OHIO is a well connected campus, with both wired and wireless Internet available everywhere and many options for computer access, but that doesn't mean you have to be a tech whiz to do well here. In fact, we've kept Tech 101 decidedly low tech, with the site formatted as a single HTML document.  You're welcome to read straight through from start to finish, or you can jump around using the Table of Contents links.  You also can print the entire tutorial out, if you'd rather not read a computer screen for long stretches. 

You don't have to complete the entire tutorial in one sitting.  You may return to this page as many times as you like.

Your Campus Identity – PID

When taking care of official business with Ohio University, you only need to keep track of a two online credentials – your PID and your Oak ID.

Your PID is a unique nine digit number that was issued to you when you first applied to Ohio University.  We use your PID behind the scenes to keep track of you and your records, from your grades to your student account information.  After all, someone else might show up with the same name as you, but no one else will ever have the same PID as you. 

If you ever forget your PID, you can find it on the front of your OHIO ID card.  You also can look it up online:

PID Lookup

For the record, the acronym stands for Personal IDentification number, but people usually just say "PID" or "P number."  Either way, it's a very useful number, so keep it handy.

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Your Campus Identity – Oak ID and Password
                                              
Your Oak ID is your login for just about everything you do on the Ohio University network, including:

• Wireless Network authentication
• Network Storage
• Personal Web Pages
• Blackboard
• Free Software Downloads
• Restricted access university web sites

Because your Oak ID is so central to your online identity at OHIO, you should keep your password secret.  Do not share your password with roommates or friends.  After all, your roommates have their own Oak IDs, so they shouldn't ever need to use yours. 

If you ever forget your Oak password, the Service Desk can reset it for you.  Just remember, once your password has been reset, you'll have to change it before you'll be able to log into many university services.  A good password is both easy to remember and hard to guess.  On our system, it also has to meet a few basic requirements:

• Must be at least 6 characters long
• Cannot be just letters - must include numbers/symbols, too

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Internet Access
                                              
It's easy to get on the Internet at Ohio University.  If you have a WiFi equipped laptop or other device, you can take advantage of 100% indoor and outdoor coverage on all of our campuses. Yes, that wasn't a typo.  Wireless works everywhere at Ohio University, including in your room.

That said, if you're in your room, it's worth plugging into the Ethernet jack.  When you're on wireless, you're sharing capacity with many other users.  When you're plugged into Ethernet, you have your own, dedicated connection.  Plugging in is easy.  Your room already should have a cable attached to the Ethernet jack, and if you're in a double, triple or quad, you can check out an Ethernet switch and extra cables from the Tech Depot in Baker Center 112 at no charge.  Just plug in and go!

Wireless network info

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Software

As an OHIO student, you can take advantage of the various site license and educational discounts we have arranged with software companies.  For example, you can get a copy of McAfee Virus Scan for PC or Virex for Mac at no charge.  These both are full featured virus scanners that update themselves automatically every day - no subscription fees or expiration dates to worry about.  We also offer educational discounts for Microsoft Vista Business, Office 2007, Mac OS X, select Adobe products, and many other titles.

OHIO Software - free downloads, site license discounts and educational pricing

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Buying a Computer

As an OHIO student, you will need access to a modern computer to complete your academic work.  If you decide that owning a computer is the way you want to go, take a look at the discounts we have negotiated for OHIO students.  Whether you're after a laptop or a desktop, we have options available for you:

• OHIO computer discounts - Oak ID and password required to view prices

As you shop around for a computer, don't just look at the bottom line.  Make sure you're comparing models and features with similar value.  This is especially important with notebooks, where nearly every manufacturer offers a 'bargain basement,' consumer class model that undercuts our offerings by hundreds of dollars.  Bear in mind that we only sell business class machines through our discount programs.  Such systems have tighter quality controls and manufacturing tolerances, use better components, and generally are more durable than consumer class models.  If you do decide to buy a consumer class machine from somewhere else, don't forget to add in a three year warranty and three year damage protection (if looking at a PC notebook).  Then compare prices again and remember, you get what you pay for.

Along with getting a quality system and a good price, buying a computer from our Tech Depot also entitles you to on-site warranty repair services and support.   If you buy an off-brand, we most likely will not be able to work on that computer for you.

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Borrowing a Computer

Alden Library's Learning Commons offers a laptop loan program for in-library use.

If you qualify for financial aid, and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is less than $8000, you may be eligible to borrow a desktop computer from the Allen Student Help Center in Baker Center at no charge.

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Computer Labs

OHIO offers good access to computers on campus.  Centrally managed labs are available in the following locations:

• Technology Depot in Baker Center 112
  • Computer lab
  • ID Cards
  • Computer, peripheral and accessory sales
  • Computer repair drop off and pickup
  • Software sales and distribution
  • Clicker distribution
  • Walk-up technical support
• Alden Library Learning Commons - managed jointly with the library
  • Computer lab
  • Laptop & equipment loan program (loaned equipment for use within Alden Library only)
  • Multimedia Center (12 Macs with multimedia hardware/software)
  • Reference Services
  • Student Writing Center
  • Media Library
  • Group Study Rooms
  • Rollins Room - boardroom setting
• Digital Media Studio in CSC
• Video and audio capture and editing stations
• DVD authoring
• Web video exporting
• Free workshops and expert assistance
  

Most academic departments on campus also maintain at least one lab specifically for students in their programs.

Classroom Technology

All centrally managed classrooms on campus have technology available in them for both students and instructors to use.  Smaller classrooms have a presentation podium that includes a PC plus a DVD/VCR and closed caption unit.  Larger classrooms add high quality sound systems, dual PCs, and in some cases Student Response Systems.  If you have a laptop, the classrooms are set up to allow you to connect to the room's projector (one person at a time - the whole room can't access the projector all at once).

• Classroom Technology Guide - see what each room has available

Blackboard Online Course System

Many instructors at OHIO use the Blackboard system to provide an online component to their courses.  Styles and approaches vary widely from instructor to instructor.  One professor might use Blackboard only to distribute his/her syllabus and handouts, while another might have class-related discussion boards set up and require that all tests and homework to be done through Blackboard.  Blackboard is fairly easy to get used to, but there are a few quirks to our system that nearly everyone gets confused by when they first arrive:

• Add/Drop Delays - If you add or drop a class that uses Blackboard, that class will not appear (or disappear) from your list of current classes right away.  It can take up to 48 hours for such changes to make it through our system.  Instructors should be aware of this delay, but it doesn't hurt to let your professor know if he or she sends you home with a Blackboard assignment on the first day after you added the class.
• No Course to View - Not everyone at OHIO uses Blackboard.  If you log into Blackboard and don't see one or more of your courses there, don't be surprised.  Your instructor must enable Blackboard for a course before it will show up in students' course lists. If none of your courses are active in Blackboard, then the system won't even let you log in. Again, this is normal. Many instructors do not load information into Blackboard until after the quarter is under way.

E-Mail, IM, Etc.

With 100% wired and wireless Internet, it's easy to stay in touch online.  Not only do you get a free university e-mail account, you also can access most popular mail and instant messaging providers from campus. 

• CatMail for undergraduates – Your CatMail account includes 10 GB of e-mail storage plus 25 GB of Sky Drive file storage.  Unless you choose to forward your mail elsewhere, all official university correspondence goes to your CatMail account.  You're welcome to use the account for personal e-mail as well as for academic purposes.  
• Oak for graduate students - As a graduate student, you will receive an account on the university's faculty/staff e-mail server.  Currently, that server is called Oak and can be accessed either using Mulberry or Webmail.  In the coming months, the university will be converting your Oak account to a Microsoft Exchange account. We will contact you directly when it is time to convert your account.
  
• Other mail providers - Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, etc. all work just fine on campus.  If you have an e-mail address with a home Internet provider, you may be able to check that address from campus, too.  As a general rule, if you can get to an account over the Internet, you should be able to get to it from campus.
• Instant Messenger - As with e-mail providers, third party IM software works just fine from campus.  Services like AIM, MSN, Yahoo Messenger and Google Talk all work well on our network
• Internet Phone Services - For the most part, Internet phone services like Skype should work from campus.  As outlined in our general policy, however, we do reserve the right to restrict any service should it consume too many network resources.

Phones

OHIO includes a free wired telephone line in every Residence Hall room.  You don't need to do anything to get it turned on - it's already active and waiting for you.  All you have to do is bring a phone.  The jacks all have the phone number printed on them, and they take a standard modular phone cord.  Just about any wired telephone will work with our system; however, Caller ID is not available.  Caller ID equipped phones still will work.  They just won't provide any info on incoming calls.  Answering machines and fax machines work just fine, too.

We don't recommend bringing a cordless telephone.  The population density in the Residence Halls is high enough that you could run into problems if you and a neighbor are on the same frequency.  If you must bring a cordless, your best bet is a 900 MHz phone.  2.4 and 5 GHz phones both will interfere with the building's wireless Internet, resulting in poor performance for both yourself and your neighbors.

Emergency Text Messaging

If you have a text-capabale cell phone, we encourage you to sign up for the university's emergency text messaging service.  Should an emergency develop on the Athens campus, you could receive timely information about the situation via automated text message.

Emergency Information

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Social Networking

As is the case at many college campuses, sites like Facebook are wildly popular here at OHIO.  If you are going to maintain a presence on Facebook, MySpace or other social networking sites, please be careful what sort of information you provide.

• Personal Information - You should think twice about publishing sensitive personal details on the Internet, both to protect your privacy and to protect your identity.  For example, publishing your mother's maiden name or the name of your favorite pet might seem pretty harmless; however, those both are popular 'secret questions' for credit card companies.  Don't make it easy for hackers to steal your identity - think before you post!
• Putting Your Best Foot Forward - Your friends aren't the only ones reading your profile.  Facebook currently allows university employees to register for the service, and many do.  Potential employers also have been known to hire students to do 'background checks' on Facebook during the job search process.  Bottom line?  Don't assume that what you do on Facebook stays on Facebook.  Make sure you're projecting the image you want to when you edit your profile!

Usage Policies

As an academic institution, OHIO places a high value on allowing students the freedom to experiment.  At the same time, we also need to encourage our students to be good citizens of the online world.  As such, we have both a general use policy and a P2P-specific interpretation of that policy.  The general use policy is intentionally broad, allowing you wide latitude to experiment with the range of computer and network resources available to you on campus.  We'll address the P2P interpretation below. 

In general terms, the policy reinforces the fact that computer and network use at OHIO should be legal, ethical and respect the rights of others.  But don't take our word for it.  Read the entire policy yourself.

P2P Restrictions

We currently monitor our network for illegal Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing activity.   When we detect such activity, we disable Internet access for that room.  If you use P2P software at home, you should make sure to disable/uninstall that software before connecting your computer to our campus network.

If your Internet access gets disabled, here are the steps you will have to take:

1. Call the Service Desk and let them know   that your Internet is not working.
2. If you were blocked for P2P activity rather than for a virus infection or other security reason, you will be asked to remove the offending software and any illegally obtained materials.  Service Desk staff can assist with this, if you need help.
3. Once the removal is complete, let the   Service Desk know, and they will turn you back on.
4. You then will be asked to have everyone in your room sign an online agreement acknowledging our policy against illegal P2P activity.
5. Should there be a second offense, you   will be referred to Judiciaries for disciplinary action.

This is not a complete ban on the underlying technologies used to share files. We recognize that there are legitimate uses for P2P software, including gaming, patch distribution for Linux users, and music distribution by bands who see file sharing as a useful marketing tool.  So far, our monitoring systems have proven quite good at catching only illegal activity.  Of course, no system is perfect.  In the unlikely event your Internet gets disabled for a legit use of P2P software, you can request an exemption.

Please be aware that copyright holders like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) are pursuing an active agenda of suing students who are alleged to have illegally shared music, video and other files.

If you engage in illegal downloading on our network, you open yourself to being sued. Should we receive a subpoena asking for the identity of the authorized user of a particular computer or network connection on campus, we will provide it.

In some cases, the RIAA may send a pre-litigation letter that offers the option of paying a settlement prior to being sued. If we are asked to pass on such letters, we will do so; however, we will not identify the recipient(s) unless we receive a subpoena.

Should you be sued, the university can play no role in providing for legal defense. You will be responsible for all matters in responding to a lawsuit. If you have paid the $8.00 per quarter Center for Student Legal Services fee, you can obtain free legal advice from the Center; however, the Center cannot represent you in a copyright lawsuit, as this is outside the scope of their board-approved mandate.

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Getting Help

If you need help with a computer problem, you can stop by the Technology Depot in Baker Center 112 and ask one of our Tech Gurus in person, or you can contact the OIT Service Desk at 740-593-1222 or servicedesk@ohio.edu.  With extended evening and weekend hours during the regular academic year, help is never far away. 
 
Along with answering questions and helping troubleshoot problems, the Technology Depot is a certified warranty repair provider for Apple, Dell, HP, and IBM/Lenovo.  If you bought a computer from the Technology Depot or through our online store pages, free warranty service and accidental damage repairs (for machines that came with accidental damage protection) is as close as Baker Center.  

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Table of Contents

• Your campus identity - PID
• Your campus identity - Oak ID and password
• Internet access
• Software
• Buying a computer
• Borrowing a computer
• Computer labs
• Classroom technology
• Blackboard online course system
• E-mail, IM, etc.
• Phones
• Social networking
• Usage policies
• P2P Restrictions
• Getting help