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• About the program

  BC is a voice chat program, designed to work in background mode. You may use it for example to speak with your friends when playing online games with them, or performing any other work. BC offers you a set of features to make your communication with groups of people very flexible.

• System requirements

  This version of BC requires:

  • Computer with Pentium 200MHz or higher processor.
  • Microsoft Windows 95 / Windows 98 / Windows Me / Windows NT 4.0 / Windows 2000 or later.
  • TCP/IP connection.
  • If you are connected via modem, 14400 bps (or better) modem is required.

  To work properly on your system, BC may require some additional system components. Depending on your operating system type, these components are:

  • Windows Me:
    -contains all required components-
  • Windows 98:
    MS NetMeeting - may be installed from Windows package (Windows CD).
  • Windows 95:
    Windows Socket 2 Update;
    Internet explorer 4.0 or later;
    DirectX 5 or later;
    MS NetMeeting - may be installed from Windows package (Windows CD).
  • Windows 2000:
    -contains all required components-
  • Windows NT4.0:
    Service Pack 5 or later;
    MS NetMeeting.

  Recommended:

  • Sound card + audio driver capable of simultaneous record and playback ("full-duplex").
  • Standard audio codecs should be installed (from Windows package) if you are using Windows 95/98/Me.
  • Computer with Pentium II / Celeron processor.
  • If you are connected via modem, 33600 or 56K modem is highly recommended.
  • Multimedia Head-Set.

• How to use
  1. Download, install and start BC (it is recommended to start BC before any other sound reproducing software).
  2. Any user must be included into group(s), so you need to create group(s) first (BC automatically creates a Global community group at first startup).
  3. Add to the list users, you wish to communicate with. You will need to enter a host address and select at least one group for each user. (BC can automatically place users into the list, but the first user is usually added manually.)
  4. Assign activation key and mechanism to each group. Group becomes active when you press its activation key.
     When a group is active, BC transmits your voice to users included into it (silence detection feature can override this rule).

  Momentary and toggle activation keys

  • If group activation key is a 'toggle' key (default), pressing it will make the group active and previously active group inactivate until you press another activation key.
  • If group activation key is a 'momentary' key, pressing it will make the group active until you release the key.

  Execution modes
  Execution modes affect how much dialog windows BC will produce during execution.

  When working with documents, reading books or performing other non-intensive work, you will probably prefer NORMAL mode, allowing BC to inform you about various important events.
  But when playing multiplayer games (for example), these dialogs may be really annoying and absolutely inconvenient. In this case SILENT mode is more preferable. Information about events may be found later in journal.

  Thus in SILENT mode:

  • you will get no security warnings (when user connects from changed address or providing changed UsrId);
  • you can't receive textual messages (from other BC users);
  • connection will be silently refused if connecting user can't be placed into your user list automatically.

  Finding other BC users, BC communities
  The first thing, you may want to do after you have installed BC, is to connect to some other BC users.
  This may be done in two ways:

  1. Place a user into user list manually. Once the user will go online, he will be automatically connected.
  2. Allow BC to place users into user list automatically by using community groups / BC chat rooms.
     When BC finds a user with community, matching community of a group in your list, it automatically includes the user into this group (and connects him).

  BC searches for new users by examining all connected users and BC Name Servers (BCNS) in your user list. Each connected user / BCNS in your user list automatically provides information about users, connected to this user / BCNS and belonging to the appropriate communities.
  BCNSes are especially effective in this context, though you can configure an instance of BC to perform the same task (by adding specific chat rooms to its user list and setting execution mode to silent).
  >> More about BCNS...

  Using BC on a low-bandwidth communication line (modem / ISDN users)
  If you are using BC on a low-bandwidth connection, take into account that it can easily overflow your communication line. This will cause not only BC malfunctioning, but can affect other networking applications as well, because BC sends its data at a very high priority (though nothing bad should happen in any case).

  If there are long delays between words, phrases, some parts of sentences are lost, or other BC users are reporting this when hearing you - you probably have a communication line overflow problem.
  Other applications usually (but not always) don't affect BC behavior.

  First of all, if you are using BC on a low-bandwidth communication line, don't forget to set "Low-bandwidth connection" option from menu->options->general->networking dialog.

  Bandwidth, required to send your voice, may be easily calculated by using the following formula:
  
  Required_Bandwidth = (Trans_Fmt_Req + 300) * Number_Of_Users,
  
  where:
  Required_Bandwidth - number of bytes per second, BC will send;
  Trans_Fmt_Req - transmission format requirements (in bytes per second);
  Number_Of_Users - number of users, you are speaking to simultaneously (not a total number of users in the list).
  
  For example, using 14400 modem and Lernout & Hauspie CELP transmission format, you can speak to one user and hear one user* simultaneously.
  Using Dual ISDN and Lernout & Hauspie CELP transmission format, you can speak to 10 users, being able to hear up to 7 users* at the same time.
  * This supposes, that all other users uses Lernout & Hauspie CELP transmission format too.

  There are two ways to solve the problem with a low-bandwidth communication line:
  First:

  • Limit yourself in number of connected users in the list;
  • Don't create community groups and BC chat rooms (allowing BC to add users into the list automatically);
  • Divide users into groups wisely, not placing too many users into one group.

  The second way is to use demultiplexors.
  Demultiplexor is a host, typically on a high-speed network, capable of demulptiplexing of your voice flow.
  When you speak, all voice data from you is sent to the demultiplexor in a single flow and then demultiplexing host creates multiple flows, to deliver the data to users, you want to transmit it to.

  Demultiplexors can completely solve the problem with outgoing voice data. Assign more than one demultiplexor to get the more reliable results (BC will automatically use first connected).
  To assign a host as a demultiplexor, set "Use the host as a demultiplexor" option from user properties dialog.
  To allow BC instance to perform demultiplexing (for other BC users), set "Allow others to use your host as a demultiplexor" option from menu->options->general->networking dialog.

  Demultiplexors don't affect incoming data flows and can't solve problem with incoming voice data overflow, but note that hearing more then 2-3 users simultaneously is not very convenient as well.

  Independently, if you are connected to the Internet via high-speed network or a slow modem, following these basic rules is highly advised:
  

  • Don't use transmission formats with a very high bitrate. If you are using BC on a LAN with other users, connected to the same LAN, you may prefer (and have all the rights) to communicate with transmission quality of 44kHz 16bit. But if later you will connect to the user with a slow modem, or that user will accidentally connect to you, his communication line will be simply wasted;
  • Create your own community. Don't rely upon "global" community, this will attract too many unwanted members;
  • Manage your user list accurately.
    Creating more small groups is always preferable, than creating less large groups with more users in each.
    One user can be placed into as many groups as you wish, use this, and it is sometimes useful to create a separate group for one user only;
  • Don't speak too much, remember, people want hear you only when they need the information, you provide.
    Don't speak to all people at once too often.

  Transmission formats
  The quality of sounds, produced by BC, depends on chosen voice transmission format. When you choose transmission format with higher bitrate, users, you communicate with, hear your voice more clear and more realistic, but network traffic from you is higher.
  BC allows you to use any compatible format for voice transmission, installed on your system. This gives you additional freedom but requires additional care.
  

  • When choosing transmission format, it is strongly recommended to choose one of the recommended formats. This ensures that all people, you wish to communicate with, will be able to accept it.
  • And it is strongly recommended to install MS NetMeeting and standard audio codecs to make recommended transmission formats available on your machine (see additional requirements and recommendations for details).
  If you are trying to communicate with a user, but he has not installed transmission format you use or you have not installed transmission format he uses, you will fail.

  Following voice formats were tested and recommended for use with BC:

  FORMAT	BITRATE, bits/sec (bytes/sec)		RECOMMENDED FOR	INSTALLED WITH
  Lernout & Hauspie CELP*	4800	(600)	all connection types	MS NetMeeting
  DSP Group TrueSpeech	8536	(1067)	33.6 modem / ISDN connections	standard audio codecs
  GSM 6.10 (8 kHz)	13000	(1625)	ISDN / LAN	standard audio codecs
  GSM 6.10 (11 kHz)	17912	(2239)	LAN	standard audio codecs
  GSM 6.10 (22 kHz)	35824	(4478)	LAN	standard audio codecs
  PCM (not compressed)	64000	(8000)	LAN, slow CPU	always present

  * default transmission format.
  

  If you choose another transmission format, be sure it is network errors resistant.
  Add about 300 bytes/sec (protocol overhead) to the transmission format requirements to get required bandwidth for user-to-user communication (unidirectional).

• Troubleshooting

  General tips

  • Use Loopback test to check your system for compatibility and set volume and silence detection sliders to appropriate values.
  • Unless there is a special need for it, don't change control port value (use default).
  • If you think BC doesn't work optimally (for example you experience partial voice transmission), try to set all options to default values.

  Firewall support
  By default BC uses following ports:

  • Data port: UDP 3782 for audio data;
  • Control port: TCP 3782 for control messages.

  BC is a peer-to-peer application, this means there is no clients or servers in BC session. Thus, to be able to work through your firewall, BC must be able to initiate sockets on port TCP 3782 through it. And BC needs to be able to receive inbound sockets on port TCP 3782 as well. Audio data is sent on port UDP 3782.

  You can change port numbers from menu->options->general->networking. You should change control port with care, because other users may have trouble accessing you if you set control port to any value other than default.

  Compatibility tips
  If you use BC in conjunction with another sound reproducing application(s), sound device share problem may arise. In this case BC will cease functioning or mute sounds of other applications.

  Usually this problem can be solved by installing latest drivers for your sound hardware. (If you are using BC in conjunction with 3D-accelerated games, update your video drivers too.)

  If you have newest WDM technology-based driver for your sound hardware, you will probably not experience trouble using BC. Configuring BC to use WaveForm Audio interface will allow it to work in conjunction with other sound reproducing applications without problems. With older sound drivers, BC will be often unable to use this interface and automatically switch to DirectX.

  If an application uses DirectX and tries to use it exclusively, you will need to use BC in WaveForm Audio mode or in DirectX mode with "Suppress DX exclusive mode" flag set (from menu->options->general->compatibility).
  (Note: If "Suppress DX exclusive mode" flag is set and you are playing quake or quake engine-based game, be sure you are running the game in MAXIMUM COMPATIBILITY mode.)

  Common problems

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  All works fine unless I enter the game (or another sound reproducing application)	See compatibility tips.
  PROBLEM
  Sound device share problem.

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  BC doesn't connect to a user	a. Use control port, allowed by firewall, proxy or gateway. b. Configure your firewall, proxy or gateway. See firewall support for details.
  PROBLEM
  You are trying to connect to a user, which is on other side of a firewall, proxy or NAT device from you, and it is blocking packets.

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  BC connects normally but keeps the silence	1. Run Audio Mixer and check settings. Playback should be set to ON, record should be set to microphone. (Note 1: You can use another available software to test this configuration.) (Note 2: You can set "Audio Mixer preset" option (from menu->options->general->compatibility), although it may work partially on some sound devices.) 2a. Use data port, allowed by firewall, proxy or gateway. 2b. Configure your firewall, proxy or gateway. See firewall support for details.
  PROBLEM
  1. Windows Audio Mixer settings are incorrect. 2. You are trying to connect to a user, which is on other side of a firewall, proxy or NAT device from you, and it is blocking packets.

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  BC periodically lockups operating system for a few seconds	Lower priority level (from menu->options->general->compatibility). (Note: This usually happens when BC tries to resolve host name and DNS server is not responding. You can use IP addresses instead of host names to avoid this situation.) (Windows 95/98/ME specific.)
  PROBLEM
  Priority level too high (+2 or +3).

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  BC doesn't intercept activation keys from some applications	There is currently no solution for this problem. You will need to switch to GUI application (and then back) to activate another group. (Windows 95/98/ME specific.)
  PROBLEM
  BC can't intercept activation key pressing/depressing from MS-DOS programs and console applications.

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  Under Windows NT 4.0, BC crashes when adding users to the list (or when starting loopback test)	Install Service Pack 5 or later. (Windows NT 4.0 specific.)
  PROBLEM
  Windows NT 4.0 bug.

  SYMPTOMS	SOLUTION
  BC can't connect two users simultaneously (when second user connects it takes a place of first ones)	Say to one of users to change his UsrId.
  PROBLEM
  These users have identical UsrIds.

  Please inform me if you think I should mention here something other

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