Telecommuting Resources

Technologies, resources, and services to help you succeed in the event that you need to work remotely.

Almost all services you access for daily tasks within a web browser work the same wherever you are. Some of these include:

Working remotely doesn’t mean working in isolation. �� offers several methods to communicate and collaborate with coworkers:

In order to work remotely you will need a quiet, distraction-free workspace. You will also need:

High speed internet access. �� has a very fast internet connection but your performance in accessing campus resources will be limited by your connection speed.
Electricity.
An �� issued laptop.
Peripherals such as mouse, keyboard and web camera.

If you do not have an ��-issued laptop or need a peripheral please contact the ITS Help Desk at x2880 or via email.

Some resources that are normally accessed exclusively on campus are available remotely using these tools:

If your primary work computer is an �� laptop you take home, the Fortinet VPN is your best option for accessing the campus network. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) securely connects your laptop to the �� network and allows work to occur largely as it would normally. Your connection speed will be slower since you aren’t on campus, but you will be able to use any application that accesses �� servers. To access the VPN, follow our instructions to install on a , , , or . All �� computers will have Fortinet pre-installed.
If your primary work computer is an �� Windows desktop or if you only need Banner , the Parallels Remote Access Server is your best option for accessing the campus network.
Parallels will allow you to remotely use your Windows desktop, access Banner, or work directly with Office files on your G and H drives.
Forwarding your campus phone allows you to receive calls made to your �� phone remotely. Voicemails are also automatically sent to your email so you can check those as well. If you have already left campus and need your phone forwarded, please contact the ITS Help Desk and we can assist.

While almost anything you do via a computer can be done remotely, some work cannot be performed off campus.

Printing, copying, faxing, and scanning off campus will require a personal device at home. You should be able to connect your �� computer to your personal printer. Note that you can print to an �� printer from home if someone is in the office to collect the printout for you.
If you have processes that rely on paper you will either need to move to an electronic method or take all necessary papers home.

Depending on the devices you have and the resources you need to access, you may need to reconfigure your remote setup.

If all you need to do your job is an internet browser to access Google, My��, and other web-based resources, then you don’t need any special tools. You can work from anywhere.
If you need to access Banner, it is available off-campus via Parallels. Take your laptop home, borrow a laptop from ITS, or install Parallels on a personal device to access Banner.
If you are normally a Windows desktop user who needs access to departmental applications like PowerFAIDs or Mainsaver, use Parallels Remote Desktop or the VPN to connect to your workstation. If you don’t have a loaner laptop, you can get one from ITS. In either case, all your applications will be installed and you will be able to work normally. You may find Parallels or the VPN to be faster from your home connection–use whichever one you prefer.
If you are a Mac or Windows laptop user who needs access to campus servers or file sharing, you can use the VPN to connect from your �� issued laptop. If you are accessing large data files or making complicated queries, you may find it faster to use Office within Parallels.

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