Lots of stuff happening….
As some of you may have noticed, the IT guys from CAHNRS (Nick & Michael) were here this week working on a variety of projects. Most of what they did advanced us to the next phase, getting us that much closer to having the same services as Pullman. Here’s a quick summary of what they did and what comes next.
- The firewalls and internet switches were reconfigured to allow transparency with campus. This means that we now appear as if we are part of Pullman. They can now remotely access are switches to diagnose and fix (most of the time) without having to come here. This also means that their ability to assist you remotely will also be enhanced. This does NOT mean they are monitoring your activity.
- Once the task above was completed, they were able to configure the wireless access point (AP) in the Overley front office to use the same login credentials as you would for anywhere on campus. That wireless access also has a guest user login. If they want to use “WSU guest” they will get a screen asking for their cell number. When submitted they will get a code sent as a text that they will need to enter to allow access. This will give them full internet access but keep them outside our network.
- The reconfiguration of the switches means that we will now have seamless crossover whenever the K20 system goes down and we get passed over to LocalTel. However, there is a caveat here: if you are connected to the internet via the old wireless routers, you could still see a disruption. The next step in the process is to replace all the older routers with new wireless access point (AP) devices identical to the one in the front office. There is a plan that shows how many APs are required for each building/floor here at the Center. As funds are identified, those APs will be installed.
- With the reconfiguration of the firewall, Mac users will have better functionality when it comes to connecting to Bonjour printers and devices.
- The podium in the large conference room was installed and Nick performed diagnostics on the system. It was determined that there is a problem with the “endpoint” device that runs the video conferencing. A new device has been requested and will be sent here. Nick has recommended that a technician from the AMS group come out to install the device and finish the room setup. Until that happens, we will continue to experience problems with the monitors not turning on-off and problems with the microphones. Luckily, there are no AMS meetings scheduled in that room until classes begin. Getting this fixed before then is a priority project.
- Crisis averted: While working on the system the guys noticed that a fan had failed on one of the switch boxes on the network. It was still working but total failure of the device was imminent. Luckily, last night they noticed an identical unused switch box in the debris of items stashed behind the network framework. They hooked it up and found it to be fully functional and plugged it in to take over. Had they not found this and a failure occurred before another replacement could be sourced, we would have lost our phones and AMS systems.
- The final task the guys worked on was preparation for our new phone system switch-over. Since this is a rather complex topic, I’ll talk more about this below.
- Final task: Kim got her new computer and monitor setup. Michael was able to backup all of Joni’s old files to the cloud so Darla and Kim can access them as needed (we also retained the backup-drive). Joni’s old computer has been repurposed as a remote station tied into our network allowing CIT to do remote troubleshooting of our system.
Changes to our phone system
As many of you already know, our phone system is a bit antiquated. It no longer interfaces with the rest of campus. The first hint of this was the loss of the 5-digit dialing shortcut to other campus extensions. More recently, we have experienced problems with some phones on Pullman not being able to reach people here. When they call in it just rings and doesn’t give them the prompt allowing them to enter the person’s extension. I’m not sure why it only affects some Pullman lines and not all – something to do with how each building’s system is configured.
Our new system (and the system all WSU campuses are moving to) is to assign all phones a unique phone number – not just an extension. I know that the change will be hard on many of us, but there will be many new features that will hopefully, offset the inconvenience. Here’s a list of facts associated with the changeover:
- The changeover is scheduled for the first week of September. There isn’t a time that is convenient for everyone, so the sooner we get this done the better for everyone. There will be some reprogramming that will need to occur to set up an automated directory that will inform your callers of your new number then forward to you. The soonest that this can be completed is late August.
- On August 15-16, John from the campus telecommunications group will come here to talk about the new system and show us how the new features work. We’ll set this up as several time slots for him to present the information and ask questions. Hopefully, being spread over two days will allow everyone with a phone the chance to attend a session.
- Here’s the scary part: your phone number will be completely different from the existing 663-8181 (except for the front desk). And, apparently, the Wenatchee area has run out of 662 or 663 prefix numbers, the new prefix will be 293. We have been assigned 99 phone numbers ranging from -8751 to -8805. We will be given a list of our new numbers before the August informational meetings.
- One of the biggest features of this new system is the ability to interface with your cell phone. After downloading a specific phone App, they will be able to configure your work phone to work seamlessly with your cell phone. What this means is you can send or receive calls as if you are on your desk phone – from anywhere (even internationally as long as you have a data connection). You could even ditch your desk phone and have a campus phone number assigned. There is a one-time $59 charge for getting the App and having the system configured for you.
- The downside of the new numbering: You will no longer be able to simply dial a 3-digit extension to reach an internal phone. Nor will we have 5-digit campus dialing – that is being completely phased out system-wide.
- The upside: You can easily program your phone using a web address. You can set up speed dial numbers to call internal or campus numbers (up to 100!). You should also be able to even do outside numbers.
You can also access your voice mail online if desired. - There is no opt-out for this new phone system.
Other items of interest: BitDefender
While they were here, I asked the guys about anti-virus/malware software for your computers. For Windows machines they highly recommended BitDefender. it is designed to prevent, detect, and remove viruses from computers as the first line of defense against a cyber-attack. There is a fee for the software (they weren’t sure how much, but said it is often purchased through departments or units in a group license). To get the software go to the CAHNRS IT website at https://it.cahnrs.wsu.edu. Once there, click on “Get Help.” You will be asked to sign in with your WSU ID. After that, you will see a tab labeled BitDefender. Click on this and fill out the form.
The other thing Michael strongly recommended was to go through your computer and get rid of excess Apps that may be on your machine – things that have gotten installed when you’ve visited a website or even old legacy versions of Apps. Doing this will speed up your computer and improve the performance. If you need help doing this, contact CIT Support either using the Get Help lInk above or emailing a ticket request using cit.support@wsu.edu.