Google Meet Issues

Google Meet Issues

Purpose of this Document

The purpose of this document is to assist the user in assessing and repairing miscellaneous Google Meet issues

Issues

The Technology technical team performed extensive testing to evaluate the Google Meet issues reported last week. The objectives and the process and results are as follows:

Evaluate reports from principals, teachers, parents, and students of video delays, freezes, and loss of connection during Google Meet virtual learning sessions.

Process/Result: The team used multiple Google Meetings and multiple devices to simulate activities in the classrooms. The issues of video delays and loss of connections were experienced during the technical review and were consistent with the issued experienced in the classrooms. Video freezing is likely a result of a loss of connection.

The stated issues were experienced both within the JPS network and on the Verizon Hotspots equally.

Determine if there is a JPS network issue with video streaming or if the issue is related to only Google Meet.

Process/Result: Other video streaming sessions were performed simultaneously while Google Meet classes were being tested. No video delays, freezing, or loss of connections were experienced on the non-Google Meet video streaming sessions.

Evaluate different teacher and student devices using Google Meet to determine if the issue is device-related.

Process/Result: Various models of teacher and student devices were used for the testing process, and all models experienced the same issues indicating that the device was not a factor for this issue.

Evaluate Google Meet on an outside network for comparison to the JPS network.

Process/Result: Google Meet sessions were set up outside of the district to ensure the issue was not related to the JPS network. The same Google Meet issues were experienced on the outside network indicating the Google Meet issue is not isolated to the JPS network.

Evaluate the JPS Internet bandwidth utilization and the possibility of other network-related issues.

Process/Result: A review of the JPS Internet bandwidth utilization indicates that less than 20% of the available bandwidth is being used at peak times. The JPS Internet bandwidth and wireless network is designed for a district-wide 1:1 student/device ratio.

Technicians were sent to schools reporting issues and observed the issue in the schools. The technicians simultaneously tested other websites to ensure the JPS network was not experiencing issues. Network speed tests were performed at the schools and all tested well. The issues were isolated to Google Meet at all locations.

The team also researched complaints of Google Meetings being disrupted by other students that are not in an assigned class joining the meeting.

Process/Result: It was confirmed that if the Meet link or phone number was shared by students in the class with others, the outsiders can join the class and the teacher is not notified they have joined the class.

Further testing found that if a Google Meet class was initiated outside of the Google Classroom and the teacher invited the students to join the meeting, the teacher would get a notification to let an outsider in the meeting and could deny access. This option should be tested further in a classroom to determine if it is a better solution for the use of Google Meet until Google implements additional meeting control changes.

As a result of the testing performed, it appears that Google may be having issues handling the influx of the unexpected world-wide, high-volume usage created by the pandemic. Another contributing factor may be related to the new Google Meet updates that are currently being rolled out.

Google Host Controls

Google has finally updated Google Meets to give the host of the meetings some much needed control of the meeting. Now when you start a meeting you will notice a blue shield icon bottom left by your name. This is the meeting safety host control settings that have been added. Here we see 3 options “Quick access; Share their screen; Send chat messages”.

Share their screen: When not selected will prevent participants in the meeting, other than the host, from sharing their screens.

Send chat messages: When not selected will prevent participants in the meeting, other than the host, from sending chat messages.

Quick access: When turned off the host will be notified and given the option to accept or deny anyone not specifically invited to the meeting tries to join. When turned on only those Google accounts outside of their network (not a @jpschools.org google account) tries to join the meeting will the host be notified.

Anyone who needs host permission to join will see the following option when trying to join a meeting.

If they “Ask to join” the host will see the following message appear on their screen giving them the option to deny and block entry or to admit access to the meeting.