Troubleshooting: Timer & Speaker Controls

T5

Timer not starting automatically when advancing the presentation

Symptom: You advance to the next presentation, but the stage timer stays at 00:00 or keeps showing the previous time.

Cause: The timer only starts automatically if the session has a duration set. If the duration field is empty or zero, the timer doesn't know how long to count down.

Fix

1. Go to the dashboard → event → room → sessions list.
2. Find the session that's not starting the timer and click Edit.
3. Set a duration in minutes (e.g., 20 for a 20-minute talk).
4. Save. Advance to that session again — the timer will start automatically.

Manual override: From Timer Control, you can manually set any time and press Start at any moment, even if no duration is set. Use this as a fallback during the event.

T6

Timer shows wrong time or is frozen

Symptom: Timer Display shows a time that doesn't match, or the countdown is not moving.

Common causes

• Timer Display tab lost connection — the browser tab may have disconnected. Reload it (F5). It reconnects and syncs instantly.
• Timer was paused accidentally — open Timer Control and check if it shows "Paused". Press Resume.
• Clock drift on the display device — if the device has an incorrect system clock, the timer may appear out of sync. Sync the system time.
• Multiple Timer Control tabs open — if two Timer Control tabs are open on different devices, they may send conflicting commands. Close all but one.

Hard reset: In Timer Control → press Stop → set the correct time manually → press Start. All Timer Display screens resync immediately.

T7

Speaker Desk shows wrong speaker name

Symptom: The podium display (Speaker Desk) shows the name of a previous speaker, or shows "—" instead of the current name.

Causes and fixes

• Session not advanced in the dashboard — the Speaker Desk reflects whichever session is currently "active" in the room. Go to the dashboard and click the arrow to advance to the correct session.
• Speaker name missing — edit the session and verify the speaker name field is filled in. Empty names show as a dash.
• Speaker Desk Display tab disconnected — reload the browser tab (F5). It pulls the current name immediately.
• Wrong room open in dashboard — make sure you are controlling the correct room. Each room has its own active session.

Prevention: Before the event, run through the session list and confirm every session has the speaker's name filled in correctly.

T11

Speaker wants to present from their personal laptop

Scenario: A speaker arrives with their own laptop and connects it to the projector. You need the timer, Speaker Desk, and Door Display to still update correctly.

Solution — use the "Personal Laptop" button

1. In the dashboard → open the room → find the current session.
2. Click the "Personal Laptop" button for that session.
3. The platform will immediately: start the timer, update the Speaker Desk name, and mark the session as active on Door Display.
4. Connect the speaker's laptop to the projector as usual.

After the session ends: Advance to the next session normally. Everything returns to automatic mode for presentations in the system.

Tip: Pre-identify which speakers plan to use personal laptops. Ask the organizer to flag these sessions in the schedule — avoids scrambling during the event.