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How to stop echo/feedback during Webex class?

lizmiller
Level 1
Level 1

I am a new to using Webex, and was hired to teach a class. Most students are on their computers with video and audio. A few are on their cell phones. We are experiencing heavy echoing/feedback the entire hour. Can anyone tell me how to eliminate the strong echo? Everyone is bothered by this noise and some can't hear me. Thanks!

1 Accepted Solution

@lizmiller 
I think you are close to a solution of your issue.
The echo happens as soon as the audio from the speaker= audio output (Notebook, Phone, Tablet..) is picked up by the microphone (= audio input), which ends up in a loop.

If all attendees (incl. the host) use a headset or at least headphones, this will also reduce (perhaps even eliminate) the issue since the Audio-Output/speaker can not be picked up by the microphone any more.

Or try muting all attendees (= remotely disabling the attendee´s microphones) and unmute only those individuals who are invited to speak.
For situations where an attendees is not able to click "unmute" her-/him-self you may consider using "moderated unmute" (mentioned earlier..).

View solution in original post

6 Replies 6

Fritz_H
VIP Alumni
VIP Alumni

I assume that you know why/how this echo is generated.
Therefore it has become best practise to mute all attendees in meetings with a large audience . (Host feature)

Although Cisco reasonably decided to disallow the host to "force unmute" an attendee, this feature was heavily requested by certain groups. That´s why Cisco implemented "moderated unmute":
https://help.webex.com/en-us/uox10y/Enable-Moderated-Unmute-Mode-for-Cisco-Webex-Meetings

https://help.webex.com/en-us/ngv1kufb/Webex-Unmute-Someone-Directly-in-Moderated-Unmute-Mode

 

Thank you for answering. I do not know what has been causing the echo. I
should have stated that, I now realize. The school I teach for suggested
that one or more students are concurrently using their computer and their
cell phone. I just finished teaching, and the echo was present again, but
then went away on its own. So perhaps that student turned off her computer.


I found some sources giving more details on this (not Webex-related!) issue:
2018: https://help.webex.com/en-us/WBX32569/Echoing-is-Heard-in-the-Teleconference
2020: https://help.webex.com/en-us/WBX64076/I-m-Hearing-an-Echo-of-My-Voice-in-the-Audio-Conference


also found several YT-Videos, here are 2 of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0sf2ZuQKGM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vbpoNP0Mpk
The ugly high pitched sound you hear in the first video is the worst case of audio feedback - in your case you are experiencing just an echo - because of a some lag (caused by the internet).


BTW: what do your students need the cell-phone for it they are already connected via webex on the computer?
to replace a missing webcam and/or missing microphone on the computer at home?

Thank you for replying. So, some students use their cell phones to attend
class. While they have the printed lessons, they may not have the notebook
at classtime. But the same class lessons are visible on slides that I share
on the computer. It could be that their tablet or computer is not producing
sound, so they listen on the phone. I've requested that they turn off their
phones, but my guess is that those students can't me hear when they do
that. They may have a problem understanding they are to use either the
phone or the computer, as I am telling them in English, when class is
beginning English. I wrote here for help in troubleshooting how the echo
begins, so I can get in touch with their managers, who speak their
language, and can intervene in person to straighten out how they are
trying to attend class. Thanks for the videos, they were very helpful and
I'm forwarding the links to the school admin, who thinks the problem might
be the dual use of computer and phone.

@lizmiller 
I think you are close to a solution of your issue.
The echo happens as soon as the audio from the speaker= audio output (Notebook, Phone, Tablet..) is picked up by the microphone (= audio input), which ends up in a loop.

If all attendees (incl. the host) use a headset or at least headphones, this will also reduce (perhaps even eliminate) the issue since the Audio-Output/speaker can not be picked up by the microphone any more.

Or try muting all attendees (= remotely disabling the attendee´s microphones) and unmute only those individuals who are invited to speak.
For situations where an attendees is not able to click "unmute" her-/him-self you may consider using "moderated unmute" (mentioned earlier..).

Thank you, Fritz! You perfectly explained what is going on. Now I know. The headset solution is ideal, but I teach borderline income students who may not be able to afford headphones, and their employer is unlikely to consider providing them. I'll suggest your excellent solution to the school and see if they can make "computer with headset" part of their responsibility in deciding to offer this class to their limited-English students (it is free to the students).