Resources for Working Remotely

William Paterson University Information Technology has several ITwiki articles that will guide you thru utilizing campus resources in the event you need to work from a remote location.

In preparation, you should make sure you have tested your access and your computer equipment.

• Laptop or home desktop computer *if laptop, make sure you have your charger!
• Internet access
• Webcam & microphone (either built-in or external, including headsets) *only needed for voice and video conferencing

Make sure to be prepared! Test your equipment and access to resources in advance, and contact our Helpdesk if you have any questions or issues.

View the Resources for Working Remotely Presentation

The PowerPoint Slides for the 'Resources for Working Remotely' presentations offered by Information Technology are available here.

Resources for Working Remotely

Office 365

Utilize Office 365 web access for your Email, Calendars and OneDrive documents from your computer, tablet or phone. Microsoft Office 365 and access to your email is also available thru WPconnect.

OneDrive

Office 365 also provides access to documents saved in OneDrive. OneDrive is available on the web thru wpunj.edu/365. OneDrive allows you to utilize Microsoft Office 365 Suite of software on the web. You can utilize word, excel, etc, without having it installed on your local machine. OneDrive is available thru a web browser, desktop application and mobile app.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams can be utilized for chat and meetings. Teams is available to all university students, faculty and staff. Teams allows you to communicate with colleagues and students in a variety of forms including chats, video calls, sharing documents, screen sharing and more. You can also schedule online meetings through Teams.

For university-imaged computers, Teams can be installed thru Software Center. It is also available for both download and web version thru http://teams.microsoft.com. A Teams mobile app is also available for download thru the Google Play and iTunes App stores.

For more training on Teams and other Microsoft products, click here .

Zoom

Zoom is available to all university students, faculty and staff. The Zoom platform allows for video calls, screen sharing, and more.

For university-imaged computers, Zoom can be installed thru Software Center. For personal computers, the Zoom download is available through http://www.wpunj.edu/zoom. A Zoom mobile app is also available for download thru the Google Play and iTunes App stores.

WebEx

Cisco WebEx is Cisco’s video conferencing platform. It allows WP employees to make, receive, and schedule video calls and conferences from any device. The university's WebEx portal is available at http://www.wpunj.edu/webex. Additional information can be found on the Webex wiki article.

WPconnect and Banner Access

Most applications, including access to student records, are available thru WPconnect with no need for a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection. The exception is Banner Administrative Pages, which is primarily used by administrative offices.

Best Practices for Secure Online Meetings

As the University moves forward with online classes and meetings, we encourage you to be aware of the following best practices for maintaining safe and secure online sessions as you use Teams, WebEx, and other systems.

• Use Meeting Passwords. Password protections to join meetings are usually enabled by default. We recommend that individuals keep those protections in place to prevent uninvited users from joining meetings.
• Set your meeting options so that only the host can share their screen. This limits who can share content from their screens with the meeting. You can then give control selectively if necessary.
• Send meeting links directly to your invited attendees. And remind them not to share the links or passwords to online courses/meetings on social media.
• Use waiting rooms. This will allow you to verify and approve anyone attempting to gain access to the meeting.
• Lock meetings once everyone has joined. This will prevent unauthorized users from gaining entry while the call is in session.

Additional Tips, Best Practices, and Etiquette for Online Meetings

Visit our Online Collaboration Platforms article for more tips for holding or participating in online meetings.

VPN Required Services

The following services require a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection to utilize them. VPN access requires approval and advance setup. If you require VPN access and have not utilized VPN in the past, please create a ticket on WebHelpDesk Account / Login / Password -> VPN Access – Request for Faculty and Staff Access

Microsoft VPN (MS VPN) for access to K and U drives

New for University Laptops!

In our workshops, we requested that employees utilize the WebVPN for remote access to documents on the K: or U: drives.

We’re pleased to announce that a new VPN service, Microsoft VPN (or MS VPN, for short,) is avalable for use on all university-image Windows 10 and Mac laptops. As these laptops gradually ‘check in’ for updates, the new MS VPN will automatically appear as an option in your network connections.

Please Note: If you are currently using the ‘full’ Cisco AnyConnect VPN client to connect to the campus network, you may continue to do so.

WebVPN for access to K and U drives

WebVPN can be utilized from off campus to access both U and K drive files. Files can be downloaded locally, edited on your local device, and uploaded back to U and K drives respectively.

Voicemail

We recommend setting up voicemail forwarding to email while at WP and on the campus network. If off-campus, a VPN connection will be required for the setup. Voicemail is available on the web - Internet Explorer is required as Flash is required for use and if off-campus a VPN web or Cisco AnyConnect client connection is required as well. You can access your Voicemail Box at wpunj.edu/voicemail as well as set up email notifications when you receive voicemail on campus or remotely using a VPN connection.

If you did not set up voicemail to email while on campus, please submit a Helpdesk ticket and Technology Services will respond to assist with setup.

Please see the Phone and Voicemail System Instructions page for access your voicemail by phone.

Avaya Softphone Client

The Avaya Softphone Client is available, upon Information Technology approval, for offices with critical business functions that require access to campus telephone services, for example, offices that rely on call centers.

The Avaya Softphone Client is available through Software Center on WPUNJ imaged PC’s. If you would like to utilize the softphone from a WPUNJ imaged laptop, you will need to have the feature activated on your extension, as well as have VPN access provided.

• Please submit a Helpdesk ticket using request type Telephone -> Other to request activation of your phone extension for the Avaya Softphone Client.
• To download and utilize the Avaya Softphone Client, you will need to connect to the WP network using the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client (Cisco AnyConnect is already installed on imaged laptops, the Avaya client is found in the Software Center).

Tips for preparing in advance

Duo Multifactor Authentication

If you plan on working remotely, please make sure you have a device registered for Duo Multifactor Authentication that will be available at your location. If you are utilizing the Duo Mobile App, you can generate passcodes while offline. Visit the Duo Device Management console on WPconnect to add additional devices prior to working remotely.

Email access on smartphone or tablets

We have brief articles on both utilizing email on Apple iOS and Android devices. We recommend utilizing the Microsoft Outlook App on both platforms. The native Android mail client does not work with Microsoft Modern Authentication.

Home Use Software for Personal Computers

Both Symantec Endpoint Protection antivirus software and the Office 365 suite are available for download through WPconnect under Employee, Information Technology, Resources, My Home Use Software List or locate the link by entering "My Home Use Software" in the WPconnect search box.

SPSS

If you are utilizing SPSS on a university imaged laptop, it can be used at home without a constant VPN connection by checking out your software in advance. Please follow this article for assistance. Checking out SPSS for home use.