IT at WEPO

Tech, Computing, and the WEPO Lab

The IT services at EWH are provided and supported by the Williams College Office for Information Technology. A Student Network Assistant (SNA) position held by one of the EWH residents works with Paul Smernoff of OIT on support during and after orientation. If you wish to discuss any aspect of your use of technology at EWH prior to your arrival in Oxford please email psmernof@williams.edu. Both Oxford IT and the Exeter College Computing Team have additional provisions for support at their locations on lower Banbury Road and Turl Street, respectively.

You will be able to connect to eduroam upon arrival either with your Williams account, or your new Oxford University account. You may also use your Oxford SSO to generate a personal network password via WelcometoWilliams, which you'll then use on the MyWilliams network.

There are six Windows workstations containing the Adobe application suite, with four in the Banbury Lab and two in the Lathbury Library. Both locations include a flatbed scanner and a laser printer. The Banbury Lab offers a few seats where one can connect their laptop to an external display to provide the same 24” viewable area as the lab PCs. There are also several Mac computers located in 145 Banbury and the library at 2/4 Lathbury.

Please be aware that while your computers and phone chargers will work on the UK and European 240v power outlets, other devices, like US power strips and small personal groomers, will be permanently rendered inoperable unless they specifically state 120v ~ 240v capability. If they don’t have this capability, you should leave these devices behind and pick up what you need once in the UK. The Programme will provide one US to UK two-three prong plug adapter to make it possible for your laptop to connect to the UK power outlet as the outlets are significantly different. This plug adapter addresses the difference in the physical plug and does not step-down or convert power. There are expensive devices that do this, but you do not need them for your laptop. Again, anything that is not 220-240v capable is best left home.

In addition to your Williams College account, you will be issued an Oxford University SSO account. We encourage and provide instructions for you to automatically forward Oxford email to your Williams account, as well as set up your Williams account so it can send mail as if it came from your Oxford email. Your Oxford SSO account provides access to their computing facilities, as well as Library and access services throughout Oxford, even if you are not physically in Oxford. This remote access is made possible through their VPN and a Remote Access account activated with your Oxford SSO. A catalogue of services is available https://services.it.ox.ac.uk/.

The EWH Internet connection is provided by the University of Oxford and as such you are held to their IT Regulations: https://governance.admin.ox.ac.uk/legislation/it-regulations-1-of-2002

The Banbury Lab has the following regulations:

• Workstations should not be ‘staked out’; materials left unattended at the end of each day will be removed by the SNA to a designated collection point in the Lab.

• Please be aware that others need quiet in order to concentrate; if you need to talk with someone for any length of time, leave the Lab to carry on your conversation elsewhere.

• All Lab furniture is to remain in the Lab.

• Your ability to install software on computers in the Lab is limited, please make requests via Paul Smernoff from Williams OIT so the SNA can assist. Tampering in any way with the computer setup is prohibited. You are encouraged to save your work on network and Cloud resources and not on the hard drive.

• All problems with the computers (or with Internet access) should be reported as soon as possible to the SNA. Please do not expect or demand immediate attention; his/her work hours are limited and must be scheduled at his/her convenience.

• Please be aware that the SNA is not primarily responsible for providing support for individual machines owned by students, other than providing basic network configuration information.

• It is the responsibility of the SNA and Student Programme Assistant (SPA) to ensure that all printers are stocked with paper and toner at all times; if any of the printers run out of paper or toner, inform the SNA (or SPA) as soon as possible. In emergency, contact the Director of Administration during office hours or the Night Porter (when on duty).

• Under no circumstances should the air-conditioning unit be switched off in the Lab. A constant, controlled temperature provides the network switches for the Internet connection to run at optimum levels. A heavy fine may be imposed on individuals for violation.

Guest Wi-Fi

If you're having an overnight visitor who does not have their own access to Eduroam, you'll need to provide them with the password to your MyWilliams network, generated by using your Oxford SSO on WelcometoWilliams.