A server receives a user device request from a user device to connect to a video conference. The server authenticates the user device request to access the video conference. The server and user device perform a plurality of data exchanges between the server and user device in order to configure a video conference connection according to a set of user device capabilities and account permissions. The server defaults to a predefined configuration connection state when a failure of the data exchanges is detected in order to provide the user device with a minimum connection state to the video conference. The server connects the user device to the video conference in accordance with the configuration state determined by the server.