can be found: Here.

Technorati Tags: Lync,Lync Client,Registry settings

Lync 2013 Client Cumulative Update

Microsoft has recently updated both the Lync Server 2013 and the Lync 2013 client. While most Lync folks tend to concentrate on the former, the latter often includes much wanted and much needed functionality (as well of course as bug fixes). The most recent client update contains a number of features that have been long requested. These include:

• Spell checker  - as you type IM’s, Lync can now check the spelling which is useful particularly in IM sessions with clients where having fewer typos is a good thing.
• Photos of sender and receiver – this enables you to see photos in an IM chat or conference of all the participants. This may be overkill in some cases, but in others (e.g. in an IM conference with a large number of participants) it can be really very useful.
• External photos – pictures from external locations was a feature of Lync 2012, but in the RTM version of Lync 2013, this feature was dropped. But now it’s back – although it need some administrator input in order to enable users to point to external photos.
• Persistent Chat conferencing – this feature enables you to start a conference with the folks currently in a persistent chat chat room.
• Recording options – you have the option to record sessions (something available in the RTM version) but now you can record in different resolutions. It looks like you can only record on one resolution.
• Sign-in Logs option – troubleshooting client logins has always been possible, but with the CU, there is a Sign-in Logs option in the Lync client which enables users to both view and copy logon information and send it to the help desk for more assistance.

As I see it with this CU, the good Lync client just gets a bit better. So far, I’ve not heard any horror stories but like all Lync CUs (client and server side) be sure to do your own testing. I am not aware of any issues with this CU, but the way that these releases are implemented means you should take the time to test before rolling out – just in case.

For more information on the CU, read Byron Spurlock’s article on Windows IT Pro site.

Technorati Tags: Lync Client,November 2013 Cumulative Update

Lync End User Training–For Lync 2010

I just came across a free download at Microsoft.com: Microsoft Lync 2010 training. This training consists of 7 separate PPT decks that cover key features of Lync 2010 clients, including:

• Lync 2010 Attendant
• Lync 2010 Conferencing and Collaboration
• Lync 2010 Delegate
• Lync 2010 IM and Presence
• Lync 1020 RGS
• Lync 2010 Voice an Video
• Lync 2010 Web Application

If you are rolling out Lync 2010, these could be useful training aides. You could consider recording using a tool like Camtasia, and put it on your internal web site as refresher training for staff, particularly new staff.
I’ve not managed to find any such training for Lync 2013 (yet). Pointers welcome!

[Later]
Thanks Simon for picking up the non link. Fixed.

Technorati Tags: Lync Client training,Lync 2010

Sending an Lync IM using PowerShell

I just saw a neat script over at Microsoft’s scripting center – Send Lync IM with PowerShell. It does what it says on the tin. But there’s some good news and some bad news with this script.

First, out of the box it won’t run because the reference assemblies do not exist. No problem – just load the SDK. Ahh – but the SDK requires you to have Visual Studio installed. A bit tedious to enable one to play with it, but I understand.

To send an IM with the client dll loaded is done in several steps involving first getting the client details, then getting a conversation, looking up the contact you want to send the message to and finally sending the IM.

Technorati Tags: Lync,Lync Clent SDK

Lync Client November 2013 Update

As I noted last week, Microsoft has released an update to the Lync client. My article last week looked at a key presence related bug fixed in this release. But as Debbie Arbeeny a PM in the Lync Team notes in this article, there’s more to the November update.

The client update adds a number of new features to the client including:

• Photos of Sender/Receiver – view photos of sender/receiver inline with IM conversation
• URL Photo Experience – set your own photo from a public web site instead of using the corporate image
• pChat Escalation – escalate a Persistent Chat room to a Lync Meeting with one click
• Login Trace Files – Access Lync client login logs
• New Recording Options –choose preferred resolution for client-side recordings

All in all some nice new features to improve the Lync client experience. If you are running Lync 2013, you want to get this and deploy it sooner rather than later!

Technorati Tags: Lync,Lync client,Lync November 2013 Update