Exeter On-Line

Spring 1998 Issue A Publication of Information Technology

Proposed Telecommunications Projects
for the 1998-99 School Year

The Telecommunications Department has gathered various Technology requests for next year. Our department is looking for prioritization of these requests by the appropriate committee(s) and funding approval from the Trustees. Many of these new projects will forge a closer working relationships between Telecommunications and MIS.

In addition to supporting the current technology, new requests received from the community include:

Wire and connect about a dozen more departments to the network and accommodate additional classroom requests for network connectivity
Add two dozen plus computers to our base of 600
Upgrade our current back up system
Upgrade our standard Academy software packages and operating systems
Plan and design the Intranet structure
Implement new software packages campus wide, such as a Calendar program, on-line directory service
Expand file sharing capabilities
Test and support new software installations requested by individual departments
Move specialized software packages to the network, such as the Point of Sale program
Investigate and plan for new network services such as Internet faxing, Ecommerce and digital video
Develop a process and tools to prioritize, schedule and implement database requests outside of the Academy student and alumni/ae system
Implement new voice mail features
Add ISDN software to our voice system

This is more work than can be accomplished in a year and we anticipate that we will receive additional requests throughout the school year. For these reasons prioritization of these tasks is critical.

Computer Policy and the Law
by Elizabeth Garrity

The Internet Risks and Liability Workshop, presented at Wellesley College on March 27 by Marjorie W. Hodges and Steven L. Worona from the Cornell Computer Policy and Law Program, addressed some of the web questions that have been discussed on campus and brought up some concerns that may not have arisen here. Below is a sampling of some of the presenters' questions:

At what point are we doing business over the web if we should put the application process on-line?
Do we need to have permission to link to another site?
Whose property is a web page that is done on campus, the school's or the page maker's? · What are the standards for privacy?
Do we publish pictures of students, as some schools do? Or, do we publish the picture, but not identify the student?
How do we ensure that we don't have material (text, images, sound, video, or code) taken from other web pages without permission?
How explicit will we be about the rights we extend to others?
What policies do we have in place about questionable sites?
What about questionable material on our site?

The speakers cited statutes as well as case law and experiences of other schools which dealt with some of the issues above. Sites that provide resource materials on this topic include Cornell (www.cornell.edu/CPL), the CAUSE site (www.cause.org), the Center for Democracy and Technology (www.cdt.org), the American Civil Liberties Union (www.aclu.org), and Electronic Privacy Information Center (www.epic.org).

Hodges and Worona recommend having a policy in place before there is a problem and that the policy be based on principle, not law. They also encouraged keeping current on the federal and state statutes as well as case law as they evolve to meet the questions technological evolution will bring.

Telephone Toll Fraud
by Tracey Lulek

You may have noticed that when you attempt to make a telephone call to such areas as the Caribbean, Virgin Islands, or Bermuda, the Academy telephone lines won't connect the call and all you hear is a fast busy signal. The reason is that there are many phone scams that originate from these areas of the world and result in a very high telephone bill for the Academy. This is called Toll Fraud or Telephone Fraud and the Telecommunications industry reports billions of dollars in fraud costs each year.

As most people know, telephone numbers that start with the 900 area code are set up to charge the caller an outrageous rate per minute. Most people aren't aware that there are other area codes advertised as toll free, such as 500 and 700, that act as 900 pay-per-call numbers. There have been many reports that phone scams originate from the Caribbean or the 809 area code as well. Unlike domestic toll fraud, which can, in some cases, be traced and credited to the caller's account to remove high toll charges, the Academy has no financial recourse other than to pay for international fraudulent charges, since there is no international agency or organization which regulates the telecommunications industry and prevents the operation of phone scammers.

Here are some examples of how people are lured into calling pay-per-call numbers. Often a fax is received marked "Urgent" and instructing the recipient to call a telephone number right away. When recipients of these faxes respond to the 809 area code, they rack up enormous charges. Another way to be lured into this type of phone scam is to receive an urgent page; then, when you call the long distance telephone number provided through the page, you are kept on the line a long time by a computer that mimics a person's voice. The result is a high phone bill.

These area codes are restricted from being dialed on Academy phone lines to prevent toll fraud and to ensure the Academy's phone charges are legitimate business charges. Do not respond to pages or phone calls from people or companies you don't recognize. If you get a message on your voice mail asking you to call a number out of the country, or with one of the area codes listed in this article, don't make the call. If you feel you must call, please check with Telecommunications (ext. 3693) before you place the long-distance call, to see if the number has been determined previously to be fraudulent. Calling cards may be used to call high toll fraud areas, if absolutely necessary. Just because you don't know it's a pay-per-call number doesn't mean that there won't be a charge for it.

If you need to make a legitimate Academy business call to one of these high toll fraud areas, a school-issued calling card may be used. You can fax into a high toll fraud area with a calling card using a fax with a handset. There is a fax machine of this type available for use in our Academy Post Office in the Jeremiah Smith building.

Update on Student Dorm Connectivity

As many of you are aware, an experimental period of dorm connectivity was slated to begin after spring break. We have completed activation for the students who requested access before the March 13 deadline, and a number of students who requested activation after spring break. Including our TECHs' ports, we have 374 dorm room ports "lit up." The connectivity itself has been remarkably smooth, with fewer problems than anticipated. The few problems we have experienced have been handled well by our student TECHs.

The TECHs have been dealing with a wide range of issues. In some instances, they may find that a solution is as straightforward as plugging in a cable. In others, they may need to make changes in the computer's configuration, deal with hardware/software conflicts, or determine if the ethernet card is properly installed.

After the TECH has determined that there are no configuration or ethernet card problems, if a student is still experiencing difficulty connecting to the Academy's network, a call is then sent to our Network Technician. She then checks port connections to make sure that connectivity is present from the network to the student's port.

The Student Support Desk has been busy triaging calls from students for the TECHs and the Network Technician, when appropriate. After a call is made, either by a TECH or the Network Technician, both parties report back to the Student Support Desk so that a log can be kept of all student calls and follow up calls can be made, if necessary.

In addition, the TECHs have been very valuable resources for Telecom staff in many of the "how to" questions have that arisen. Often, when an issue arises, the Student Support Desk will 'throw it out' to the TECHs for them to investigate. In many instances, it is the TECHs who are not only making us aware of the questions, but also providing us with the documentation to answer these questions, should other students, faculty, or staff call in with problems. While the adult community has embraced and does use the network resources available to them, the TECHs seem to have a strong curiosity which has aided Telecommunications with problems that Telecom staff otherwise would have had to research.

The Student Support Desk (extension 3310) is located on the first floor of the Library, behind the copy room. Due to limited staffing, the hours at the Student Support Desk will vary. Students are encouraged to call and leave a message with any problems that they encounter and someone will contact them as soon as possible.

Glossary of Technical Terms

Those of us in the telecommunications industry often use terminology and acronyms which have become commonplace in our field. Many professions also develop their own industrial jargon; however, the field of technology changes so rapidly that it can be daunting to try to keep current with the latest terminology. We, in Telecommunications, realize that we sometimes use terms that may not have been defined to the user, whether in person, on the phone, or through documentation. We do make an effort to define the terms we feel users need to know to perform the specific task or resolve an issue, but sometimes our support could be more clear, given a little time spent clarifying terms. Please feel free to stop any member of telecommunications when we use a term you wish to have defined/clarified. In this effort, below you will find the first of what we hope to be an ongoing series of glossaries for technical terms.

Domain Name Server (DNS): The server (a powerful computer which controls other computers) which translates names for the network. Using names to route network traffic would be difficult-changing from "Bev" to "Beverly" would cause a problem--so the DNS assigns a numeric code to a username, then manages the flow of data to and from that username. Since going through the DNS is required (so the network can manage your data), having a second DNS server will allow users to continue working in the event that something happens with the primary DNS server.

Firewall: the hardware/software which verifies and manages users. The first server visited on the network, which allows the system to determine which users have legitimate access to the Academy network.

Proxy Server: This server helps to manage users' traffic on the network. Setting up a proxy server allows users to access multiple resources on the network (different servers and internet services) without having to log in to them over and over again. The proxy server takes the place of multiple logons.

Protocol: The operating rules that are used on a network. If the network is a highway (ethernet cable), the protocol is the rules for driving on the highway -- the stop signs, yield signs, and one-way signs.

TCP/IP: Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The Protocol used on the Academy network. The protocol sends data to your network address -- the IP address -- which uniquely identifies your computer on the network. To continue the road metaphor -- your street address is unique on your street.

Profile: A set of instructions, loaded when you login, which assign your default resources, access to shared resources, and printers. Profiles can be local (stored on your own machine) or roaming (stored on a server on the network).

English words that have taken on new meanings in technology:

Permissions: A network technician may say "you don't have permission to do such-and-such." A permission in the technical sense refers to which users have access to which system resources. Some system resources are public, some are only accessible to particular departments. Permissions control that access.

Restrictions: An example of a restriction is students' inability to web browse from 11pm-6am.

Conflicts: A conflict occurs when two pieces of hardware or software (or both) don't work well together. Part of the reason users do not have permission to install software is to allow Telecommunications to test for potential conflicts on the network before it is installed.

Legacy system: A legacy system is a technical system which was in place before the network was created. The Colleague/Benefactor system in MIS is an example of a legacy system at PEA. Network planning takes into account any existing legacy systems. Sometimes legacy systems need to be modified to work on the network.

HelpDesk FAQ: Hint for saving floppy disk files
You must close the file you saved (File...Close) before you remove the diskette from
the disk drive to prevent damage to the file. If you remove the diskette which the
file you just saved is open (even if you have already saved it), your computer will freeze.

Email Tips
by Vi Richter

Need to quickly check your email from the Library or other campus building? Netscape Messenger Express, a web-based mail program, is now available. Reached by typing in the web site http://peapo.exeter.edu/ in Location and clicking on Academy Email, Netscape Messenger Express is a simplified version of Netscape Messenger, a component of the Communicator program. Netscape Messenger Express allows you to quickly access your email, send replies, forward, and delete mail. Because of the complexities of working on the www, Netscape Messenger Express does not handle attachments. It is, however, a handy email resource which can be used from any networked machine running Netscape without having to change any settings or configuration. Users are required to log into the mail software (using their normal network/email passwords). Mail is retained on the server (or deleted at the user's request) and is not downloaded to the local machine.

At the current time, Netscape Messenger Express is not available outside the Academy network.

Working Offline in Netscape Communicator

If you need to check your email from a computer connected remotely, via modem, to the Academy network, you may wish to work offline, rather than tying up an Academy phone line and a modem connection on the server while reading your mail. Working offline leaves Netscape Communicator Messenger Mail running, but disconnects you from the mail server until you need to download new received mail or send mail you have composed while offline.

To work offline, dial the Academy network as usual and start Communicator and log into your INBOX. Once you have opened your INBOX, go to the File menu and select Go Offline. A window will pop up with several check boxes. Click in the box beside Download Mail. Click on the button labeled Select Items for Download. A box will appear which will list all the folders associated with your mail. Select your INBOX by clicking on the bullet to the left of the folder name in the column labeled Choose. The bullet will turn into a check mark when you click on it. You may also wish to download your trash. Once you have selected all the folders you need to do your work, click on the OK button. You will return to the Download box. Click on Go Offline. At this point, you can disconnect from your modem connection by clicking on the Disconnect button.

You may now continue to work in your Messenger Mailbox, reading and composing mail. When you wish to reconnect to send newly composed mail, re-establish your network modem connection and open Netscape Communicator. Go to the File Menu and choose Go Online. Again, the Download box will appear. Click on the check box beside Send Messages, which should send to the mail server any messages you composed while offline and deliver to your INBOX any messages you received while you were offline.

Virus Hoax Information

If you have received email regarding a virus on your computer, here are a few sites to check to determine whether your email is a hoax or the real thing:

www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
www.mcafee.com/support/techdocs/vinfo/1102.asp
ciac.11n1.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html
www.kumite.com/myths/home.htm
www.ncsa.com/virus/alerthoax.html
(from Inside Microsoft Windows95, March 1998, Ziff-Davis, The Cobb Group, Vol 4, No 3)

Word97 Converter

If you are working in Word97 on one computer and need to open files on a computer running Word95, you'll run into a problem unless you install the Word97 to Word95 converter. You can get inforrmation and download the converter from the MS Office web site at:

http://www.microsoft.com/word/enhancements/wrd6ex32.asp?prev=111111

or get in the habit of saving your Word97 files as file type Word97 & 6.0/95-RTF. Change the file type from the File...SaveAs window, by clicking on the down arrow beside Save file as type.

Local Versus Roaming Profiles

When you log on to the network with your username, you are recognized by the network, based on what information is stored in a network file called your profile. What your desktop looks like, what resources you have available on the network, what printers you print to by default, and what programs appear in your start menu are all examples of information stored in your profile. If you login without a network connection, you created a local profile which resides on the hard drive of your computer. Any changes made while you work locally are not stored in the roaming profile the network looks at when you login next time to the network. ("roaming" indicates that the profile follows you around campus from one computer to another). Working with a local profile will result in your being asked to answer one of several prompts the next time you attempt to logon to the network.

Some mornings you may turn on your networked computer to log in and receive a message:
"The network has detected a slow network connection, do you wish to download or use your local profile?" Click on the Download button to use your roaming profile. If you do not choose a button, your local profile will be used and you will not have your usual network connections, i.e., your home directory (H), your department shared directory (F), and your networked printers.

If you receive the message that says:
"Your roaming profile is not available. Do you want to use the local profile?" you should click on the No button and attempt to login again. If the computer cannot find your roaming profile, your computer is not on the network. If you continue to receive the "use local profile" message, press CTRL+ALT+DEL simultaneously and choose the Shutdown button from the window which appears. Shut down the power, disconnect and reconnect your network cable, and restart the machine. If you get the "use local profile" message again, please call the Telecommunications HelpDesk at ext. 3693.

Networked Printing

Once your printer has been put on the network, you no longer need to program the printer menu (on the printer itself) to change from one tray to another, if your printer has these options. Rather, from the application (Word or Excel, for example), select the appropriate paper type and tray. For instance, if you have placed letterhead in the manual feed tray, select Manual Feed for the paper source in order to instruct the printer to pick up paper from that source. Remember that if other users share the printer with you, their print job may precede yours to the printer. If they have selected manual feed as well, their job will print on your letterhead. If you are feeding special forms (letterhead, envelopes, etc.) remember to alert other users of the printer. Print jobs are processed in the order in which they are received by the network.

Dealing with Technostress
(Reprinted from CopperTalk, Vitts Networks, April 1998, Vol 1:2)

Internet users, do any of the following describe you?

At work, you set your email program so it beeps when you have new mail, encouraging yourself to be interrupted.
When you go on vacation, you take your laptop, cell phone, or page, call in for your voice-mail messages daily and check email whenever you can.
You've changed when you go to bed, or sleep less so you can spend more time online.

If you said "Yes" to any of them, you could be exhibiting signs of technostress. The condition, which researchers define as the negative effect of technology on people's thoughts, attitudes, or bodies, affects everyone to some extent because of the electronic devices present in our daily lives. But Internet users are especially susceptible because of the stress evoked by their high expectations of technology and their dependence on it.

The best way to break the technostress cycle is to wean yourself from the need to be available all the time. Give people ONE way to contact you, not five. At your computer, practice concentrating on one task for as long as possible. Jot down the ways you allow yourself to be interrupted. Finally, try to remember how to do things the old fashioned way, in the event of a technocrash. (But don't stress about it!)
Reuters

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