Zoom FAQs

Table of Contents

• How do I activate my Dartmouth Zoom account?
• How do I schedule a Zoom meeting?
• How do I join a meeting?
• How do I set a virtual background?
• How many people can attend my meeting?
• Are Zoom meetings encrypted?
• How safe is my Zoom recording when saved to the Cloud?
• Once I put a link to my Zoom recording into my Canvas course, can a student put the recording on YouTube without my knowledge?
• How do Dartmouth Zoom class recordings comply with FERPA?
• Should I password protect my Zoom meeting?
• What is the longevity of a Zoom recording saved to the Cloud?
• How much Cloud storage does a user get for Zoom recordings?
• Can I share my screen in a Zoom meeting?
• How do I schedule meetings on behalf of someone else?
• Can more than one person be a meeting host?
• Can I add Zoom to meetings that are already on my Outlook calendar?
• Can I adjust different features for meetings?
• How do I record a meeting?
• How do I conduct a Zoom meeting with multiple participants in different locations?
• What's the difference between a Meeting and a Webinar?
• How do I request a Webinar license?
• What do I do if my audio isn't working?
• What can I do about choppy or distorted audio or video?
• What is a Zoom Meeting ID and where do I find it?
• How can I learn more about Zoom?

How do I activate my Dartmouth Zoom account?

• Go to dartmouth.zoom.us and click Sign In to provision your Dartmouth Zoom account.  Enter your Dartmouth NetID, password, and Duo Authentication. Once this step is completed your account is activated. Bookmark this webpage. This is where you can sign in to your account and access other resources.

How do I schedule a Zoom meeting?

• Schedule a meeting
• Using Outlook
• Using BWA.dartmouth.edu (Outlook Web)
• Meet Now for an Instant meeting

How do I join a meeting?

• You can join a meeting via your computer, your phone, a room system, a mobile device, and, SIP.

How do I set a virtual background?

• The virtual background feature allows you to display an image or video as your background during a Zoom Meeting. This feature works best with a green screen and uniform lighting, to allow Zoom to detect the difference between you and your background.  Click here to learn more about virtual backgrounds

How many people can attend my meeting?

• Meetings are capped at 300 participants.

Are Zoom meetings encrypted?

• Yes.  By default, Zoom encrypts in-meeting and in-webinar presentation content.
• Meeting hosts can enable the end-to-end encryption setting to their meetings for an added layer of application security. Enabling this setting will force encryption across Zoom running on desktop, mobile and Zoom Rooms, as well as for H.323/SIP endpoints except PSTN telephone.  It will also force end-to-end group messaging (chats).
• Dartmouth ITC Security recommends that meeting hosts enable the added layer of end-to-end security for meetings where highly-confidential or regulated information, such as PHI, HIPAA, PII, or FERPA data may be exchanged or discussed.
• For more information see Dartmouth Information Security Policy.

How safe is my Zoom recording when saved to the Cloud?

• Only the meeting host can access a Zoom recording saved to the Cloud.  The host must download the recording or share the recording URL for anyone to gain access to the recording.  The host has the option to only allow authenticated users to view and/or download the recording.  The host can also password protect the recording link or require users to register to see it.

Once I put a link to my Zoom recording into my Canvas course, can a student put the recording on YouTube without my knowledge?

• No, a student can only view the recording using the Zoom link in Canvas.

How do Dartmouth Zoom class recordings comply with FERPA?

• The host should only allow authenticated users to view a class recording in Zoom. Users must go through two factor authentication to access Canvas thusly two factor authentication is needed to view a Zoom class recording added to a Canvas course. If no restrictions are in place when creating the recording in Zoom, the backstop is Canvas authentication.
• If no restrictions are in place when creating the recording in Zoom, the backstop is Canvas authentication.

Should I password protect my Zoom meeting?

• To protect the privacy of your Zoom meeting, you should always password protect your meetings.  For most meeting attendees, the join flow will remain the same, whether they join by clicking a link in a meeting invite or join through the desktop calendar integration. Users who join by manually entering in the meeting ID will need to enter the password when joining a meeting.

What is the longevity of a Zoom recording saved to the Cloud?

• Recordings are not deleted.  A host may elect to have a recording expire.  After 30 days the trash will empty and the recording cannot be retrieved.

How much Cloud storage does a user get for Zoom recordings?

• There are no limits per user.  Under our current enterprise agreement, we have approximately 11TB of cloud recording space.

Can I share my screen in a Zoom meeting?

• Yes. Both meeting hosts and meeting participants can share their screens by clicking the "Share Screen" icon in your meeting toolbar located at the bottom of your screen.

How do I schedule meetings on behalf of someone else?

• Zoom’s Scheduling Privilege allows a Dartmouth account holder to assign scheduling privileges to other Dartmouth account holders.  This is a helpful feature for administrative assistants.
• When assigning scheduling privileges, the instructions direct you to enter the designee's email address.  You must enter the designee's email as NetID@dartmouth.edu, not firstname.lastname@dartmouth.edu.  To find an individual's NetID, search the Dartmouth Name Directory (DND).

Can more than one person be a meeting host?

• Yes. Zoom's alternative host option allows you to designate alternative hosts from within Dartmouth.  Meeting participants who do not have a Dartmouth Zoom Pro license cannot be alternative hosts.
• When assigning an alternative host, the instructions direct you to enter the alternate host's email address.  You must enter the alternate host's email as NetID@dartmouth.edu, not firstname.lastname@dartmouth.edu.  To find an individual's NetID, search the Dartmouth Name Directory (DND).

Can I add Zoom to meetings that are already on my Outlook calendar?

• Yes. Open your Outlook meeting and select the Zoom icon (a plugin) to schedule a Zoom meeting.

Can I adjust different features for meetings?

• Yes. Meeting settings allows you to enable or disable meeting features such as whether your video and sound are on when you join, and, whether participants can join the meeting before the host.

How do I record a meeting?

• Select the Record icon on the bottom of your Zoom meeting window. You can save your recording locally on your computer or in the cloud.

How do I conduct a Zoom meeting with multiple participants in different locations?

• You may schedule meetings when some participants are gathered in a meeting room and others are connecting to Zoom remotely. The Zoom application for remote participants functions normally, but participants in the conference room will need to make selections within the Zoom interface that best work with an AV system. Best practices suggest that one computer should be connected to the AV system, and be the primary source for the Zoom meeting to prevent audio feedback.
• The computer is connected to the AV system via the provided HDMI, VGA and/or USB cables attached to the system. In the Zoom interface make the selection to output audio through the AV system’s speakers. If there is a conference microphone connected to the AV system select that, otherwise use the computer’s built-in microphone. Select the AV system’s camera if available; otherwise, use the computer’s built in camera or an attached USB webcam. This allows remote participants to see and hear the conference room participants optimally.

What's the difference between a Meeting and a Webinar?

• The Meeting and Webinar platforms offer similar features and functionality, but have some key differences.
• Meetings are designed to be a collaborative event with all participants being able to screen share, turn on their video and audio, and see who else is in attendance.
• Webinars are intended for larger groups. They are designed so that the host and designated panelists can share their video, audio and screen while attendees are view only.
• Participant interaction is more limited in Webinars than in Meetings.
• Meetings are available to Dartmouth faculty, staff, and students through their Zoom account.
• Dartmouth has a limited number of licenses for Webinars that can be issued on request. 

How do I request a Webinar license?

• Click HERE to request a Webinar license.  Please provide several days' advance notice whenever possible.

What do I do if my audio isn't working?

• Test your computer or device audio
• If you are using a Windows 10 laptop, please check your privacy settings to ensure Microphone access for the device is on and you have enabled Allow apps to access your microphone.
• See also the Related Article: Built-In Microphone not working on Windows 10.

What can I do about choppy or distorted audio or video?

• See the Related Article: Improving your Zoom Connection

What is a Zoom Meeting ID and where do I find it? 

• Each Zoom meeting has its own unique ID. The meeting ID is the 9-digit number at the end of the meeting url. It will be in your invitation or scheduled meetings and it appears at the top center of your meeting window when you're in a meeting.

How can I learn more about Zoom?

• Review the Related Articles on this article.
• Search this knowledge base for even more articles on Zoom.
• Go to the Zoom website to read articles and watch videos on popular topics.
• Register for a live training webinar with a Zoom expert.

See Related Articles to the right for more information.