diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/networkTestHelper.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/networkTestHelper.js
index 32f52afec..25d88ca6f 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/networkTestHelper.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/networkTestHelper.js
@@ -1278,7 +1278,11 @@
       $startNetworkTestBtn = $step.find('.start-network-test');
       $foreverNetworkTestBtn = $step.find('.forever-network-test')
 
-      if ($startNetworkTestBtn.length == 0) throw 'no start network test button found in network-test'
+      if ($startNetworkTestBtn.length == 0) {
+        console.log('no start network test button found in network-test. in gear wizard=' + inGearWizard)
+        return
+        //throw 'no start network test button found in network-test. in gear wizard=' + inGearWizard
+      }
 
       $testResults = $step.find('.network-test-results');
       $testScoreAudio = $step.find('.network-test-score-audio');
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTrack.js.jsx.coffee b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTrack.js.jsx.coffee
index 14781ff71..8095b1034 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTrack.js.jsx.coffee
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/react-components/SessionOtherTrack.js.jsx.coffee
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ MixerActions = @MixerActions
     connectionStateClasses[classification] = true
 
     `<div className={componentClasses}>
+      <a className="noAudioHelp">No Audio?</a>
       <div className="disabled-track-overlay" />
       <div className="session-track-contents">
         <div className="name">{this.props.trackName}</div>
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ MixerActions = @MixerActions
     $mute = $root.find('.track-icon-mute')
     $pan  = $root.find('.track-icon-pan')
     $connectionState = $root.find('.track-connection-state')
+    $noAudioHelp = $root.find('.noAudioHelp')
 
     context.JK.interactReactBubble(
       $mute,
@@ -127,6 +129,8 @@ MixerActions = @MixerActions
     ,
       {width:385, positions:['right', 'left'], offsetParent:$root.closest('.screen')})
 
+    context.JK.helpBubblePersist($noAudioHelp, 'no-audio-help', {}, {duration:10000, offsetParent:$root.closest('.screen'), width:385, positions:['bottom','right', 'left', 'top']})
+
     unless this.props.hasMixer
       $mute.on("mouseenter", false)
       $mute.on("mouseleave", false)
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/utils.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/utils.js
index b2ebc4fd3..c59991f5d 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/utils.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/utils.js
@@ -107,6 +107,17 @@
     holder.append(helpText);
     return holder;
   }
+
+  /** same as helpBubble(), but doesnt' go away until the user clicks somewhere */
+  context.JK.helpBubblePersist = function ($element, templateName, data, options) {
+    if(!options) options = {};
+    options['trigger'] = 'none';
+    options['clickAnywhereToClose'] = true
+    options['closeWhenOthersOpen']= true
+    options['persist'] = true
+    context.JK.helpBubble($element, templateName, data, options)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Associates a help bubble on hover (by default) with the specified $element, using jquery.bt.js (BeautyTips)
    * @param $element The element that should show the help when hovered
@@ -122,6 +133,23 @@
       options = {};
     }
 
+
+
+    if(options.persist) {
+
+      var timeout = null;
+      options.postShow = function(container) {
+        context.JK.popExternalLinks($(container))
+      }
+
+      $element.hoverIntent({
+        over: function() {
+          $element.btOn();
+        },
+        out: function() {
+
+        }});
+    }
     $element.on('remove', function() {
       $element.btOff(); // if the element goes away for some reason, get rid of the bubble too
     })
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear/gear_wizard.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear/gear_wizard.js
index 816b561f3..51ab80891 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear/gear_wizard.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear/gear_wizard.js
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@
       $wizardSteps = $dialog.find('.wizard-step');
       $templateSteps = $('#template-ftuesteps');
       var videoGear = $wizardSteps.filter($('.video-gear'))
+      var networkTest = $wizardSteps.filter($('.network-test'))
       wizard = new context.JK.Wizard(app);
 
       stepUnderstandGear.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('[layout-wizard-step=0]')), self);
@@ -222,19 +223,21 @@
       stepConfigureTracks.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('[layout-wizard-step=2]')), self);
       stepConfigureVoiceChat.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('[layout-wizard-step=3]')), self);
       stepDirectMonitoring.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('[layout-wizard-step=4]')), self);
-      stepNetworkTest.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('.network-test')), self);
       stepSuccess.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('.success')), self);
-      
+
+      var dynamicStepCount = 5
       if(videoGear.length) {
         stepVideoGear.initialize(videoGear, self);
-        STEPS[5]=stepVideoGear
-        STEPS[6]=stepNetworkTest
-        STEPS[7]=stepSuccess
-      } else {
-        STEPS[5]=stepNetworkTest
-        STEPS[6]=stepSuccess     
+        STEPS[dynamicStepCount++] = stepVideoGear
       }
-      
+
+      if(networkTest.length) {
+        stepNetworkTest.initialize($wizardSteps.filter($('.network-test')), self);
+        STEPS[dynamicStepCount++] = stepNetworkTest
+      }
+
+      STEPS[dynamicStepCount++]=stepSuccess
+
       wizard.initialize($dialog, $wizardSteps, STEPS);
       events();
     }
diff --git a/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear_utils.js b/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear_utils.js
index d50238724..0b4b6e925 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear_utils.js
+++ b/web/app/assets/javascripts/wizard/gear_utils.js
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@
   }
 
   gearUtils.validNetworkScore = function () {
-    return gearUtils.skippedNetworkTest || context.jamClient.GetNetworkTestScore() >= 2;
+    return !gon.global.network_test_required || gearUtils.skippedNetworkTest || context.jamClient.GetNetworkTestScore() >= 2;
   }
 
   gearUtils.isRestartingAudio = function () {
diff --git a/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/help.css.scss b/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/help.css.scss
index 2e7ca51d6..8e1e75bc3 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/help.css.scss
+++ b/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/help.css.scss
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ body.jam, body.web, .dialog{
         font-weight:bold;
       }
 
+      .no-audio-help {
+        p {margin-bottom:20px !important;}
+      }
+
       .help-musician-score-count {
         .measurement {
 
diff --git a/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/react-components/SessionTrack.css.scss b/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/react-components/SessionTrack.css.scss
index a77016c55..795c80a5a 100644
--- a/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/react-components/SessionTrack.css.scss
+++ b/web/app/assets/stylesheets/client/react-components/SessionTrack.css.scss
@@ -70,6 +70,16 @@
     border-radius: 6px;
   }
 
+  .noAudioHelp {
+    display:none;
+    right:6px;
+    top:6px;
+    position:absolute;
+    color:#fc0;
+    z-index:1000;
+    font-size:12px;
+  }
+
   &.no-mixer, &.no-audio {
     .disabled-track-overlay {
       width: 100%;
@@ -77,6 +87,10 @@
       opacity:0.5;
       z-index:1;
     }
+
+    .noAudioHelp {
+      display:block;
+    }
   }
 
 
diff --git a/web/app/views/clients/_help.html.slim b/web/app/views/clients/_help.html.slim
index d5bef7834..4440cd476 100644
--- a/web/app/views/clients/_help.html.slim
+++ b/web/app/views/clients/_help.html.slim
@@ -377,4 +377,12 @@ script type="text/template" id="template-help-vid-record-chat-input"
 
 script type="text/template" id="template-help-first-time-jamtrack-web-player"
   .first-time-jamtrack-web-player
-    | Create custom mixes to mute parts, slow down playback, etc.
\ No newline at end of file
+    | Create custom mixes to mute parts, slow down playback, etc.
+
+script type="text/template" id="template-help-no-audio-help"
+  .no-audio-help
+    p A remote musician will appear grayed out if you are not receiving streaming audio from them.
+
+    p Usually audio streaming just works, but in some cases router configurations do not allow audio streams to reach your computer.
+
+    p This article <a href="https://jamkazam.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1716139-what-to-do-if-you-cannot-pass-the-network-test" rel="external">describes how you can configure your router</a> to allow the streamed audio to get through to you.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/web/app/views/clients/wizard/gear/_gear_wizard.html.haml b/web/app/views/clients/wizard/gear/_gear_wizard.html.haml
index 4f8f9ab87..3c9781aad 100644
--- a/web/app/views/clients/wizard/gear/_gear_wizard.html.haml
+++ b/web/app/views/clients/wizard/gear/_gear_wizard.html.haml
@@ -157,11 +157,11 @@
         .ftuesteps
         .clearall
         = render :partial => '/clients/wizard/gear/video_gear'
-
-    .wizard-step.network-test{ 'layout-wizard-step' => "#{step+=1}", 'dialog-title' =>  "Test Router & Network", 'dialog-purpose' => "TestRouterNetwork" }
-      .ftuesteps
-      .clearall
-      = render :partial => '/clients/network_test'
+    -if (Rails.application.config.network_test_required)
+      .wizard-step.network-test{ 'layout-wizard-step' => "#{step+=1}", 'dialog-title' =>  "Test Router & Network", 'dialog-purpose' => "TestRouterNetwork" }
+        .ftuesteps
+        .clearall
+        = render :partial => '/clients/network_test'
 
     .wizard-step.success{ 'layout-wizard-step' => "#{step+=1}", 'dialog-title' =>  "Success!", 'dialog-purpose' => "Success" }
       .ftuesteps
@@ -211,8 +211,9 @@
     -if (Rails.application.config.video_available && Rails.application.config.video_available!="none") 
       %a.ftue-stepnumber{'data-step-number' => step+=1}=step+1
       .ftue-step-title Select Video Gear
-    %a.ftue-stepnumber{'data-step-number' => step+=1}=step+1
-    .ftue-step-title Test Router & Network
+    -if (Rails.application.config.network_test_required)
+      %a.ftue-stepnumber{'data-step-number' => step+=1}=step+1
+      .ftue-step-title Test Router & Network
     %a.ftue-stepnumber{'data-step-number' => step+=1}=step+1
     .ftue-step-title Success!
 
diff --git a/web/config/application.rb b/web/config/application.rb
index e6c93d40b..8a22c19b7 100644
--- a/web/config/application.rb
+++ b/web/config/application.rb
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ if defined?(Bundler)
     # we have to do this for a while until all www.jamkazam.com cookies are gone,
     # and only .jamkazam.com cookies are around.. 2016?
     config.middleware.insert_before "ActionDispatch::Cookies", "Middlewares::ClearDuplicatedSession"
-
+    config.network_test_required = false
     # how long should the frontend wait for the IO to stabilize before asking for a IO score?
     config.ftue_io_wait_time = 10
     # what should the threshold be for us to say, 'this person can't play at this rate' during the network test
diff --git a/web/config/initializers/gon.rb b/web/config/initializers/gon.rb
index 50651d0e5..24a9e8606 100644
--- a/web/config/initializers/gon.rb
+++ b/web/config/initializers/gon.rb
@@ -24,4 +24,5 @@ Gon.global.bugsnag_key = Rails.application.config.bugsnag_key
 Gon.global.bugsnag_notify_release_stages = Rails.application.config.bugsnag_notify_release_stages
 Gon.global.vst_enabled = Rails.application.config.vst_enabled
 Gon.global.chat_opened_by_default = Rails.application.config.chat_opened_by_default
+Gon.global.network_test_required = Rails.application.config.network_test_required
 Gon.global.env = Rails.env