Spark Technology Requirements
Everything a device needs before a session runs on it: the device itself, a supported browser, enough bandwidth, and the domains your school’s network has to let through. The last part is the one that stalls schools, so if you’re handing this page to someone, hand it to your district IT team - they own the network filter.
Devices
Supported:
- Desktops
- Chromebooks
- Most other laptops
- iPads on iOS 17 or later, with a separate keyboard attached
Not supported:
- Android tablets
Online Braintrust Tutoring sessions need a desktop or laptop. iPads work for in-person sessions but not for online ones.
Browsers
On Windows or macOS, use one of these:
| Browser | Minimum version |
|---|---|
| Chrome or Edge (Chromium) | 115+ (recommended) |
| Firefox | 115+ |
| Safari | 16+ |
Network Speed
- Download: at least 5 Mb/s
- Upload: at least 4 Mb/s
Test from the network the sessions will actually run on, not from a phone hotspot or a teacher’s home connection. Run it during a busy period if you can - a school network that passes at 7 a.m. can fail at 10 a.m. Wired connections hold up better than wifi. Test at speedtest.net.
Domains for IT to Allow
Every domain below needs to be reachable, and the Braintrust and CDN domains also need audio and video permitted.
Braintrust Platform
*.braintrusttutors.comwww.braintrusttutors.comlearn.braintrusttutors.comapi.braintrusttutors.comContent Delivery
*.braintrust-cdn.comprod-*.braintrust-cdn.comprod-content.braintrust-cdn.comprod-assets-cdn.braintrust-cdn.comprod-profile-pictures.braintrust-cdn.comprod-evaluations-media.braintrust-cdn.comFile Uploads and Monitoring
prod-use1-bt-client-file-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com*.lrkt-in.comlrkt-in.com is a performance and debugging tool. It’s what lets the Braintrust team see what actually happened when a session goes wrong, so blocking it makes support slower.
Curriculum Assets
Braintrust curriculum materials live on Google Docs and Canva. Both students and instructors load them during sessions.
*.google.comdocs.google.comwww.google.comaccounts.google.com*.canva.comwww.canva.commedia-private.canva.comEmail Delivery
Spark sends sign-in links, session notices, and report email from Braintrust. A district mail filter that drops those messages fails silently - the platform shows the mail as sent, and the instructor or family never sees it. Ask IT to allow both:
- Email domain:
braintrusttutors.com - Platform sender:
BraintrustMail@braintrusttutors.com
@braintrusttutors.comBraintrustMail@braintrusttutors.comAllowing the domain covers mail from staff; the platform sender is the address every automated Spark message comes from, so it needs its own entry in filters that match on the full address.
Lessonspace Firewall Rules
Lessonspace is the virtual classroom used for online Braintrust Tutoring sessions. Skip this section if your school only runs in-person Spark sessions - see In the Session: Lessonspace Basics.
Video traffic. Allow UDP ports 30000-65000 for these hosts. If you know which region your spaces use, that one region is enough, but allowing all six is the safer call:
ue2-video.firewall.room.shuw2-video.firewall.room.shew2-video.firewall.room.shaf1-video.firewall.room.shase2-video.firewall.room.shas1-video.firewall.room.shTURN servers. Allow TCP and UDP on ports 443 and 3478, and turn off any Layer 7 filtering or traffic inspection on this host:
turn.firewall.room.shCo-browsing.
*.hyperbeam.com*.hiperbeam.comClever Sign-In Setup
If your students sign in with Clever, the district has to authorize a data sharing connection with Braintrust Tutors before the tutoring start date. Sign-in fails without it, and it isn’t something an instructor can fix on the day.
- Request the connection from your Clever district dashboard.
- Follow Clever’s guide, Sharing Permissions: Sharing data with new applications.
- Confirm the connection is live before the first session.
See Supporting Your Students for how sign-in works from the student’s side.
Equipment for Every Session
- Headphones with a microphone for each student. Required for both in-person and online sessions.
- One device per student. Students don’t share a screen for Spark work.
- School wifi access for in-person instructors. Arrange this with the school before your first day, not on it.
After IT Updates the Filter
Run Check Your Technology from a student device on the school network. A passing test from your own laptop on a different network proves nothing about the room the session happens in.
Still blocked after the filter change? Email the Braintrust Tech Support Team at tech@braintrusttutors.com with which domains failed - that list is most of the diagnosis.