Getting started with Zoom Rooms

Zoom Rooms is a software-based room system that provides an integrated experience for audio conferencing, wireless screen sharing, and video conferencing. Zoom Rooms can be used for room-only attendees, or remote attendees joining from another room, from their desktop, or from their mobile device.

Each room requires, at minimum, a Zoom Rooms Appliance, iPad, macOS, or Windows computer that runs the Zoom Rooms software. Unless you using a touch device, the room will also need a Zoom Rooms controller, which could be a purpose built controller, iPad, Android tablet, or windows attached usb controller running the Zoom Rooms Controller software. Additional equipment can include TV displays, speakers, cameras, microphones, and an additional controller device that operates as a Zoom Rooms Scheduling Display. Devices can be enrolled in Zoom Device Management to provide additional remote management from the Zoom web portal.

This article covers:

• Licensing
• How to prepare for your Zoom Room setup
• How to set up Zoom Rooms
  • Set up your hardware in the conference room
  • Configure optimal iPadOS settings for iPad Zoom Rooms Controllers
  • Set up your Zoom Rooms software
• How to use the Zoom Rooms controller
• Additional resources

Prerequisites for setting up Zoom Rooms

• Zoom Rooms license
• Role with access to Zoom Rooms on the web portal

Licensing

To deploy a full Zoom Room, your account must include Zoom Room licenses or a free 30-day trial of Zoom Rooms. You can purchase Zoom Rooms licenses at Zoom Rooms or by Contacting Sales.

For testing purposes, you can deploy a test Zoom Room setup that will allow you to start a test meeting or join a meeting (with limited functionality). A test Zoom Room does not require a Zoom Rooms license.

Review the specifics of Zoom Room types and licensing requirements if you have further questions. 

How to prepare for your Zoom Room setup

Take advantage of Zoom Workspace Designer and view our library of Zoom Room design concepts to get some inspiration when planning your Zoom Rooms deployment.

1. Design your room with the table layout that best fits your needs:
   • See samples from Innovant, Haworth, Paul Downs, Salamander or UrbenTech
2. Check room readiness for furniture, power, network, and conduit cabling.
3. Consider if Zoom Device Management is right for your organization. 
4. Acquire hardware with the necessary system requirements. 
5. Prepare your wired or wireless network and configure your firewall and/or web proxy server for Zoom services in general and Zoom Rooms in particular:
   • If your Zoom Room controller is using wireless networking and your Zoom Room appliance or computer is using wired networking (recommended), ensure that the Wireless network subnet can reach your wired network subnet; if not, either make the necessary network changes or consider a wired networking adapter for your controller.
   • If you intend to use Apple Screen Mirroring, configure your firewall and Zoom Rooms PC for Airplay.
6. Add or identify users on the Zoom web portal who can manage Zoom Rooms. These users must be assigned a user role with the Zoom Rooms administration privilege.
7. Add a Zoom Rooms from the Web Portal or the Zoom Rooms Controller. You can also remotely test your Zoom Room setup using the web-based controller.
8. Add your Google or Microsoft calendar system for integration with Zoom Rooms:
   • Google Calendar, Office 365, Exchange 2016/13, Exchange 2010 and Exchange 2007.

How to set up Zoom Rooms

Set up your hardware in the conference room

If you purchased a Zoom Rooms Appliance or PC kit, consult your vendor documentation for additional instructions. But also consider the following generic, high-level steps:

• Mount the TV, Zoom Rooms Appliance/PC/Mac, and any external peripherals (e.g. USB Camera).
• Connect the TV, network connection and any peripherals (camera, microphone, speakers) to the Zoom Rooms Appliance, PC or Mac.
• Connect to the network for the Zoom Rooms controller.
• Turn on the Zoom Rooms Appliance/PC/Mac and Zoom Rooms controller.
• If using a ZR appliance or PC kit, and purpose-built controller, go through the out of box experience wizard and select Zoom Rooms mode, if prompted.
• If using a generic PC or Mac, install the Zoom Rooms software from https://zoom.us/download. You may also wish to configure automatic OS login for Zoom Rooms.
• If using an iPad or consumer Android tablet, install the Zoom Rooms Controller software from the relevant app store.
• Note the Pairing Code shown on the Zoom Rooms display and enter it on the Zoom Rooms controller to pair them. Next, sign in to the Zoom Room, e.g. with an Activation Code, to complete the setup.
• Choose the default camera, microphone, speaker, and volume levels from the Zoom Room controller settings menu.
• Setup alerts and monitor in your dashboard.

Don't forget to upgrade the firmware of your TV, camera, audio components and Zoom Rooms Appliance to ensure the best experience.

Your Zoom Rooms Appliance, PC kit and/or purpose built controller may also have a Zoom Rooms or Zoom Rooms Controller application update available right away - check in Zoom Device Management.

Configure optimal iPadOS settings for iPad Zoom Rooms Controllers

When setting up an iPad Zoom Rooms controller, you should configure iPadOS settings for kiosk operation.

Set up your Zoom Rooms software

• Download Zoom Rooms for Conference Room and install on your macOS or Windows computer.
• Download Controllers for Zoom Rooms and install on your iOS Controller and Scheduling Display, or Android Controller, or Windows Controller.
• For Zoom Rooms, use Pairing Code for quick setup, and an Activation Code to complete setup.
• Choose the default Camera, Microphone, Speaker, and Volume levels. 
• Setup alerts and monitor in your dashboard.

How to use the Zoom Rooms controller

After setup, use the buttons on the left-side panel of the controller user interface. Some features may not be available on all platforms.

Home:  Start scheduled meetings as the host, start an instant meeting, join a meeting using the meeting ID or personal link name, call a H.323/SIP device, or display on-screen instructions to start screen sharing.

Phone: Call a phone number using Zoom Phone. To use this feature, you must assign a Zoom Phone license to the room.

Contacts: View contacts and start an instant meeting.

• Only internal contacts (users and rooms) are shown in the room controller. 
• By default, your Zoom contacts directory contains internal users in the same organization, who are either on the same account or who's email address uses the same domain as yours. You can manage contacts to change this.
• You can restrict a user from appearing in the room's contacts list by creating a restricted or private IM group, and adding all contacts except for the Zoom Room you do not wish to appear.

Settings: View settings for the room, such as changing audio/video devices.

Reboot: Administrators have two options when initiating a reboot from a Zoom Room controller: reboot the controller they are currently using, or reboot all the room's display(s), controller(s) and scheduling display(s) at once.

Additional resources

• Consult with Zoom Rooms Professional Services.
• Learn about additional Zoom Rooms features. 

*For those that have configured Zoom Rooms prior to November 1, 2015, you can still apply your paid licenses to configure additional rooms.