Category Archives: TechNews

Improvements to On-Campus Internet Service

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wifi-icon-newsletterEarlier this month, Simmons Technology upgraded the College’s Internet connection in order to improve your experience on both the wired and wireless networks.

This upgrade insulates the College from the types of recent outages caused by off-campus service interruptions and provides greater flexibility at a lower cost.

More importantly for you, the upgrade also doubled our bandwidth, which means that you should see faster connection speeds and improved performance when streaming video or using collaborative tools like Google Hangouts and Skype.

Easy Access to WiFi at Colleges Nationwide

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Simmons College has recently joined Eduroam, a network of more than 175 colleges across the country that provide access to their WiFi networks for guests from participating schools.

Whether you’re on another school’s campus in Boston (including Wentworth, MassArt, MCPHS, BU, and more) or traveling across the country for a conference, you’ll have WiFi access at partner schools. To use this service, choose eduroam from the list of available networks, then log in with your Simmons email address ([email protected]) and your Simmons password.

You can find out more on the Eduroam website, and get support from theService Desk.

The MISO Survey: Our Services, Your Perspective

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During the Spring 2014 semester, Simmons College was among 40 schools participating in the Measuring Information Service Outcomes (MISO) survey, an anonymous poll that assesses student, faculty, and staff perceptions of library and technology services and support.

We’re pleased to report that our customers have a positive overall view of the many services and support avenues Simmons Technology provides. In fact, more than 90% of students and staff expressed satisfaction with overall technology services at Simmons. In addition, more than 85% of all respondents said that the Service Desk and our support of personal computing equipment and classroom technology met their needs. Many of our web-based initiatives also received high marks, including Moodle, AARC, the Service Desk website, and Google Apps. This is especially encouraging because of the significant transformation and expansion of services and support that has occurred over the last three years.

Of course, the MISO responses also identified some areas where we need to continue working to more appropriately allocate resources and to improve how we communicate and deliver services and support. We take this feedback seriously and we will be proactive in addressing it. In fact, we recently improved the speed of our WiFI network—a concern voiced by student respondents to MISO—by implementing a large-scale upgrade that increases the bandwidth available on campus. Through projects like these, we will continue working to provide an optimal environment for teaching and learning with technology.

Accessing Technology Services During Summer Break

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Congratulations! Spring semester is over and you can (maybe? hopefully?) relax a bit and enjoy the beautiful weather Boston has to offer this time of year.

Whether you’re on campus, off campus, or halfway around the world this summer, you can access many technology services from wherever you are.

Phone, Online, and In-Person Support

Service Desk: open for phone support Monday-Friday from 7:30am – 5:30pm.

Technology Support Center: located in LEF-331 and open for walk-ins Monday-Friday from 8:00am – 6:00pm.

Technology Desk: located on the first floor of Lefavour Hall in Beatley Library and open Monday-Thursday from 8:00am – 6:00pm, and on Fridays from 8:00am – 5:30pm.

If you need help during the evening or on the weekend, or if you’d rather not pick up the phone, then take a look at the revamped Service Desk websitewhere you can find answers to many common questions, access technology services, and submit a support request online.

Web-based Technology Services
Remember, you can access your email, calendar, Google docs, Moodle, AARC, and more from anywhere you have an Internet connection.

VPN
If you need to access technology services that are only available from the on-campus network, you can tap into them remotely by using VPN. To access VPN, go to vpn.simmons.edu. For more information on how to use VPN,click here.

Introducing Virtualized Computers to the Library

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vdi_libraryIn an effort to improve the overall performance of computers in Beatley Library, Technology will be replacing 20 Windows computers on the first floor of the library with virtualized computers this summer.

Virtualization is a process that shifts the behind-the-scenes tasks a stand-alone computer performs to a powerful, centralized computer called a server. The shift in resources reduces the traditional issues that slow down stand-alone computers and improves login times.

When you use these computers, you’ll notice only small changes. The login screen will look slightly different, but you will still use your Simmons username and password to access the computer. Once you’re logged in, the desktop should look the same as it does now, and you’ll have access to the software you currently use, as well as your storage space on the Y drive.

If you have any questions about these computers, you can ask the technicians at the nearby Technology Desk, or contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.

What To Do When You’ve Been Hacked

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When using our computers, tablets, and phones, we all want them—to quote an old Apple slogan—to just work. And usually, they do. Between built-in monitoring tools, antivirus software, and other security checks, devices hum along without our having to give them much thought. But what happens when that’s not the case? What do you do when you think your data, or the device itself, might be compromised?

Signs of a Problem

There are a few telltale signs that your device has been compromised, including:

  • A dramatic decline in performance (crashes, slowly loading applications)
  • An alert from your antivirus software that malicious files or software have been detected on your device
  • New applications, accounts, or other changes to your device that you didn’t make
  • Unusual requests to install new software or software updates for applications you didn’t install and/or requests to make system-level changes to your device
  • An increase in the number of pop-up/pop-under ads in your browser, a change in your browser’s homepage, or automatic redirects to sites you haven’t visited previously

Fixing the Problem

If you suspect your device has been compromised, take action as soon as possible.

  • Begin by backing up any important files to an external hard drive or a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.
  • Next, use a different computer or device to change your passwords for email, banking, and any other secure services you have accessed from the compromised device.
  • Follow any instructions (if provided) by your antivirus software. Often, malicious files and applications can be quarantined and removed by antivirus software.
  • Contact the Service Desk (617-521-2222) so we can have a technician provide additional guidance and confirm that your device is free from malicious files or software.

Remember, if you’re in doubt about any of these steps, you can contact the Service Desk to speak with a technician.