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| Q: |
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Can I
unplug an office or classroom computer from the network and plug in
another one? |
| A: |
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NO. Unplugging a campus
computer from an outlet violates campus policy; the outlet is a network
port and will be disabled when such a violation is discovered even if
both computers are college-owned. Only authorized personnel may
disconnect computers that are normally connected to the network.
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| Q: |
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What about
college-owned computers on rolling carts? |
| A: |
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Westchester Community College-owned computers on
rolling carts are the same as machines permanently plugged into a
specific jack. Their security is maintained regularly by Computer
Services. They can safely be connected to unused network outlets in
designated classrooms.
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| Q: |
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Can I
connect my Distance Learning laptop to the network? |
| A: |
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Yes, provided that you have brought your laptop into Computer Services in Tec 21Efor certification that it meets security guidelines.
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| Q: |
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Can I
connect a laptop provided to me by my college division or department to
the network? |
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Yes, provided that you have
brought your laptop into Computer Services in Tec 21E for certification
that it meets security guidelines. Computer Services checks and updates
such laptop computers as necessary. Remember that you cannot unplug an
office computer to connect a laptop – even a laptop that has been
certified.
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| Q: |
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Can I
connect my own laptop to a projector without connecting to the network?
I have my own laptop that I use in class, but I connect it only to one
of the school’s projectors. I do not connect it into a network jack nor
into a campus computer such as a SMART Board PC. |
| A: |
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You may connect your own
laptop to a projector so long as you never connect it to a network jack
or a campus computer. You may acquire access to the Internet via Asgard, the college’s wireless network. It is strongly recommended, however, that
to protect your computing environment, that you have your own computer
certified as meeting security guidelines. Computer Services checks and
updates such non-college, faculty-owned laptop computers as necessary.
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| Q: |
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Can I
connect my own laptop to the network? |
| A: |
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You may connect your laptop
to an unused port only if you have brought your laptop into Computer
Services in Tec 25 to be certified as meeting security guidelines.
Computer Services checks and updates such non-college laptop computers
as necessary.
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| Q: |
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How does
this procedure affect Adjunct Faculty? |
| A: |
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As an adjunct faculty
member, you may use your own laptop so long as you do not connect to a
network jack or a campus computer. If you need Internet access for you
presentations, you may use Asgard, the college’s wireless network. Otherwise, your computer must be certified as meeting security
guidelines. Computer Services will check and update your computer. For
the proper procedures and forms, see
Certify Non-Westchester Community College Laptops. Alternatives for Adjunct Faculty: Rather
than use you own equipment, consider bringing your presentations on
removable media USB flash (thumb) drive or CD-ROM. You can then safely use a
college-owned computer and its Internet connection without compromising
security.
As an adjunct faculty member, you may be
permitted to use a college-owned computer that can be transported from
room-to-room on a rolling cart. Check with your department chair or
evening administrator to find out about the availability of such
computers.
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| Q: |
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How
does this procedure affect guest lecturers and other visitors?
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Visitors can use their own
laptops so long as they do not connect to a network outlet or a campus
computer. If visitors need Internet access for their presentations,
their computers must be certified in advance as meeting security
guidelines. Note that Computer Services will not update visitors’
computers.
Alternatives for Visitors: Rather than
use their own equipment, consider having visitors bring their
presentations on removable media such as a ZIP Disk or CD-ROM. Visitors
can then safely use a college-owned computer and its Internet connection
without compromising security.
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| Q: |
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Where do I
go to have my computer certified? |
| A: |
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Distance Learning or division or
department-owned computers: Tec 21E
Full-time or Adjunct, Faculty-owned
computers Tec 25
Visitors’ computers Tec 25
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| Q: |
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How long
does the certification procedure take? |
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The procedure for
certification takes a minimum of half an hour; computers are certified
first-come, first-served. Most certifications, however, will take longer
than half an hour because certification involves the following steps:
- Check the machine for viruses using
stand-alone tool from McAfee, one of the leaders in virus protection
software.
- Verify that all Windows security
updates have been applied to the operating system. If the machine meets
the anti-virus requirements but not the Windows requirements,
technicians will update the operating system and set the machine to look
for further updates automatically.
Users can significantly decrease the time
required for certification by downloading and installing all critical
updates from
http://www.windowsupdate.com.
- Assign a new hostname to the computer
by adding
Westchester Community College at the beginning of the computer name. In some cases, this
may cause the computer not to work on other networks, such as one at
another college or university. Users who experience this problem, should
contact the network administrator of the network on which the computer
does not work to find a solution.
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| Q: |
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How often
does a computer require recertification? |
| A: |
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Any computer used
off-campus – college-owned or personal – must be recertified at least
once a year. In addition, Information Technology may require
recertification at other times if necessary to safeguard the
Westchester Community College data
network.
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| Q: |
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What should
I do before submitting my machine for certification? |
| A: |
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You can expedite
certification by taking the following steps before bringing your
portable computer in to the appropriate location.
- Make sure that you have installed
up-to-date anti-virus software such as McAfee’s VirusScan (the
Westchester Community College
standard) or Symantec Corporation’s Norton Anti-Virus. Up-to-date in
this context means:
- The program installed and running,
checking all e-mail and files on your computer.
- A full-system scan runs at least once a
week.
- Your subscription for the company’s
service is up-to-date.
- You have updated your software with the
latest virus definition (signature or .dat) files.
- Your software is set to check for
updated definition files at least once a week.
- You software is set to repair, delete,
or quarantine any files in which viruses are detected.
- Make sure that your Windows operating
system has all critical updates and patches installed. Microsoft’s Web
site http://www.windowsupdate.com has a facility that checks your
computer automatically and suggests the critical updates that you should
apply.
- When you submit your laptop, be sure
you have the following hardware with you:
- AC adapter and power cord. Machines on
batteries run as slow as half as fast as when using their AC adapters.
- CD-Rom drive. If your portable machine
has an external (detachable) CD-Rom drive, be sure to bring it with you.
The virus scanning routine and possible updates to your machine will
require use of the CD-Rom drive.
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| Q: |
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Where are
wireless access points on the Westchester Community College campus? |
| A: |
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If your portable computing device has a wireless network card, you can connect to the Internet through Asgard, the Westchester Community College data network. Access points cover more than 95% of campus locations.
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| Q: |
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Can I
connect to designated wired jacks in the library? |
| A: |
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Yes. You can connect to the
Internet through a wired jacks at the top of the stairs on the
second-floor of the library. You cannot disconnect a library computer
and connect your own.
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| Q: |
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Are these
connections safe? |
| A: |
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The wireless connections
are as safe as the users who connect to them. If your computer has all
the security patches provided for the operating system and you have an
up-to-date virus scanning program, you can use the connections with
confidence. Anyone who does not practice safe computing is, however, at
the mercy of other unsafe computers. For information on safe computing,
see Help Protect Yourself and Westchester Community College against
Viruses.
Note that Westchester Community College
is not responsible for loss of data or other problems that result from
connecting to the Internet through these wireless access points. Westchester Community College
provides these connections as a convenience to users who require
Internet access through their personal machines but do not require
access to the full resources of
Westchester Community College’s data network.
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