Frequently-Asked Questions
Who do I contact if I'm having a problem using the VisionNet system?
If you are having technical problems with VisionNet:

Please call 281-961-0690.  You will normally receive a response during the same business day.

If you have questions regarding your account login credentials, account activation, forgotten passwords or requests for changes in your camera access, please contact your childcare provider.
What is VisionNet?

The VisionNet system is a state-of-the-art system of cameras, servers, and software designed to provide real-time streaming video feeds over the Internet.  Many systems in the marketplace make use of pre-recorded images and/or snapshots that are saved in time-stamped files on hard drives as archives.  Those archives are then made available for viewing through a web browser or specialized client application.  The images that appear in your web browser when using the VisionNet system are "live" and "in color".  What you see is a real-time video feed of whatever is happening at the time and is not pre-recorded.
Why has my childcare provider chosen to provide the VisionNet service?
Your childcare provider understands how important it is to give you peace of mind.  They understand how difficult it is for a parent to leave their child/children with any childcare provider.  The VisionNet system represents yet another way your childcare provider can demonstrate an absolute "open door" policy to you.
Is the VisionNet system secure?

The VisionNet system is extremely secure.  Access to the system is accomplished through an authentication process that requires the use of a Username and Password that are unique to you.  This information is kept in a database on a secure server at the VNet-Systems facility and is not directly accessible outside that facility.  You are only allowed access to the childcare facility where you registered and only to those classrooms where your child/children are enrolled.  Any rooms at the childcare facility that are designated by the facility's director as having "common access" (i.e. the Cafeteria) are accessible to everyone who is authorized to view children at that facility.  In addition, we do not make use of "persistent cookies" as part of the authentication process.  That's why you don't see a "Remember My Password" check box on the login screen.  Since persistent cookies would allow anyone using your computer to access the VisionNet system, we view their use as a security risk.  We instead make use of session-based cookies that automatically time out after 10 minutes.
What about my privacy?
VNet-Systems does not make your registration information available to anyone but your childcare provider, period.

What Steps are involved in the registration process?

1. You register for VisionNet account access.
2. A staff person at your childcare provider's facility with authorization to do so assigns your room access and activates your account.
3. Alternately, a VNet-Systems employee may assign rooms and activate your account.  To do this, we would contact the center's director by phone to verify your child's enrollment at the facility and determine which class(es) you are entitled to access.  We would then make the classroom assignment(s) and activate your account.

Once I register, how long will it take for my VisionNet account access to be approved?
It normally takes around 24 hours from the time you register for your account to be activated.  The exception to this occurs when a an ex-husband/wife, relative, or non-family member who is not the child's legal guardian registers for a VisionNet account.  In that event, the child's legal guardian must be contacted to approve access for the ex-husband/wife, relative, or non-family member.  Please do not contact VNet-Systems regarding account activation as we do not maintain enrollment information regarding your child/children.
Can grandparents or other relatives get VisionNet access?
Yes, grandparents or any other family member that you authorize can get VisionNet access.  You may also invite non-family members to acquire access.  You should notify your childcare provider in advance of their registration to avoid delays in getting their account activated.  VNet-Systems relies on the enrollment data at your childcare provider's facility to verify and provide access rights to registrants.  Anyone not listed as a legal guardian of the child must be verified with the child's legal guardian as someone who should have VisionNet access prior to account activation.  If we do not recieve verification from a legal guardian, account access will not be granted.
Do I need any special hardware or software in order to use the VisionNet system?
You need a web browser that is Java-enabled, perferably Microsoft Internet Explorer.  If you're running Microsoft Internet Explorer, it needs to be version 6.x or higher.  We recommend Internet Explorer 6.x as this is the latest and most up-to-date product release.  Some Windows XP and Windows XP Professional users will have do download a Java runtime environment in order to use the VisionNet system if they have not done so already.
Can I use VisionNet from any computer system?
Yes.  You can access VisionNet from any computer, anywhere, at any time as long as your web browser meets the requirements mentioned above and you have an accessible Internet connection.
Can I use VisionNet from my office computer?
In most cases, the answer to this question is Yes.  The ability to do so is highly dependent on IT (Information Technology) security standards implemented by your employer's IT organization.  Tight corporate computing security and/or strict network bandwidth restrictions can block the normal operation of the VisionNet system.  There are corporate computing environments in place at some companies that will not allow VisionNet access. This is normally the result of filtering implemented by the company's "firewall" mechanism and is intended to reduce the security risks associated with potentially malicious files, email, and programs.  Contact VNet-Systems or have your IT department contact us for specific questions/answers regarding this issue.
Sometime the video motion is fast and sometimes it's slow.  Why is this?
The single answer to this question is network bandwidth (network speed).  For every person connecting to the VisionNet system there are several factors that contribute to the speed of motion the user will see. They are:
1. The speed of the network the user is connected to.
2. The speed of the network at the childcare provider's facility.
3. The speed (or amount of traffic) of the wide-area network connection between the user's network connection and the childcare facility's network connection.
4. The number of people logged on to the VisionNet system simultaneously.
5. The speed of the user's computer and video card.

Slowdowns can result from high traffic at any point along the network path.  You'll most often find that network speed is noticably reduced at certain times of the day. (i.e. early morning, 1 hour before lunch, right after nap time)  At other times (i.e. during lunch) network usage usually drops off substantially and the system responds quite well.  Network speed is affected by general Internet traffic as well.  If your connection is dial-up, your connection will always be slow.  Though useable, VNet-Systems does not recommend the use of dial-up connections.

When I try to log in to the VisionNet system, I get the following error message:

 Your VisionNet account is awaiting approval.
Once you've registered to use the VisionNet system, your account must be approved for access by a user administrator at the childcare facility you registered for.  This may take up to 24 hours from the time you registered depending on the schedule the user administrator uses to check for new registrants in the system.  If it's been more than 24 hours since you've registered and you are still getting the error message shown above, please call the childcare facility directly to inquire about your account activation.  VNet-Systems personnel are not authorized to activate an account unless specifically requested to do so by the user administrator of the childcare facility as VNet-Systems does not have direct access to child enrollment information.
When I try to log in to the VisionNet system, I get the following message in the area where the video should be displayed:

Kernel is so old, update it.
This is a generic error message that can only appear if the Java runtime from Sun Microsystems is installed.  There are several issues that can cause the message to appear:
1.  Having the Sun Java runtime installed AND the Microsoft VM installed AND having both enabled at the same time.
2.  Loggin into the Internet through a proxy server; the proxy server is probably blocking responses being sent to your machine from the VisionNet system.
3.  Communications errors on the network the computer in use is attached to.
4.  Attempting to access the VisionNet system while logged in to a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Who is VNet-Systems?
VNet-Systems is the company that has designed the VisionNet system.  VNet-Systems is both owned and run by Kevin Hargrove.  Kevin is responsible for both the technical design and actual implementation of the VisionNet system.  He's spent the last 25 years heavily involved in the design and implementation of very large hardware and software systems.  He's worked for companies such as Oracle Corporation, NCube Corporation, and Siebel Systems.  He's been involved with companies such as General Dynamics, LTV, Northrop, Lockheed, Bell Helicopter, NASA, Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, Amoco, Schlumberger, and Texaco and has participated in just about every type of software and/or hardware implementation you might imagine.  Kevin and his wife Amy are also the owners of the Kids R Kids #5 School of Quality Learning located in Spring, Texas.
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