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The situation with COVID-19 affects not only the private lives of people and their families but also the business, excluding the possibility of face-to-face communication. Many individuals and companies are forced to adapt to work and communicate remotely.
Jitsi is an open-source web conferencing tool designed to help businesses of all sizes collaborate across teams via video conferencing in real-time. Key features of the platform include dial-in, simulcasting, call recording, screen sharing, and scalable video coding among others. Jitsi Meet is absolutely perfect and the best alternative to Zoom. Zoom Meet has been in news for its security issues and alleged Chinese government data hacking issues. Also, with this sentiment of banning any product remotely related to China or data being hacked by China, there must be a alternative as good or better than it!
Thus video conferencing got a high-level demand. One of the key players in this market is Zoom video conferencing software. However, there are multiple claims regarding Zoom security, confidentiality and data privacy. As a result, people are looking for alternatives that can be privately hosted. That's why Jitsi Meet open source video conferencing tool is gaining more and more popularity, as it can be installed at the preferred local cloud provider or on-premise.
Why Jitsi?
The key advantages of using Jitsi video conferencing:
- Open-source solution provided for free and with a wide community support
- Installation in one click and easy setup
- User-friendly process of arranging video and audio calls, as well as multi-meeting rooms
- High level of privacy and security due to deployment inside isolated containers with encrypted traffic
- A wide choice of service providers across different countries to host the application locally
- Support of all available clients (Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android)
In this article we'll share the details of how to get Jitsi up and running with Jelastic PaaS in order to achieve full control over your data, secure hosting in local datacenter and meet no need in manual installation with complex maintenance. Follow the steps below and get your own self-hosted video conferencing application in minutes.
Jitsi Installation
1. Sign in Jelastic dashboard and start the installation by importing the appropriate manifest file from GitHub.
Once the installation is completed the successful window appears with credentials of the video conferencing host (administrator).
2. Click on Jitsi Server URL or Open in Browser button to get access to the video conferencing admin panel.
SSL CERTIFICATEDepending on Hosting Service Provider, the platform secures application traffic either with a valid SSL certificate or test intermediate certificates ('Fake LE Intermediate X1') SSL certificate. In case the Fake certificate was issued, it is suitable for evaluation or testing purposes only. In other case, you can keep going with the valid certificate the platform issued for your environment or you may bind a custom domain and obtain a valid SSL Certificate for it. Follow our tutorial in the Bind Custom Domain section below.
ENCRYPTION
For 1-to-1 meetings audio and video are always encrypted using DTLS-SRTP all the way from the sender to the receiver. In the case of multiparty meetings all audio and video traffic is still encrypted on the network. Data is decrypted while traversing videobridge, but it is never stored to any persistent storage and only live in memory while being routed to other participants in the meeting. Also, since we are running a private instance inside the isolated container, it is under your full control and no third party can access it.
3. Use a meeting name generator to avoid possible coincidences or create your own one e.g. MyPrivateMeeting and click on GO. Then press I am the host button and enter credentials you got upon Jitsi installation to become the video conferencing service administrator.
The meeting appears once the first participant joins it by the URL and it is destroyed right as the last participant has left it. So, if necessary to maintain some room with a specific meeting all the time there should stay at least one participant. Otherwise, if someone joins the same meeting room again, a brand new meeting is created with the same name and there will be no connection with the previous meeting.
Jitsi can be used to run multiple meetings at a time with a limitation of 75 clients connected per meeting. By default, Jitsi server in Jelastic has enough resource capacity to handle a heavy load, but if necessary you can scale it vertically on-the-fly.
4. The next step is to secure your meeting with a password to ensure that somebody uninvited can reach it even in case of coincidence of the names.
Tarance office chair. Now your meeting is ready to accept connections from the users you shared the link to, just don't forget to send invitations to them with the meeting's Link and Password.
Remember that the password is reset once the meeting has left by all the participants. So, while joining a new meeting in the same room, note that the password should be set up once again.
Extra Functionality
Jitsi attracts also with some unique features available in one application:
- YouTube sharing allows playing video from YouTube to all the participants.
- Sart live stream - allows to stream audio and video via Youtube.
- Start recording - provides an ability to record meetings as mp4 video files and automatically save them to the /root/.jitsi-meet-cfg/jibri/recordings folder of the Jitsi container.
- Share a YouTube video - allows playing video from YouTube to all the meeting participants.
- Blur my background - detects the speaker's body and displays it with no distortion but blurs the background surrounding it.
In addition, you can Share your screen using the button in the left bottom side of the application panel. It allows you to broadcast screen to all participants:
- Whole computer screen
- Window of a specific application
- Specific web browser tab
Bind Custom Domain
Now your Jitsi server is available by platform's domain generated upon installation with the test fake certificates. It is enough to get it to work for developing or testing purposes. But for the production, you definitely need to have your own domain available for your video conferencing server.
1. Bind a custom domain name to your Jitsi server via A Record or CNAME. It's a mandatory requirement. You can find provided IP address in the environment topology as follows.
2. Then generate valid Let's Encrypt SSL certificates. To do this open the Add-Ons tab, find Domain Configuration Add-On and click on Change.
3. Specify your custom domain name in the popup window and apply the changes in order to initiate the certificate generation procedure.
Once it is completed the success window appears.
Now your video conferencing server is ready to serve requests under a new custom domain name with a valid Let's Encrypt SSL certificate that is automatically renewed.
Jitsi Upgrade
Jitsi is a continuously developed project that regularly releases new versions with optimizations, fixes, security updates, etc. Obviously, you want to keep your Jitsi instance up-to-date to benefit on the latest features. So, let's see how you can painlessly upgrade your existing Jitsi environment at Jelastic PaaS.
1. Click Import at the top of the dashboard and switch to the JPS tab within the opened window. Copy the Jitsi package manifest from GitHub and paste it into the frame.
To set your password for the Jitsi admin user, substitute the ${fn.password} variable (on the 23rd line) with the required value.
2. Click Import and install as a regular Jitsi package (i.e. as described above).
3. In order to keep the previously bounded public IP, you can swap addresses between old and new environments using either Jelastic CLI or API.
4. After swapping IPs, you need to reinstall Let's Encrypt certificate for the new installation, which can be done through the pre-installed Domain Configuration add-on. Click Change and specify your custom domain in the opened frame.
5. Ensure that your new Jitsi instance works as intended on the specified custom domain name and with a valid Let's Encrypt SSL certificate.
6. If everything works fine, you can remove your 'old' environment.
That's all! You've successfully upgraded your Jitsi instance to the latest available version.
Special Offer from Jelastic Partners
In order to support you during tough times of lockdown, Jelastic with a number of service providers gives a free Jitsi hosting within special offerings:
- CloudJiffy provides two months of free hosting for Jitsi and Rocketchat within regions in Germany and the USA
- Hosteur gives two months of free Jitsi hosting across their data centers in Switzerland and France
- SaveInCloud, service provider from Latin America, offers 20 days free hosting of Jitsi within their data centers in Brazil
Launch your own secure, simple and scalable communication service with Jitsi hosted on a preferable Jelastic service provider.
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What Is Jitsi and Is it More Secure Than Zoom?
Working from home is quickly becoming the rule instead of the exception. In order to maintain growth in today's world, businesses must learn how to continue operations online — which includes implementing and using a reliable video conferencing platform.
Currently, Zoom is the belle of the ball for video conferencing. However, if you want to shop around a bit more before committing to a video conferencing platform, here are a few free and paid options to consider.
This article will outline the best Zoom alternatives for online video conferencing.
- Free Zoom Alternatives
- Paid Zoom Alternatives
Get online fast with our cheap, reliable Shared Hosting plans.
Free Zoom Alternatives
If you have a small team, consider the below free Zoom alternatives for your video conferencing needs. Each platform will give you basic video conferencing capabilities and allow a decent amount of participants to join the video call. Though limited, each free option is perfect for teams who only need basically collaboration features to keep the train on the tracks.
Google Hangouts
If you and those you need to meet with have a personal Google account, you can use Google Hangouts video chat. You can access the Google Hangouts meeting through your browser or on your mobile device via the Google Hangouts app. The platform also allows you to share your screen with those present on the call. Of note, Google will soon be phasing out Google Hangouts and replacing it with Google Meet for all users.
Skype
An old favorite is still a reliable option for clear video conferencing. With Skype, you can host a video call with up to 50 people, record your calls, share your screen and enable live captions. Similar to Google Hangouts, you can access Skype through your browser, through the desktop software, or by downloading the mobile app.
Discord
Jitsi Meet Versus Zoom
The up-and-coming communication platform is also great for video conferencing. In addition to user-friendly chat and file sharing environment Discord presents, if you only have 9 people on your team, you can use the platform to video conference as well. The video conferencing feature also allows you to screen share and record the meeting. You can access Discord in your browser, through the desktop software (Windows only), or by downloading the mobile app.
Jitsi Vs Zoom
Webex
Usually associated with paid, enterprise plans, Webex has a great free option for video conferencing. You can have meetings with up to 100 people with no time limit and sharing features — including their interactive whiteboard. You can access Webex through your browser or the mobile app.
RingCentral
A messaging and video conferencing platform in one, RingCentral allows you to collaborate with your team via desktop and mobile. The free version allows you to meet with up to 100 participants, screen share, annotate, use the whiteboard feature and more.
Jitsi Meet
Like Google Meet and Zoom video conferencing, you can easily create a Jitsi meeting in your browser without installing additional software or browser extensions. Also, Jitsi Meet doesn't require an account to use any of its ever-growing features like screen share, group chat, collaborative document editing, and more
Paid Zoom Alternatives
For larger teams, more storage, or other elevated features, you may need to look into a paid option for your video conferencing needs. The below paid video conferencing platforms are good alternatives to Zoom's paid features. Also, similar to the free platforms, each option allows browser, desktop, and/or mobile access.
Google Meet
Soon to replace video conferencing for Google's personal account users, Google Meet is the video conferencing platform provided to enterprise G Suite users. Video calls are encrypted and the meeting host can easily create a video call link through a feature in their Google Calendar. Even better, participants (e.g. clients) who have access to the video call link can access the meeting without the need to sign in or create an account. War thunder sale times.
Zoom Versus Jitsi
Microsoft Teams
With a Microsoft business plan, you can enjoy their video conference solution Microsoft Teams. The powerful platform can host a meeting or web conference for up to 10,000 people — allowing your organization to take large events online. Also, because it is a Microsoft product, you will be able to enjoy full integration with other Microsoft products like Word and PowerPoint.
Zoho
If your organization wants more features for webinars and other online training, Zoho is a great alternative to Zoom. In addition to industry-standard video conference features seen with enterprise-level plans, Zoho's webinar features include participant registration, webinar analytics, Polls, Q&A, and more.
Additional Resource For Working From Home
Jitsi Vs. Zoom
If you're new to working from home, settling in and positioning your organization for online success may seem overwhelming. However, getting into the swing of working online is much easier than it seems — and we're here to help! Below are additional resources that will help you master working from home so you can continue to grow your business.
Jitsi Zoom Skype
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