Administration Guide for Webex Share

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Book Title

Administration Guide for Webex Share

Chapter Title

Webex Share Administration

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Updated:
March 5, 2020

Chapter: Webex Share Administration

Webex Share Administration

Webex Share Features

Webex Share Features

After you add Webex Share to Cisco Webex Control Hub, you can add functionality to the device. The following table shows some of the supported features.


Note

Some Webex Share features require Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) so connect your Webex Share to a HDMI-CEC port on your display screen. Refer to the screen documentation for additional information.

Webex Share Feature

Description and more information

Digital Signage

You can show custom content on your display, such as advertising content and brand information, visitor and internal employee information, dashboards and calendars.

Room Calendar

You can see the meetings scheduled in your conference room.

Wireless Guest Share

Users share content wirelessly to any Webex registered room device without an account.

This feature does not require any configuration. But on some display screens, shared images distort so you may have to adjust your display screen settings. For example, you can adjust the Sharpness setting or change Picture Mode to Computer or the equivalent. For additional information, see the documentation that came with your display screen.

Configure Digital Signage on Webex Share

Digital signage allows you to show custom video and static images on your display screen in between meetings or when Webex Share is idle. You can display advertising content and promote your brand, but also show visitor and internal employee announcements or information.

Digital signage requires access to Appspace.

Webex Share enters signage mode after 2 minutes of inactivity. Images don’t appear during meetings, screen sharing, or during upcoming scheduled calendar events.

If you use static images, note the following specifications:

  • The maximum resolution is 1920x1080. If you upload an image that is bigger, Appspace resizes it.

  • The supported static image file formats are .png and .jpeg.

If you use video, note the following specifications:

  • Container Format: .mp4.

  • Video Encoding: H.264.

  • No B frames. If you use Handbrake to encode your video, select the zerolatency tune parameter.

The recommended H.264 settings for video are as follows:

  • Main Profile.

  • Level 4.2.

  • Maximum resolution of 1920x1080 and a maximum frame rate of 30 frames per second. The video will not play if you exceed these settings. Normal video playback resumes when Webex Share receives the next video.

  • Optimize for web streaming video.

Disable Low Bandwidth Mode if you stream video.


Note

Your screen display settings affect your Digital Signage images. If your static images appear distorted or of a poor quality, then change your TV's display settings. For example, some display manufactures let you lower your Sharpness setting or change Picture Mode to Computer or the equivalent. For additional information, see the documentation that came with your TV.

After you configure Digital Signage, the following Standby settings change:

  • Standby > Control resets to On.

  • Standby > Delay resets to 120 minutes and Sleep mode. This is the delay before the device enters Sleep mode.

HTML5 is not supported.

For more information, see the Appspace documentation for Digital Signage at https://docs.appspace.com/latest/how-to/configure-wallpaper-for-cisco-webex-share/

Before you begin

You need an Appspace administrator account and an HTTP secure URL for your Appspace channel. If your Appspace server uses a self-signed certificate, then you share the certificate with Webex Share. If you have a local Appspace server and a certificate with a Trusted Certificate Authority signature, then you don't share your certificate.

Procedure

Step 1

From the customer view in https://admin.webex.com/, go to Devices.

Step 2

Select your device from the inventory and open Advanced Configurations.

Step 3

Select DigitalSignageServer.

Step 4

Enter your AppSpace URL in the field.
Step 5

Click Apply.

Configure a Static IP Address

Your device uses Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for IP addresses, which means that the address may change when you sign in. DHCP is the default, but you can configure a static or fixed IP address if you want your address to remain the same. Some administrators prefer static IP addresses because they can assign specific addresses to each location or device.

You are successful when the new address loads on your browser and the device registers or activates. But if you have a problem, then do a factory reset and repeat the configuration task.


Note

You cannot change the setting for static IP after the device registers. You can only set a device's static IP before you register the device.

Before you begin

We recommend that you complete the following tasks before you configure your static IP address:

  • Connect your device to your network and register or activate it.

  • Verify that your static IP address is unique and not used by another device.

  • Obtain the IP address for your device.

You also need a laptop or mobile device with a browser and an Internet connection.

Procedure

Step 1

In your web browser, enter the IP address to access the device page. You may have to add and confirm a security exception for the web page.

Step 2

Click Setup > Edit.

Step 3

Enter your new IP address in one of the available fields.
Step 4

Click Save.

The new IP address loads in your browser.

Add the Calendar Service

The Calendar feature integrates your online calendar with your device so you can see your upcoming Webex meetings. Most people configure this service at deployment, but you can add it later.

Procedure

Step 1

From the customer view in https://admin.webex.com, go to Workspaces and choose your Workspaces.

Step 2

Click Edit.

Step 3

Toggle on the calendar service so that people can use One Button to Push (OBTP) on this device. Click Next.

Step 4

Enter the email address for the calendar.

  • For Google Calendar, enter the Google resource email address from G-Suites (Calendar > Resources).

  • For Microsoft Exchange or Office 365, enter the email address of the room mailbox.

Step 5

Click Save.

Firmware Upgrades

Firmware upgrades happen automatically through Control Hub whenever there is a new release available. You don't have to manually upgrade your device or download and install any files. But it is based on your firmware channel:

  • Stable channel—Updates occur monthly

  • Preview channel—Updates occur weekly

Sometimes Cisco devices ship with an earlier firmware release. If this happens, then your device upgrades at the first available opportunity after deployment and activation. But they are designed to function with the factory firmware loads.

Troubleshooting Tools

Use the information in the following sections to troubleshoot your Webex Share.

View the Device Web Page

If you are troubleshooting an issue, then you can use the device web page to help you. The device page is available after the device registers with Control Hub.

You can do the following from this page:

  • Report a problem—Generate a problem report for your device. A problem report contains the device logs used by Cisco technical support. You can also use the problem report tool from Control Hub.

  • Download your device logs—Download and view both the historic and performance metrics device logs. Do not do a factory reset until you have downloaded the device logs.

  • View the device statistics—View the statistics for your device.

Before you begin

Obtain the device IP address for your device.

Procedure

Step 1

Open a web browser and enter the following URL, where IP address is the IP address of the device:

http://IP address

Step 2

Select Support to view your device information.

View device details for your Webex Share

If you are troubleshooting an issue, then you can view the device information page on your device. The device information page shows your IP address, firmware load, MAC address, and if your device is registered.

Procedure

Step 1

Press the reset button when the Webex Share is in operational state.

Step 2

Press the reset button again to return to the home screen.

Restart your device from Control Hub

You can restart your device if you are having a technical issue. A device restart from Control Hub doesn't affect your settings and it retains the log files.


Note

If you do a power cycle, then you lose the recent version of the log files. This makes it difficult to troubleshoot so download the logs before you power cycle the device.

Procedure

Step 1

From the customer view in https://admin.webex.com/, go to Devices.

Step 2

Select your device from the inventory and open Advanced Configurations.

Step 3

Click the search bar and select Maintenance > Restart.

Step 4

Select Restart from the drop-down list.

Step 5

Click Apply.

Reset a Webex Share to the factory settings

If you want to reset a Webex Share to its default settings, you can use the factory reset button.

Note

Performing a factory reset clears all data and settings from the Webex Share permanently. After performing a factory reset, you will have to register the Webex Share again, with a new activation code.

Procedure

Hold the reset button down for 10 seconds.

The display screen shows a countdown to the factory reset.

Generate a problem report from Control Hub

A Problem Report contains the device logs used by Cisco technical support services when troubleshooting problems. Submit a report if you have a firmware or hardware issue to report.

Procedure

Step 1

From the customer view in https://admin.webex.com/, go to Devices.

Step 2

Select your device from the inventory.
Step 3

Click Report issues.

A Webex Help Center window opens in your browser.

Step 4

Enter a description of the issue in the description field of the help window. You have a maximum of 249 characters.
Step 5

Click Submit.

Webex network test

You can use the Webex Network Test tool to test your network connection. The tool is located at https://mediatest.webex.com. It tests the following network attributes:

  • TCP Connectivity

  • TCP Delay

  • TCP Download speed

  • TCP Upload speed

  • UDP Connectivity

  • UDP Delay

  • UDP Loss Rate

Troubleshooting Documentation

Use the following additional documentation to troubleshoot issues:

You can also use the Cisco Webex Network Test at https://mediatest.ciscospark.com/.

Cisco Technical Support

Cisco provides around-the-clock technical support services, both online and over the phone to all customers, partners, resellers, and distributors who hold valid Cisco service contracts.

You should have your Cisco.com User ID, Contract, and Serial numbers ready when you contact Cisco Support to prevent any delays with your support request.

In addition, support staff need the following information:

  • Serial number and Wi-Fi MAC address—Every device has a serial number and Wi-Fi MAC address on the back of it.

  • Time and date issue occurred—Support staff use device logs or cloud metrics to troubleshoot issues. It is helpful to have the approximate local time and date.

  • Device Logs—Support staff may require the device logs to identify the root cause of your issue.

  • A brief description—Include any actions prior to the incident.

Most firmware issues can be resolved by support staff without a Return Material Authorization (RMA). It is best to use the RMA process for hardware issues.

You can find a list of Cisco worldwide support centers at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/web/tsd-cisco-worldwide-contacts.html.

Return Materials Authorization Checklist

Returning a device can be a time consuming experience. Before you start the Return Materials Authorization (RMA) process, try the following:

  • Try the device on a different display screen.

  • Check and see if the issue occurs on another device.

  • Reboot the device.

If any of the above resolved your issue, then the problem could be a firmware issue and a RMA isn't required. Collect the device logs and contact Cisco technical support services for assistance.

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