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Self Help IT Tips Before & During Christmas Break

Author: Lenette Votava

ND Pennant in Christmas Tree

Here are some valuable IT tips to help you prepare for the holiday break, and what you can do in case you have an IT question or issue while you’re away.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

 
Let People Know You Are On Christmas Break

Before you leave for Christmas break, don't forget to set up a new voicemail message on your VoIP phone and automatic reply on your ND email. It's easy to customize your messages to remind those who try to contact you over the holiday break that you are away from the office. Instructions are available on enabling an alternate greeting as your voicemail message and automatic reply on your ND Gmail account while out of the office.

Traveling? Plan Ahead For Using Two Step Login

For those traveling over the holidays, be sure to take one of your devices configured for two step login. By doing so, you will be able to login to email and other ND services while away. This is especially important if you will be traveling to areas outside of the United States where you may not have cell service. You can find more top traveling tips in this knowledge article.

WHILE YOU’RE AWAY

 
Accessing Notre Dame Resources From Off-Campus

When accessing Notre Dame services away from campus, you may be required to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) . The VPN provides a secure connection to data in resources such as Banner, Business Objects, GLEZ, CIF Reporting and Advance. If you have already installed the software on your device, go to the ND VPN to access the auto-configuration utility and connect to the ND VPN. Otherwise, you must download and install the software before you can connect to the VPN.

Check Your Voicemail From Off Campus

Remember, you can check your voicemail two convenient ways:

  • Configure your voicemail to deliver your voicemail messages to your email inbox via Cisco Unified Messaging. The message will arrive in your inbox as a .wav file which can be played from most computers and mobile devices. See instructions for details.
  • Listen to your voicemail from off-campus. Just dial 574-634-7474 to get into the campus voicemail system, and follow these instructions. You will need to know your voicemail PIN for your VoIP phone.

If you have forgotten your voicemail PIN, you can change it by going to voicemail web portal. Login with your NetID and password, then click on “Settings,” “Passwords,” and “Change PIN.”

Did You Get A New Mobile Device or Computer for Christmas?

Before you replace your smartphone or tablet, make sure you have enrolled at least two options to use for two step authentication. You can review all the options for Okta in this knowledge article.

NOTE: If you only have Okta Verify or Google Authenticator enrolled, these services will need to be re-enrolled on the new device. You’ll need to enroll a different method—such as SMS (text message) or Voice Call BEFORE you activate the new device.

If Santa brings you a new cell phone or tablet, you'll need to re-enroll Okta Verify or Google Authenticator for this new device at okta.nd.edu. Instructions are available in this knowledge article.

Did you get a new computer for Christmas? If so, be sure it has antivirus software installed on it. If not, ND provides free antivirus software for Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Once installed, keep it up-to-date. Note: Install only one antivirus application to prevent conflicts.

Tips for Safely Gathering Together Using Zoom

SInce COVID-19 is still on the rise, it is difficult to gather with family and friends in person over the holidays. Another idea is to consider gathering over Zoom for fun social activities. Find out more about these activities and how you can host them in this knowledge article.

IT Questions or Issues During Christmas Break

If you do have a question or run into an issue during Christmas break, you’ll find information and solutions documented in the self-service ServiceNow knowledge base. There are also some additional tools available to keep you updated on IT service status:

If you still need assistance, you can contact the OIT Help Desk at any of the options listed below, and a Help Desk representative will respond to you when the office reopens on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. (Be sure to include details about the problem, including a date, time, operating system, exact error message and related reports.)