This article is intended as a resource for organizations configuring their setup to support successful video visits.
For a more technical version written for IT professionals, please review our Healthcare IT: Preparing for Telemedicine article.
For a list of compatible devices, browsers, and connection suggestions that a patient may use as a reference, please review the Device Compatibility article.
Please note, the recommendations in this and other articles are not necessarily minimum requirements. In most cases existing equipment can work and we can help you test and verify during your organization's implementation.
Mend Technical Recommendations
This article addresses the following topics:
- Internet Service Provider
- Video Visit Bandwidth Requirements & Recommendations
- WiFi Internet Connectivity
- Computer Hardware
- Computer Software and Applications
- Resource Optimization Mode
- Firewall
- Security
Internet Service Provider
We recommend a DSL or cable modem connection. Use speedtest.net or Google speed test to make sure there is plenty of upload & download speed. Video sessions can consume a constant 1.1 Mbps upload speed and 1.1 Mbps download speed for each video participant. Lesser connections around 300 Kbps can work, but are not optimal.
Video Visit Bandwidth Requirements & Recommendations
One-on-One Video Visit:
- Video: 300 kbps per stream (recommended lowest level)
- Audio: 50 kbps per stream (recommended lowest level)
Group Video Visit Mobile:
Users | Minimum Required Bandwidth
5 | 800Kbps
10 | 1.05Mbps
20 | 1.55Mbps
Users | Recommended Required Bandwidth
5 | 1.6Mbps
10 | 2.1Mbps
20 | 3.1Mbps
Group Video Visit Desktop:
Users | Minimum Required Bandwidth
5 | 1.8Mbps
10 | 3.3Mbps
20 | 6.6Mbps
Users | Recommended Required Bandwidth
5 | 3.6Mbps
10 | 6.6Mbps
20 | 13.2Mbps
WiFi Internet Connectivity
Your WiFi connection must be fast enough to support streaming video. Move your computer to the location in which you will be doing video visits, and test the connection using the link below:
https://portal.mendfamily.com/test
All the tests should pass and the internet quality should be medium or better.
You may also use this test to assess throughput: https://test.webrtc.org/
After running the test, look at the throughput section at the bottom of the page. Throughput should be green (not red or yellow).
There are two WiFi frequency bands in the United States: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Most modern access points support both bands. 5GHz WiFi networks can have higher throughput and tend to have less interference, but they are easily blocked by walls or other obstructions. If you have a weak signal at 5GHz, try switching to a 2.4GHz network for a more reliable connection. If you are close to the WiFi access point, 5GHz may give better performance.
Computer Hardware
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or i7
- RAM: 8GB (minimum)
- 13” screen (minimum)
- 780p or better front facing camera
To check the resources of your computer press Ctrl+ Alt + Delete (Windows) and review the Task Manager or search for Activity Monitor (Mac). These tools will let you know if you have enough processing power. Ideally, the CPU and memory usage should be below 50%.
Computer Software and Applications
- Windows 7, 8.1, 10, 11 / Mac OS X
- Latest version of Google Chrome
Recent updates to the Google Chrome web browser include the AV1 Encoder that is specifically optimized for video conferencing with WebRTC integration.
The benefits of AV1 include:
- Better compression efficiency than other types of video encoding, reducing bandwidth consumption and improving visual quality
- Enabling video for users on very low bandwidth networks (offering video at 30kbps and lower)
- Significant screen sharing efficiency improvements
To check for Google Chrome updates, please follow the instructions in this external resource.
Resource Optimization Mode
For users with limited bandwidth, hardware, or software resources, we recommend using Resource Optimization Mode. This setting is specifically designed for devices with limited CPU, RAM, or internet connectivity to optimize resource consumption for a successful telehealth connection. In most cases, Resource Optimization Mode is set automatically if low resources are detected in the pre-call test.
To manually enable Resource Optimization Mode from within a video visit, tap the cog icon to open the "Settings" window. Switch the Resource Optimization Mode toggle to the ON position.
Firewall
Minimum Requirement: The minimum Requirement is that TCP port 443 is open. Some firewall/proxy rules only allow for SSL traffic over port 443. You will need to make sure that non-web traffic can also pass over this port.
Better Experience: In addition to the minimum requirements being met, we also recommend that UDP port 3478 is open.
Best Experience: For the best possible experience, we recommend that UDP ports 1025 - 65535 be open.
You will need to have the following URLs and IP addresses whitelisted:
https://ap-northeast-1.nettest.testrtc.com
"74.201.205.0/25",
"72.251.224.0/25",
"72.251.228.0/25",
"95.172.84.0/25",
"117.20.41.128/25",
"52.41.63.240/28",
"52.200.60.16/28",
"52.51.63.16/28",
"54.250.250.208/28",
"52.65.127.192/27",
"52.66.255.192/27",
"54.89.253.64/28",
"35.158.127.224/28",
"34.218.216.144/28",
"13.251.158.0/28",
"52.213.63.176/28",
"99.80.88.240/28",
"3.123.12.128/28",
"34.223.51.192/27",
"34.223.51.224/27",
"3.214.145.96/27",
"3.234.232.160/27",
"34.222.66.96/28",
"99.79.160.16/28",
"18.202.216.0/28",
"18.139.118.176/28",
"3.248.234.48/28",
"44.232.236.96/27",
"3.127.48.224/28",
"3.248.243.144/28",
"3.234.248.80/28",
"3.248.244.96/27",
"18.156.18.0/27",
"18.180.159.224/27",
"18.141.165.128/27",
"3.7.161.0/27",
"3.7.161.48/28",
"18.179.48.208/28",
"3.25.48.192/28",
"18.157.71.112/28",
"3.235.255.176/28",
"44.234.90.64/28",
"15.228.1.16/28",
"54.69.125.241/32",
"168.100.64.0/18"
Security
Ensure that your computer is configured according your practice’s HIPAA privacy and security policies and procedures.