Technical and network requirements

Summary

LingoQuesto is a web application. There’s nothing to install on devices: there is no desktop app and no native phone app.

To use it, you need four things:

• an up-to-date browser;
• a microphone and audio output;
• a connection that allows HTTPS and WebSocket over port 443;
• access to the domains listed in this document.

Browsers and devices

Platform	Compatibility
Chrome and Edge on desktop	Compatible. They are the reference environment.
Firefox on desktop	Compatible.
Safari on macOS	Compatible.
iPad	Compatible, for teachers and students.
Phones	The interface adapts and students can practice from a phone. We recommend testing it with the institution’s devices before rolling it out widely.
Internet Explorer	Not compatible.

Supported versions are the current versions of each browser, meaning the ones its vendor maintains with security updates. No plug-ins or extensions are used.

As for hardware, any device that runs one of those browsers well and has a microphone and audio output is enough. The camera is not used: the platform explicitly keeps it disabled.

Microphone and audio

Practice is spoken, so the microphone is the requirement most worth checking before the first class.

• Browser permission. The first time the student records, the browser asks for permission to use the microphone, and the student must accept it.
• Managed devices. In labs and on devices with group policies, the microphone is often blocked. It must be allowed for app.lingoquesto.com.
• Microphone. Any microphone the operating system recognizes works: the device’s built-in one, a USB one or the one on a headset.
• Headsets. In classrooms where several people practice at the same time, we recommend headsets with a microphone, so voices and the tutor’s audio don’t mix.
• Inside an LMS. If the platform opens embedded in the LMS, the browser only provides the microphone when the LMS allows it. The recommended setup is for the link to open LingoQuesto in a new tab.

Network

All traffic is encrypted over port 443.

• WebSocket. The conversation uses a WebSocket connection. The proxy or content filter must not block it or close it for inactivity.
• Upload. Audio is compressed on the device before it is sent and takes about 1 MB per recorded minute. A classroom with 30 students practicing at the same time needs on the order of 4 Mbps of sustained upload, in addition to normal browsing.

On institutional networks, the bottleneck is usually upload rather than download. That’s the figure worth confirming with your internet provider.

Domains to allow

These are the domains a teacher’s or student’s browser contacts.

Required

Domain	Used for
app.lingoquesto.com	The application
api-base.lingoquesto.com	API and sign-in
realtime.lingoquesto.com	Real-time conversation (WebSocket)
nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com lq-storage-prod.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com lq-storage-prod.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com	Uploading and playing audio and images
fonts.googleapis.com fonts.gstatic.com	Fonts
accounts.google.com login.microsoftonline.com	Sign-in with Google or Microsoft, if used

If the filter supports wildcards, *.digitaloceanspaces.com covers the three storage domains.

Recommended

Without them the platform works, but it looks incomplete.

Domain	Used for
api.iconify.design	Some icons
api.dicebear.com	Tutor avatar in the conversation
images.unsplash.com images.pexels.com	Activity and course covers
client.crisp.chat *.crisp.chat	Support chat

Depending on the integration

Domain	When
lti.lingoquesto.com	If the institution signs in from its LMS through LTI

You don’t need to allow any artificial intelligence provider. The browser never connects to them: all communication goes through LingoQuesto’s servers.

IT checklist

1. The required domains are allowed in the firewall and the content filter.
2. The proxy doesn’t block or close WebSocket connections over port 443.
3. The microphone is allowed for app.lingoquesto.com on managed devices.
4. The lab devices have an up-to-date browser.
5. Upload bandwidth is enough for the number of students practicing at the same time.
6. Someone completed a full practice from an institution device and network before the first class.