Getting Started 3

Joining eProv

You've got your equipment (Hardware & Software) and tested it (Testing Equipment). Now you’re ready to become an eProv pioneer. You do that by clicking on the eProv portal: https://eprov.nefsis.com/.

• The eProv portal should open as a new tab or window. If it doesn't you can right click on the link and choose "Open link in new tab" or "Open link in new window". This enables you to switch back and forth between here and eProv, which helps with the instructions.

You can browse around "Getting Started" in the bottom right hand corner, or you can come back to it later. There's a lot of really good stuff there, so be sure to look at it at some point.

Chances are though, that you want to start onto eProv right away. Let's do that...

First: Get your password

You'll need a password to get into an eProv session. If you email us, we'll send it to you in no more than one working day.

While you're waiting for your password: Configure your browser

• The instructions in this section are very detailed. For some people, this will be overkill, but we've laid out every step so that everybody can be part of eProv, not just the techno-savvy.

Explorer is (a bit) paranoid about security. In order to use the eProv portal properly, you have to tell Explorer Nefsis can be trusted.

• This is actually the most convoluted part of joining eProv! And it has nothing to do with how either eProv or Nefsis is set up. It's all brought to you by our good friends at Microsoft.

To tell Explorer to trust the site, go to the "Tools" menu...

...and then click on "Internet Options":

Click on "Security"...

...and then on "Sites":

You should see "https://eprov.nefsis.com" in the box marked "Add this website to the zone".

If not, add it in, and then click on the "Add" button:

"https://eprov.nefsis.com" should now show up in the "Websites" box, and you can click the "Close" button:

Click the "OK" button on the bottom of the Internet Options box, and Explorer should now be willing to play nice (finally).

If you're on a network

If you're on a home network or a small LAN, Nefsis should have no trouble negotiating its router and firewall. We've tested this system with quite a few routers and firewalls and haven't found any problems. Nefsis does all the negotiation automatically (which is a big advantage over some other video-conferencing programs).

• If you have a very old router, it may be that you'll have to buy a new one. Not to worry, even the basic ones manufactured and sold now should work no problem. [specific recommendations coming]
   
•  If you do have trouble, email us. We'll either answer your questions directly or, if it's a problem we haven't seen yet, we'll connect you with Nefsis and make sure they take care of you.

If you're on a company network, or if you're using a company computer that doesn't allow you to install programs, you need to talk to your IT person and either let you install Nefsis, or do it for you. Direct them to these posts, and they should have no trouble setting you up.

•  Again, if they run into trouble, eProv support is only an email away.

Back to the eProv portal

You should still be on the eProv portal: https://eprov.nefsis.com/. Have a look at the main box on the page, on the top row, named "eProvSeminarHub". Click on the "join" link over on the right:

Now: Join

You should still be on the eProv portal: https://eprov.nefsis.com/. Have a look at the main box on the page, on the top row, named "eProvSeminarHub". Click on the "join" link over on the right:

Reading this page will save you frustration and grief. This is the place that gets you set up for the first time with the software and links. Once you have these properly installed, joining an eProv session in the future is a snap. You just come back to the eProv portal at https://eprov.nefsis.com/ page, click on “join” and go directly to your class.

• You'll probably want to bookmark this site.

The  Big Orange Button

Once you've read through the page, click on the big orange “Join Nefsis” button...

...and then follow the instructions as they pop up. You'll be asked for a password to enter a room, and that's where you enter the password you got from us.

You should find yourself looking at something like:

You're in! This is our "eProv Seminar Hub". By September, there'll be a companion site—the "eProv Lecture Hub" for larger classes. Nefsis is a powerful and versatile program. You can just use it in this layout, or you can customize it to suit you. You'll find more on that on the next page — Exploring.