Computing at Pitt gets easier

In the past, off-campus students had to rely on Pitt computer labs to access restricted,… In the past, off-campus students had to rely on Pitt computer labs to access restricted, online library resources.

But this year, thanks to a new, secure Virtual Private Network service brought to Pitt this year, students can access such resources from off-campus locations.

“We’ve tried to make everything easy to understand and not cumbersome” Walton said.

Pitt’s Computing Services and Systems Development has upgraded the network equipment to offer significant performance and security improvements, compared to the methods used in previous years. These new features are guaranteed to help make life easier for students and faculty.

Adjusting to all the changes of new classes and professors in the first few weeks can be hard, so the University’s Computing Services Systems Development department has updated everything so that it will be a snap.

CSSD is responsible for centralized computing systems on campus, meaning that they set up the network that gives students on- and off-campus access to the University through the Internet. The department has also incorporated Apple iTunes into the system.

For quicker and easier accessibility, some of the 100 e-mail kiosks distributed around campus have been moved from places where they were infrequently used to new, “high traffic” locations. Six of these kiosks are now at the new Pennsylvania Hall. Two hundred new Gateway computers and 24 Xerox black-and-white laser printers have been distributed throughout campus computer labs, and a Xerox Phaser color laser printer will be available for use in the David Lawrence Hall lab.

Before students moved in, ResNet placed CDs in every residence hall. These CDs contain the necessary software to log onto PittNet. From the moment a student logs on and identifies his computer to the network, he will be taking advantage of the improvements. The network will now automatically scan your machine for viruses and apply the latest security patches, while also checking that anti-virus software is installed on the computer.

An additional CD featuring Web browsers, utility software, e-mail software and wireless network card drivers is available. Students can pick up both CDs from any campus computer lab.

The Software Update Service allows students to receive up-to-date Windows security patches.

“A lot of times, when there are new viruses, you can’t get to the site because everyone is hitting it,” said Jinx Walton, director of CSSD. “We put the service here locally so that you can sign up to have all those patches downloaded to your machine.”

A spam filtering service also allows students to control what they want sent to their mailboxes and to clean viruses from their e-mail accounts. Spam filtering can be activated by visiting www.my.pitt.edu and clicking on the “What’s New” Tab.

CSSD has also taken steps to hire help desk attendants who are better informed about the issues that directly affect students. The department expects to have completely implemented these new services by the end of September, and Walton hopes that students will provide feedback on their effectiveness.