Teamspeak Server Info
From Scan New England Wiki
What is Teamspeak?Teamspeak is an easy to use, low bandwidth software package originally designed for players of internet based computer games. Its low bandwidth and small consumption of resources make it a very popular way for online gamers to communicate with one another while playing as teams, or "clans".
Why Use Teamspeak for Scanner Feeds?For the same reason that gamers use it to play games. It's a very solid software package. It consumes very little of your computer resources. It uses very little bandwidth (9K stream). It allows just about anyone with a sound card and a scanner to stream their own audio. It provides excellent audio quality. It also allows users connected to the server to exchange chat messages. Users can create their own channels, name them, and stream their scanner audio for others to select and hear, all in a very easy to understand and easy to use format. Users of Teamspeak, whether they want to stream scanner audio or just listen to it, can be up and running in about five minutes. The following sections and links therein will show and tell you how to download Teamspeak, how to install it, what it looks like, and how it performs. |
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Tracy Justus of the Freq of Nature website, who originally enlightened me when I used Teamspeak for the first time to listen to scanner audio from the California wildfires. Thanks also to John of Scan Boston for helping with my early server experiments and for providing not one, not two, but three feeds to my Teamspeak Server. Also thanks to all the folks at the Live Scanner Audio Yahoogroup.
Step One: Download the Software
The Teamspeak Client software for Windows, Linux, and Mac (Teamspeex) can be downloaded from the Teamspeak homepage. Follow the links at the main page to the client download.
Step Two: Install the Software
Teamspeak installs like any other Windows software package. Hopefully you made note of the folder you downloaded it to. Make your way to that folder and double click on the .exe file. The install will place an icon on your desktop (main computer screen). A reboot is not required after install but it's always a good idea in my book nonetheless.
Step Three: Read The Manual!
And...read the website. Everything you need to know about Teamspeak is within them.
Step Four: Check Audio Settings if you are going to stream!!!
This step is critical. Double click on the "speaker" icon located to the left of your computer's clock on the right side of your taskbar. Under "Options" select "Properties" and then "Adjust Volume For Recording" as shown here.
ENSURE that the jack on your sound card that you have plugged your scanner's audio into is the SELECTED source. Use line-in whenever possible, and mic only as a LAST resort.
If you do not select the proper input you WILL NOT be able to stream your audio to the server. If you have no intent of doing so and are listening only this will not be an issue.
Step Five: Run the Software
Double click on your Teamspeak icon.
Click on "Connection" in the upper left, and then choose "Connect" from the drop down menu.
You will RIGHT CLICK once in the white and choose "Add Server". You can label your entry to anything you desire. The server address for the New England Scanner Feeds server, nescannerfeeds.no-ip.org:8005 is entered in the "Server Address" field. Choose a nickname for yourself. By default it will be "Guest#" if you don't (# meaning 1,2,3 etc depending on how many guests are logged in). Leave "Allow Server to assign a nickname" unchecked, and for now click in the Anonymous field. This will for the moment make "Login Name" disappear. To enter the server you will then click on the "Connect" button.
Step Six: Register with the Server
You are required to register with the server in order to access the feeds. Once connected to the server, you register by accessing the "Self" menu and then selecting "Register With Server". Follow the prompts, remember your login name and password, log back in as a registered user with the information just created, and you're all set. The entire process takes about 30 seconds roughly.
| File:Teamspeakregister.jpg |
Logging Into Our Server
RECOMMENDED EASIEST LOGON METHOD: Directly from the Teamspeak Stats and Log-In Page at this website.
Teamspeak is divided into three sections. The top left section shows the available "channels" at the New England Scanner Feeds server. By default you are logged into the "Instructions - Click Here" channel. If you double click on the Cape Cod Public Safety "channel", you will hear audio through your speakers, and also will notice that active streams are "lit" as indicated by the bright green circle to the left of "Scan Cape Cod". Letters in parenthesis indicate R for registered channel or registered user, D for default channel, CA for Channel Administrator, SA for system administrator, and U for unregistered channel or unregistered user. You will also see other users that are logged into the system, some of which are streaming audio to the server using the same software you have just installed! You may switch between channels by double clicking the channel name. Channels that are active will show in an "expanded" fashion. Note that while user "Scott" is connected to the Cape and Islands channel he can also see that the "Central Mass MSP" channel is active with someone in it. Channels that are not expanded are currently inactive.
The top right section of Teamspeak shows information, either about the server itself or specific information about each available channel. Channel information is available by a single left click on the channel name. To change channels a double-click is required.
The bottom section of the screen is where you will see users log on and log off. It also will display chat messages that can be sent by users to other users or to all users.
You can right click a channel to send text to everyone on that channel. You can right click a specific user to send text to only that user.
Simply type your text and click OK to send. The message will appear to you and to the recipient(s) in the bottom part of the Teamspeak screen.
Points to Remember
When logged into Teamspeak you are part of an active scanning community. Please treat your co-listeners and co-streamers with respect. It is very easy for me to ban users. I don't want to have to do that, so behave! This is an excellent way to share scanner audio from all over our area. Let's make it work!
Other Teamspeak Servers
- Incident Broadcast - incidentbroadcast.com:8767
- Scanner Buff Network - radio.scannerbuff.net:8767
- Tampa Bay Florida Area - tampabay.no-ip.com:8767 (Part time server?)
- East Coast Scanning - www.eastcoastscanning.com
- MVBN Miami Valley Ohio - 67.18.58.10:8811
- MVBN Miami Valley Ohio Second Link - mvbn.kc8qch.com:8768
- Incident News Broadcast - feeds.incidentnewsbroadcast.com:8825
