The Potter's School FAQs for GatherPlace Software

The latest versions of the GatherPlace software (GP4) can be found in the downloads section of The Potter's School Support page.
Students should NEVER download copies from the GatherPlace web site directly.
The Potter's School students require a specialized version which can only be found on The Potter's School Support page.

The GatherPlace software is free of charge to Potter's School students.

No.
Please DO NOT sign up for a GatherPlace account!
TPS students will have special TPS accounts created for them before the school year starts.
Please check back the week of Septembet 4th for access to the new Login page where you can auto-configure the GP4 client.
Do not enter any username or password information manually if prompted by GP4.
You can safely close the Preferences dialogue if prompted and continue to the Voice testing if needed.

Windows Platform: Windows 2000 or higher - Supported OS's include Windows 2000, XP and Vista.

Mac Platform: Mac OSX 10.4 or higher.

Linux Platform: Not supported.

Yes. Like Windows XP, you must have administrator rights to install the software.

Yes. There is a GatherPlace version of GP4 for the Mac which is available at The Potter's School Support page.
The minimum requirements are listed above.

Unfortunately we do not have a version of GP4 for the Linux platform and have no plans for developing one at this time.

Yes. You can install the GatherPlace Student Software on as many computers as you would like to.
Make sure to download the software ONLY from The Potter's School Support page.

1. Download the latest version from The Potter's School Support page.
2. The installer will run automatically just after the download is complete.
3. When the disk image opens, drag and drop the GP4 icon on the Applications folder.
4. After the download is complete, open GP4 and test it (see below) to make sure the audio devices and settings are correct.

1. Find the GP4 icon (pictured to the right) on your desktop.
2. Double-click it to run GP4.
3. If you do not have a desktop icon, GP4 should be listed in the Programs list of the Start menu.
4. If you do not have a desktop icon, GP4 should be located in the Applications folder on the Hard drive.
5. You can also click this link to open GP4 (it must be installed on your computer to use this link).
6. We also have a Knowlwdge Base article on opening GP4 here.

1. Open the GP4 application and click the button located just below the menu bar of the GP4 application (on a Mac it is located below the title bar of the application).
2. Click the button in the Tuning Wizard.
3. You will be prompted to click the 'Yes' button when the voice is played through the sound device you would like to use for the classes.
4. On the third test you will be asked to speak. If you are not required to speak for the class(es) you are attending, you can click the Cancel Test button to exit the test.

Note: If you are using a satellite or dial-up Internet connection the playback will sound choppy.
This is normal and is no indication of the sound quality you will experience in an actual class.


5. If you experience any problems with the testing please contact GatherPlace support by using the Support links on The Potter's School Support page.

To participate in Potter's School classes, you will need a headset or speakerphone that can be connected to your PC or Macintosh computer.

While the majority of students use a headset for classes, there are situations where more than one person needs to hear the class material.
In those cases, such as parents listening in to help students later on, a speakerphone is the best option.

There are several type of connectors that headsets and speakerphones use to connect to your computer.
The two types are USB (Universal Serial Bus) and mini-plug.
Mini-plug devices use one or two small round connectors (similar to headphones/earbuds of iPods, MP3 players,etc.) while USB have a single rectangular plug.
[Show me the plugs and ports]

GatherPlace recommends that Potter's School students and teachers use only the USB type of devices for the best overall classroom experience.
The mini-plug type of devices have proven more troublesome in the past and are no longer recommended.

To use a USB device, your computer must have one open USB port available to plug the headset or speakerphone into.
Since most computers manufactured since 1999 have at least one USB port, the chances are good that yours will be equipped with one.

GatherPlace also recommends plugging the USB device into the computer port directly and not into an extra USB port on an iPod dock.
Plugging into an open port on an iPod, or MP3 player dock has caused audio problems in the past.
If you do not have any open USB ports on the computer and have an iPod or MP3 dock connected, unplug it and use that port for the headset in class.
After class you can plug the dock back in and rock on.

Click here to see the difference between USB and Mini-plug connectors and computer ports.

Recommended Headsets

We have only tested a limited number of models and brands to date so our recommendations currently are limited.
At GatherPlace we use both the Plantronics model DSP-500 and Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 headsets.
The Plantronics model DSP-500 has been discontinued and replaced by the Model DSP-550 but may still be available here from the manufacturer.

Price (USD)	Image	Model	Available From
$34		Logitech Premium USB Headset 350	Amazon
$62		Plantronics .Audio 550 DSP Ultimate Performance Headset	Amazon

There is also a comparison available on Amazon that shows these headsets along with a few others here.

In general you can expect to pay $40 - $100 for USB headsets and speakerphones.

Using separate microphones and speakers are no longer recommended
Most classes taught through the Potter's School will require students to speak at some point or another so we recommend getting a USB device, such as a headset or speakerphone, with a microphone included. See the topic above for recommendations.

It is possible but we DO NOT recommend it. A better solution is to use either a USB headset or USB speakerphone.
Prior experience shows that using a USB headset/speakerphone leads to a much better experience over the separate microphone and speakers experience.
You can also use the computer speakers to listen to the class and then put the headset on for the times you need to speak.
See the recommended devices topic listed above.

The UDP error occurs when the GP4 application is blocked by security software such as a firewall, content filter or anti-virus program.

If you are connecting to the Internet from you home using a Cable, DSL, Satellite, Wireless or Dial-up connection, the cause is almost always the security software installed on your computer. We have several articles on how to allow GP4 through some popular firewalls but cannot provide any support beyond those articles. For other firewalls, content filters or anti-virus software please refer to the software documentation or contact the manufacturers technical support staff for assistance in configuring their software.
Click here to view our Knowledge Base article on configuring security software when using GatherPlace.

For students connecting from a corporate location, such as a partents office at work, or those using a VPN connection to a corporate location, the cause is usually the corporate firewall or proxy server.
If that is the case, you will need to contact the IT department of the company you are connecting through and see if they can allow GP4 to communicate to the servers.
The IT staff may need this article for the port numbers and IP addresses used by GatherPlace in order to allow the communication.

The presenter module is required for users to share their screen while in a class and may be required by some teachers and/or classes.

The error occurs when the presenter module fails to install and is usually casused when the user who is logged in does not have administrator rights on the PC.
How can I tell if I'm an administrator?

If the user has administrator rights on the PC, selecting the Load Presenter Module from the Tools menu in GP4 (shown below) should install the presenter module so the user can present their screen while in a class.

The screen may flicker or go black for a few seconds while the module installs. This is normal and is not cause for alarm. If after selecting the option from the menu, the option is no longer available, the module installed successfully.

If the current user does not have administrator rights on the computer, they will have to log out and have a user with administrator rights log in, open GP4 and select the Load Presenter Module option from the Tools menu so the module can be installed.

If the Load Presenter Module option is not available in the Tools menu, or does not install when logged in with administrator rights, please see our article on how to install it manually.

Note: The module only needs to be installed once on a PC for it to be available for all users using the PC.

Please contact GatherPlace support from the Potter's School Support page for questions on other error messages.