Solstice Conference Pod Setup

This setup topic will walk you through setting up Solstice Pods for to connect to a video conferencing application. This guide assumes that Solstice Setup has been completed for your Solstice Pods, you have connected your Pods to your enterprise network via Ethernet, and the Baseline Deployment Steps have been completed.

Pre-Deployment Considerations

  • Solstice-enhanced BOYM video conferencing is far more versatile and cost effective than a traditional room system, but there are some prerequisites to ensure a high-quality conferencing experience. Our Solstice Conference Checklist outlines those specifications and the requirements of the various system components – meeting host laptop, local area network, and audio/video peripherals – most of which are consistent with best practice IT methodologies.
  • Ensure your network has a minimum bandwidth of 50 Mbps per active Solstice video conferencing session/room, has an end-to-end latency of less than 50 ms, and allows peer-to-peer TCP connections. Note that bandwidth utilization is largely dictated by a combination of conferencing application and conference camera used.
  • Ensure required network ports are open. To connect Solstice to a video conference, open the default base ports +17. (For example, if 53100–53102 are the configured base ports, open TCP/UDP ports 53100–53119.) Other network ports are required for other Solstice functionality. For more information on network port requirements for Solstice, see Network Requirements.
  • Deploy and configure the Solstice Discovery Service (SDS) (strongly recommended, required for a one-step start for scheduled video conferences).
  • Solstice Conference drivers must be installed in addition to the Mersive Solstice app. These drivers require elevated permissions to install. If users do not have elevated permissions, administrators may centrally deploy the app using MSI or SCCM installers.

    Mersive recommends the version of the Mersive Solstice app always match the software version of the Solstice Pod. Some versions of the Mersive Solstice app may require the versions to match exactly to connect Solstice resources to a video conference. Starting in version 5.5.1, users will be warned about mismatching versions but will still be able to share the Solstice display and access room cameras and mics connected to the Solstice Pod.

  • If you utilize a tool that limits program access, such as an anti-virus program or device management service, you will need to whitelist the Mersive Solstice app program files (on Windows: SolsticeClient.exe, SolsticeConference.exe, SolsticeVirtualDisplay.exe, rsusbipclient.exe).

Enabling Solstice Conferencing

To share the Solstice content sharing space and room devices with a video conference, you must have a Gen3 Solstice Pod and the Solstice Conference capability must be enabled by a Solstice admin. Before enabling Conference capabilities, it is strongly recommended that you to upgrade the Pod to the latest version of Solstice. For information on how to update a Solstice Pod, see Updating Solstice.

In Solstice 5.5 and later, Solstice Conference drivers are perpetually licensed, making content shared to Solstice and connected peripherals available to video conferencing apps after a Pod's Solstice Subscription has lapsed.

The Solstice Conferencing functionality can be enabled in two ways: using Solstice Cloud, Mersive's cloud-based management portal, or in Solstice Dashboard, an on-premises management tool that runs on a Windows computer on the local network. Solstice Pods must have internet access for these settings to be applied.

Integrating a Room Calendar

Integrating a room calendar with the Solstice Pod allows Solstice to display information on upcoming meetings in the space. Users can simply enter the video conference information in the meeting details and invite the room to reserve meeting space. Versions 5.5 and earlier of the Mersive Solstice can then launch the scheduled video conference when the meeting host connects to the Solstice display. For more on room calendar functionality in versions 5.5.1 and higher of the Mersive Solstice app, see the Mersive Solstice app update note.

Solstice administrators can integrate Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365, and Google Workspace room calendars with Solstice displays. There are two ways to integrate a room calendar: using Solstice Cloud, or using the Solstice Dashboard. Note that Solstice Pods must have internet access for these settings to be applied.

Solstice users who host video conferences in a Solstice room can also integrate their personal Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft 365 calendars with their Mersive Solstice apps to auto-launch scheduled web conferences. See the Mersive Solstice App topic for more information.

Enabling Screen Key (Optional)

Enabling the screen key verifies that users are in the meeting space and connecting to the correct Solstice display. It also allows quick connections to a Solstice display and Solstice-enabled video conferences by simply entering a display's 4-digit key in the Mersive Solstice app. Note that the Solstice Discovery Service (SDS) is required for this quick connect functionality.

When the screen key is not enabled, users can connect in one step by entering the Solstice display's URL. The screen key can be enabled in Solstice Cloud and Solstice Dashboard.

Centrally Deploy the Mersive Solstice App

To use the Solstice video conference connection functionality, users will need to install the Solstice Conference drivers with their Mersive Solstice app. These drivers wirelessly connect room audio and video devices to the host laptop and allow the meeting host to share the Solstice display to remote participants through their video conferencing app.

In Solstice 5.5 and later, Solstice Conference drivers are installed separately from the Mersive Solstice app on Windows and macOS. After the user has installed the Mersive Solstice app, the option to install the Solstice Conference drivers appears in the Room Camera + Mic tab. A user must have administrator privileges on their laptop to successfully install Solstice Conference drivers. These drivers are optional; Solstice can be used for in-person wireless content sharing and collaboration without installing the additional drivers.

For most enterprise users of Solstice conferencing, Mersive recommends pre-installing or centrally deploying the latest version of the Mersive Solstice app and Solstice Conference drivers through the use of centralized management (MSI or SCCM).  Administrators can pre-install and configure Solstice conferencing functionality on user devices without giving users elevated privileges. (Note that these admin-installed versions of the Mersive Solstice app and Solstice Conference drivers cannot be auto-updated by users upon connecting to a Pod running a newer version of Solstice.) Learn more about deploying Solstice with MSI or SCCM.

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Solstice Conference Physical Setup