This week we had a visit from the CAHNRS IT team. Their primary mission was to install wireless access points (APs) throughout Overley and couple additional locations on our campus. They also decommissioned the old file share server, helped on a couple of support ticket items, and demonstrated how to connect to a Zoom meeting on our equipment. For more details on these and much more, see the sections below.
The items below cover the details of work performed by the CAHNRS IT team, as well as IT issues, presented at the Faculty & Staff meeting (3-15-19).
WSU Wireless AP Installation
Bill Bonner and his team installed 4 more APs in the upstairs Overely Lab. You should now have full WIFI coverage throughout the upstairs. Use your WSU credentials to access the WIFI. If you roam the building with a laptop or other device that is on the WSU Wireless network it will automatically pass you to the closest AP without losing your connection.
Now that we have full coverage, we will be decommissioning the Emily, Medlar, and Molab routers. So, if you suddenly lose your WIFI connection, just go in and select WSU Wireless. I’d advise not waiting until you lose connection!
They also installed an AP in Entomology. The Plum router over there will also be decommissioned. One final AP was also installed in the Hazmat building.
The next to be installed will likely be in the east end of the Entomology Annex. We have one unit in hand but will need to purchase another for the west end to get full coverage. We will also be purchasing one for the Overley basement. However, I tested the signal this morning and had a strong connection radiating down from the first floor.
Network Connection Speed
Our current bandwidth maxes out at 100Mbps because that’s what the K20 line can do. This isn’t a problem if there isn’t much activity on our network. But using AMS (sometimes all at once) plus everything the rest of us are doing on the internet, can cause a bottleneck, slowing things down to a crawl and manifesting as audio lag during video conferences or dropped connections during a download. However, our line is shared with LocalTel and that has the ability to run up to 1000Mbps. CAHNRS IT is working to balance the load between the two to get us running without the lags and bottlenecks. This should be completed around Mid-April. To learn more about bandwidth, its effect on connection speed, the difference between upload and download rates, and much more check out this article: http://www.plugthingsin.com/internet/speed/.
Server Decommissioning
While here, the IT guys pulled the plug on the old file share server. Anything that was on there had been moved over to individual cloud share directories. They hauled the old equipment off for surplus.
Our old TFREC web server (Jenny & Dialogue) will also disappear soon. I’ve given plenty of warning about this over the past year. I believe all of the useful content has been moved elsewhere by the content “owners”. Old content has been archived and will not be available online. The Center’s public website and the admin site are located on the CAHNRS server, http://tfrec.cahnrs.wsu.edu, and http://tfrec.cahnrs.wsu.edu/admin/, respectively. I have requested redirects be set up for the major sites (still active sites that have new ‘homes’). A list of active program sites is on the Center’s homes page. The only thing that has not been moved over is our old Safety website. The majority of the items located there exist elsewhere, such as the EHS website and HR/Skillsoft training. I will be meeting with Jerry and Darla to finalize an alternative for new employee training that will incorporate the use of the EHS & Skillsoft training sites. The advantage of going that route is that WSU automatically tracks the training.
The Center’s public website will be undergoing a facelift with the incorporation of a new WSU template. It will look more like the website that Prosser now uses. You can view their site here. We will also be adding more content to our site.
Okta Password Management Application
WSU has already started the roll-out of the new password security tool, Okta. This is the software behind the WSU uniform login. It is a multi-tiered security application that will ask for a cell phone number to validate any changes made to your account settings. I’ve talked about the roll-out in past blog posts so this shouldn’t be news to you. The first group of invitations went out on Monday, Mar 4 and will continue to be sent out to new groups each Monday until early May. Each Monday a random group of 1000 people will receive an invitation email with a live Activate link. You have seven days to use your link. If you don’t use it during that time period or you delete the email you will need to request a new invitation email from crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu. If you have questions about Okta you can visit the Okta Project page at https://its.wsu.edu/okta/#changes or you can contact the Crimson Service Desk for help. CAHNRS IT is also available to help at cit.supoort@wsu.edu.
Zoom Pro
I sent in a list of names of those who got back to me about wanting a WSU Zoom Pro license. Each of you should have received a Zoom invitation from Travis Williams. In that email, there was a link with instructions on downloading the Zoom plugin for Outlook. You can only have one Zoom account linked to an email address. Also, each of our meeting rooms will be assigned a location ID. While CAHNRS IT was here this week they demonstrated to Megan how to connect to a Zoom meeting using our VC equipment. She said its really easy. Here’s her step-by-step guide. Let her know if you find errors or things that need to be changed in the document.
Best Practices Recommendations for Academic Videoconferencing
WSU recently came out with a document “WSU Videoconferencing: Current State & Recommendations” that is mostly a Best Practices guide for achieving the best possible experience for instructors and students using the video conferencing system. This was a product of the WSU ITSAC Videoconferencing Subcommittee. It’s focused almost entirely on the Academic videoconferencing classroom experience. However, many of the concepts covered can also be applied to any videoconferencing situation. The document covers four major topics: Behavior, Room Design, Administrative/Operational, and Technology Infrastructure. It’s an interesting read. Here’s a link to the document: WSU_VC_Assessment_Final
New Computer Ordering Tool
WSU has a desktop computer ordering tool that can be used to configure and order a new computer (Windows OS only – sorry Mac people!). Some of you may have already taken advantage of this. One nice thing about this is that your new computer will come with pre-installed WSU software. And they have a pretty fast turn around. We ordered Kim’s computer from them and it was here in just a couple of days. Currently, their tool is only for desktop computers, but an ordering tool for laptops is almost ready.
More on this from Bill Bonner: “If you go to the CAHNRS IT website there is a link on the left-hand menu titled “Buy a Desktop PC”. This tool allows folks to select pre-configured options, and customize them as needed. The system will generate a quote that can be purchased through the normal process, or over the phone with a P-card. Additionally, the systems can be shipped directly to your site, or sent to us (CAHNRS IT) first for (software) configuration.”
Direct link to “But a Desktop PC” Tool: https://computerquotes.it.cahnrs.wsu.edu/.