Keeping Current with IT
What students need to know about IT services at Notre Dame
While computer literacy increases with each new incoming class, technology also marches at a progressively faster pace. Computers, gadgets and software that were new and exciting only 18 months ago often seem a little outdated today.
The same is true for the Notre Dame central IT services, such as email and file sharing that have become an integral part of student life, and the infrastructure that supports those services.
That’s why over the past couple of years the Office of Information Technologies (commonly known as the OIT) has been busy making major upgrades to the IT systems that power Notre Dame.
For example, those students with wireless-ready laptops will discover Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the campus. No need to plug in to connect to the campus network. Access class information, connect to the Hesburgh Library resources, check with your professors or browse the Web through the air.
Of course, computers still work better over wired networks. And the OIT networking crew recently upgraded the network switches in all of the Notre Dame residence halls. All residence hall rooms have Ethernet jacks for speedy network connections to the campus network and out to the public Internet.
Beginning in May 2004, the campus pathway to the Internet is comprised of redundant optical-fiber links between the Notre Dame campus and one of the major global Internet access hubs in the Chicago area. The capacity of this optical link can be increased as demand increases.
A major upgrade to Notre Dame’s central email system has resulted in a highly reliable service that’s accessible via what we call WebMail. Once you have your NetID and password, you can access your email through a Web browser from any Internet-connected computer on the planet.
Yes, there are spam and computer security issues that confront every Notre Dame computer user—most every computer user in the world, for that matter. And while each person who connects to the campus network is responsible for taking charge of his or her own computer security, the OIT employs technologies that filter out spam and inspect messages for suspicious file attachments that may contain malicious programs, such as viruses, worms or Trojan horses.
To keep your computer free of these troublesome critters, Notre Dame provides antivirus software that students, staff and faculty can download for free from the OIT Website.
One way to help guard against security vulnerabilities is to keep your computer’s operating system and applications up to date, a particularly important ritual for Microsoft Windows users. The OIT provides an automated Windows update service. Sign up for it.
What type of computer should you bring to campus?
Check out the OIT’s recommendations. Generally, laptops are best because they’re portable and take up less room in a student’s room. Macintosh laptop or a Windows PC laptop? That’s up to you. But you’ll need one of the recommended operating systems, Windows XP Professional or Macintosh OS X, for example.
A good place to buy a new laptop PC, printers and computer accessories is Notre Dame’s on-campus computer store, the Solutions Center. If you order your computer from the Solutions Center before July 15, 2004, the Solutions Center can ship it directly to your home. You’ll have it in hand before coming to campus in the fall.
Even the most tech savvy students sometimes need a little help with their computers. Students who live in Notre Dame residence halls can call on the ResNet (Residential Network) staff to dispatch a technician to the troubled student’s room. Or students and other members of the Notre Dame community can call the OIT Help Desk at (574) 631-8111.
And if your computer goes dysfunctional on you or otherwise dies, you can take it to the Solutions Center service department. The technicians there will fix it on site, send it to the manufacturer for repair or advise you that coffee that your roommate poured on your keyboard made its way to the circuit boards and pretty much fried everything.
Next to email, shared file storage on Notre Dame servers is probably one of the most popular IT services at Notre Dame. There are different ways to access shared file storage, but the easiest way is via WebFile. Check it out, and learn how you can use WebFile to access course information, store private files and share access to files with other Notre Dame people.
Simply click on the “Get Started” tab on the OIT home page for information on all of the other Notre Dame IT services.
And please, do email or call the Help Desk at (574) 631-8111 with questions on IT services or the Solutions Center Computer Store (toll free) at (877) 561-7477 concerning equipment purchases or recommendations.