TCNJ HelpDesk         

Tech Talk

January 2003

Volume 1 Issue 1
Logging On to Novell:

 

This Fall, Information Technology has been busy upgrading computers to Windows 2000. Windows 2000 requires you to log into the network via Novell. Here are some of the benefits of logging into the network:

Save files to your network drive
It is important to save files to your personal or shared network drives. This ensures your files are safe and protected. If you need the file restored, we can do that for you. It also frees up space on your hard drive. To locate your network drives, double click on the My Computer icon located on your desktop.

Access shared files on network drives
Most departments have a shared folder on a network drive that users can save documents to. The drive is usually referred to as the O: drive and is shared by all users in your department. You can review and edit department files from one location.

Print to network printers
If you are not logged into Novell, you can not print to a network printer. A network printer is a printer that multiple people share.

Log onto lab and multimedia computers
 It is a requirement that you must be logged into Novell with your username in order to use the campus workstations. We just added additional maximum concurrent connections to faculty Novell accounts which means you can be logged into more than one machine at once. (Very convenient if you forget to logout of your office workstation).

Access your files from home
Using the FTP program, you can access any of your network files from off campus. Go to www.tcnj.edu/~nts for information on setting this up.  

 

To set up a Novell account

You should already have an assigned Novell account.  To look up your account information, log on to http://account.tcnj.edu 

or call the Help Desk x2660.

 

 

Internet IQ:
If you were wondering how the internet works, the following answers to some common questions might help. 

Hate Paying the High Fees of Internet Access ?
Use TCNJ as your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

You can create a Dial-Up connection using the numbers provided by TCNJ to dial into the college and access the internet. If this is a local call, it may save you money on internet service.

Requirements:

Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP

Modem installed and setup

Windows Dial-Up Networking installed

Instructions below are for Win 95/98. Similar steps should be followed for Win ME/2000/XP

Dial-Up Phone Numbers -There numbers are local Ewing numbers from Verizon. Combined they can handle a total of 36 simultaneous users.  609-671-9075 or 609-671-1684 

Note: The college is unable to provide any assistance beyond these instructions with regard to setting up your computer at home.

 

Step One: Make a Dial-Up Connection

1.  Open ‘My Computer’

2.  Open ‘Dial-Up Networking’

3.  Open ‘Make New Connection’

4.  Enter 'TCNJ' as the name of the computer you are dialing.

5.  Select your modem and hit Next.

6.  Fill in the Area Code and phone number provided and then Next.

7.  Click on Finish.

Step Two: Use the TCNJ connection to dial in to the college

1.  Open 'My Computer'

2.  Open 'Dial-Up Networking'

3.  Open the TCNJ connection.  Verify the phone number and click on Connect.

4.  The modem will dial into the college and connect.

5.  Your username and password will be verified.  You will see a box pop up confirming that you are connected to TCNJ.

6.  Once you are connected, use your internet browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Netscape) to access the internet.

When you are finished, remember to disconnect

Spotlight

on Security:

Keeping your computer and files secure is an important computing issue and unless you take these steps to ensure your computer is secure, your files may not be safe.

  • Remember to log out of Novell when you are finished using your computer. The easiest way is to simply shutdown the computer.

  • Change your Novell password once a month through SAL. Do not use obvious passwords that can be “guessed”. For example don’t use ‘password’ as your password.

  • Never write your password down and leave it around your workstation.

  • Save your files to your personal network drive (H:). Only you will be able to access them.

  • For Windows 2000 users, when you walk away from your computer lock your workstation. To lock your workstation, use CTRL + ALT + DEL and select Lock Workstation.

Tech Term: What the heck is a 'cookie'?

Cookie: Derived from the UNIX object called magic cookies.

How they work: Each time you visit a web page, a message is sent to your web browser by the site’s server. The browser stores the message in a text file called cookie.txt. The next time you visit the web page, the browser sends the message back to the site’s server.
Pros: Cookies help to identify users when they go to a site they have already been too. Forexample, if you log into a site requiring a username, the next time you go to that site, you will probably notice your username is already put in for you. This is the work of a cookie.
Cons: Cookies take up space on your hard drive. They also might store personal information that you don’t want available to all users. To delete your cookies: Open My Computer, Open C:, Open Windows folder, Open Cookies folder. Select Edit from the menu, select Select All. Hit your Delete button.

Q:  What is the Internet exactly?

Simply put, millions of computers connected together though out the world. The computers communicate with each other by using a protocol, a common language.

Q:  What is a browser?

A browser is a software application used to locate and  display Web pages. The two most popular browsers are Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

 

Q. Is My Online Service the internet?

Not really. Your on-line service 

is a gateway to the internet. There are a variety of ways to access the internet.

Q. Where is all the internet’s information stored?

The information found on the internet is stored in files or documents on other computers. (see question one). The Internet itself does not contain information. It is a 

slight misstatement to say a document was found on the Internet. It would be more correct to say it was found through or using the Internet.

Q:  What is a URL?

URL (uniform resource locator) uniquely identifies what computer the site, document, file or anything you find on the Web is stored on. When you click on a link on a Web page, you send a request to retrieve the unique document identified by that URL.  TCNJ's URL is http://www.tcnj.edu

Create A Vacation Setting for  Email 

It has happened to all of us - We send an email to someone, anxiosly awaiting a reply.  After a few days we call the person to find out he is out for the week!  Don't let your colleagues fall victim to poor email etiquette.  Create a vacation setting.
A vacation setting will automatically send an instant reply back to the sender with your customized message stating you are out of the office. You will still receive the email they sent.


To Create a Vacation Setting:

Go to the mail manager website:

Http://managemail.tcnj.edu

and follow the steps below:

1.  Click on the link Sieve Filter Manager

2.  Log in using your email username and password.

3.  Click on the link Set Vacation

4.  Change Vacation Active? to Yes (note: this will take effect immediately)

5.  In Vacation Text , type in your message.  This is the message that will be sent back to your colleagues when they send you an email message. An example of an appropriate message is along these lines: “I will be out of the office until Jan 15, 2002. All email messages received will be read upon my return.


Please forward all urgent messages to my coworker, Jane Smith smith@collegename.edu, x9999.   Thank you."

6.  Click on the Save Changes button to save your vacation setting.

7.  Click on the Log Out button, to log out of Sieve Filter Manager.

When you are back in the office, don’t forget to turn off the vacation setting.

To Turn off the Vacation Setting:

1.  Follow Steps 1-4 above.

2.  Follow Step 5 above, except change Vacation Active? to No.

3.  Follow steps 7—8 to save your change and logout.

Would you like a question answered in next month’s issue?  Please forward comments questions to helpdesk@tcnj.edu