How to Use Teamspeak

Start the TeamSpeak app. Once the installation is complete, start TeamSpeak for the first time. Before connecting to a server, you will need to configure TeamSpeak for optimal quality from your headset and speakers.

Start the Setup Wizard. If you have never run TeamSpeak before, the Setup Wizard will appear when you start the program for the first time. If you’ve used TeamSpeak before, you can turn on the Setup Wizard by clicking Settings → Setup Wizard.

Create a nickname. This is the name displayed to other users as well as administrators of the TeamSpeak server you are connected to. Your nickname is not a username, and has no impact on user accounts or security. Your nickname is simply your display name. Enter a name and click Next > to continue.

• You should set a nickname that is the same or nearly the same as your in-game username. This will help your teammates recognize you and make communication easier for everyone on the team.

Choose your microphone trigger settings. There are two ways to activate the microphone so you can talk: Voice Activation Detection (VAD) and Push-to-Talk (PTT). VAD automatically activates your microphone when it detects a sound. PTT requires you to set up a hotkey to activate the microphone while holding the key.

• Most TeamSpeak servers prefer users to use PTT to prevent random broadcasts or background noise. Using PTT will make for a better experience for both you and your teammates, although it requires you to remember to press the button.

Set up hotkeys. Once you select the PTT, click the “No Hotkey Assigned” field. The next key or button you press becomes your PTT button. You can use any key on your keyboard or any button on your mouse. Make sure that the key you choose does not conflict with any key you will use in the game.

Set microphone sensitivity. If you choose VAD, you will need to set the microphone sensitivity. This will create a volume threshold that you will need to cross before the microphone will start broadcasting. Press the Begin Test button to start the calibration process. Drag the slider as you speak to set the level at which the microphone will activate.

Create hotkeys that mute the microphone (Microphone Mute) and mute the speaker (Speaker Mute). These keys will allow you to mute the microphone or speaker as required. Microphone mute is useful when you’re using a VAD, as you can mute the microphone if the room is too noisy.

• Click each button and then press the key combination you want to assign the function. Click the Next > button when you are satisfied with your selection.

Select a sound pack. TeamSpeak will notify when users join or leave the channel, as well as notify you when someone “pokes” you. You can choose to announce in a male or female voice. You can listen to each announcement by pressing the Play button.

Decide if you want to enable layering or volume control functions. On this page you can add a few features to your TeamSpeak program. Overlay lets you access the TeamSpeak interface above your current program, so you can see who’s talking. This feature is especially useful in large groups. Volume Control (Vpume Contrp) automatically lowers the game’s volume when a teammate talks, useful for noisy games or people playing music games.

• The Overlay feature requires a few extra resources, and may not be a viable option when you’ve struggled to get the game up and running.

Complete the installation. On the final page of the Setup Wizard, you’ll have the option to open a public server list, a bookmark manager, and rent your own server. At this point, the installation is complete and you are ready to connect to a TeamSpeak server. See the next section to connect to your team’s server, or the last section to run one of your own.

Open the Connect window. Click Connections → Connect to open the Connect window. You can also press the Ctrl + S button to quickly open the window. This window allows you to enter server information.

• Alternatively, you can click on the TeamSpeak links on the website to automatically launch the TeamSpeak application and connect to the server.

Enter the requested information. You will need to enter the channel address, which can be a name or an IP address. Make sure you’ve entered the server’s port as well, indicated by a “:” followed by a port number. If the server asks for a password, you’ll have to enter it in the “Server Password” field. You can choose different profiles to keep your hotkeys and microphone settings, but you may not need to change these right now.

• The nickname displayed will be the nickname you requested. If this name is already in use by someone else on the server, you will have to change it.
• You can usually find information about the TeamSpeak server on your team’s page or forum. Ask another member if you can’t find it.

Press the Connect button. TeamSpeak will make a connection to the server, and you will see the main window start displaying information. You can check the connection status in the status pane at the bottom of the window.

Browse for servers. On the left side of the window, you will see a list of channels on the server. Channels may be password protected, and you may need to be granted access by an administrator. A list of users will be displayed below each channel.

• Most large playgroups will have servers divided into channels for the different games the group plays, along with a section for veteran players only if the group is quite large. The server settings will vary quite a bit between groups.
• Double click on the channel to join. You will only be able to talk to users on the same channel as you.

Chat in writing with others. In addition to voice chat, each channel also features basic text chat. You can access it by clicking the tab at the bottom of the window. Avoid putting important, time-sensitive information or commands in the text chat, as many users won’t see it in the game.

Bookmark frequently used servers. If you plan to connect to a server you use often, you can make connecting easier by marking it. This allows you to connect in the future with just one click. If you are currently connected to a server, click Bookmarks → Add to Bookmarks to add the current server to the bookmarks list.

• If you want to add a server that you are not currently connected to, click Bookmarks → Manage Bookmarks to add the server manually.

Download the server software. TeamSpeak is free for anyone to use for non-profit purposes, such as gaming groups. You can run the server on your own or on rental servers with support for up to 32 people, or run on dedicated rental servers with support for up to 512 people. If you need a larger server than that, you will have to rent one from TeamSpeak.

• You can find the server software in the Downloads section of the TeamSpeak website. Make sure you upload the correct version for the operating system you installed on the server. The files will be downloaded as compressed files.
• You will need to agree to the license agreement before proceeding with the download.

Decompression. The file you download is compressed and contains many different files. Unzip so you can use the files inside. Unzip to a place you can easily access, for example on the desktop.

Start the server. Run the application from the folder you unzipped. You will see some files and folders created, and then a window will appear with some important information. You should see the machine administrator’s username, password, and privilege key.

• Copy these values into a blank Notepad document. You can click the button next to each value to copy it to the clipboard.
• The server is now ready to operate. You will need to connect to the server to configure it.

Connect to the server. Open up your TeamSpeak app. Open the Connect menu and enter localhost in the address bar. Change the nickname to whatever you like, and make sure the server password is blank. Press the Connect button.

Confirm the server admin rights. When you connect to the server for the first time, you will be prompted to enter the privileged key that you copied to Notepad. This will allow you to change the server’s configuration and give permissions to other users. After entering the key, a server administrator icon will appear next to your name in the list.

Configure your server. Right-click the server name at the top of the channel list. Select “Edit Virtual Server” from the menu that appears. A window will open, allowing you to customize your server. You have various options to help you make your server more like “yours”.

• In the Server Name field, enter your server name. Usually this name is based on the name of your playgroup.
• Set a password for your server in the Password field. This helps ensure that only people you allow access to the server. Use your forum or private message to provide passwords to the people you want them to connect with.
• In the Welcome Message field, you can write a short message that displays to the user each time they connect. Use it to link to your group’s latest posts or important forum topics.

Custom additions. Press the button &# 9660; More at the bottom of the “Manage Virtual Server” window to see more in-depth options. These options will allow you to fine-tune how the server works. The most important is the Hosts tab.

• In the Host tab, you can place an image of the server’s banner that all users will see. You can also create a Host button that will appear in the upper right corner. A lot of hosts use this button to direct users to the team site.

Create channels. If your team has a variety of interests, you may want to create multiple channels to help keep everyone on topic for the upcoming game. For example, if your group mainly plays two games, you can create a channel for each game, as well as a shared “room” channel. When everyone joins the game, they can switch to the appropriate channel, and when resting between games, they can use the shared lounge and not disturb others playing.

• To create channels, right-click the server name in the channel tree and then click “Create Channel”. You can set a channel name, description, password, as well as channel permanence and classification for the channel.
• You can create subchannels within channels, which is useful for large groups.
• The Permissions tab allows you to set what level of permissions a user needs to perform various actions.

Open the ports. While most clients can connect to your server, opening a few ports can ensure that most people can connect without problems. Go to your router settings, and open the following ports: UDP 9987 & TCP 30033. UDP 9987 helps to allow incoming connections, while TCP 30033 allows for easier file transfers. between users.