Connecting to MIT Services and Storage

In this section:

  • Connecting to the VPN
  • Connecting to the Share Drive (Z-drive)
  • DropBox Storage Quota Increase

Connecting to the VPN

Connecting to the Share Drive (Z-drive)

  • Follow these steps to connect to the Share Drive: https://wikis.mit.edu/confluence/x/jT0-C
  • The VPN must be enabled before the drive will connect. Follow the instructions to enable the VPN, then connect to the drive again.

DropBox Storage Quota Increase

Video Conferencing and Communications

In this section:

  • Zoom Video Conferencing
  • Limiting Access and Reducing Disruptive Behavior in Zoom
  • Webex Conferencing
  • Installing Slack
  • Email

Zoom Video Conferencing

  • MIT has obtained a license for Zoom, a video conferencing service, that is available to all MIT faculty, students, staff, and affiliates that are engaged in or supporting MIT’s teaching and learning activities. Zoom enables video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile devices, desktops, telephones, and room systems. Zoom users may hold a virtual webinar or meeting and share files or use screen sharing to show presentations, applications, or other web sites. MIT faculty and staff may conduct meetings of up to 500 people and other members of the MIT community may conduct meetings of up to 300 people.
  • Access to Zoom is available via https://mit.zoom.us and MIT community members can access the service by authenticating through Touchstone.
  • Zoom is offering free webinars about using Zoom to teach. Register here.

Access Zoom Now

Limiting Access and Reducing Disruptive Behavior in Zoom

  • Protect your virtual interactions and minimize disruption, intentional or unintentional, to your Zoom meetings and online classes by managing access and features to ensure a positive and productive teaching, learning, and working environment.
  • Effective Sunday, March 29, new meetings and webinars now have the option of requiring participants to authenticate using MIT Touchstone to join. Note that individual hosts MUST choose these settings on a per-meeting (or per-account) basis.

Limiting Access and Reducing Disruptive Behavior in Zoom

Webex Conferencing

  • MIT community members can use Webex to host video and audio conferences with remote coworkers from any computer. WebEx is an online Video conferencing tool that uses a browser add-on or a computer application to video conference.
  • Participants can join from any device, including smartphones and tablets, with a supported browser. Webex lets participants share files, applications, or their entire screen with other attendees.
  • System requirements: Operating System and Browser requirements
  • TLS 1.2 Required in Cisco Webex Meetings
  • For information on creating a meeting, or connecting to a meeting: Meeting with Webex
  • Share Your Screen, Files, Videos, or Remote Computers During a Meeting
  • Record a Meeting
  • Using Chat or Raise Hand
    • During a training session, your attendees can use the chat window to chat with you, the panelists, or other attendees (if you grant that permission).
    • Your attendees can also use the Raise Hand button in the Participants panel to signal a question or respond to you.
    • It is recommended that you keep your chat window open during a class to see comments, questions, and raised hands.
  • If you work remotely but still want to collaborate with coworkers, you can do this via your Personal Room in Webex. This dedicated virtual conference room, with a permanent URL, lets you share your screen or selected applications with others without having to schedule a meeting ahead of time. A dedicated phone number lets you hold impromptu conference calls while virtual whiteboards allow for real-time interactive brainstorming. And when you’re “in” your room, others can “enter” your room and chat with you.

Installing Slack

Getting Started

  • All MIT users can join the MIT workspace at https://mit.slack.com, where you can learn about getting started with MIT’s Slack Enterprise Grid.
  • To request a new workspace in MIT's Slack Enterprise Grid, email slack-workspaces@mit.edu. Please include the workspace URL you want and a description of your workspace.

Benefits

Slack is a widely-used platform across MIT. Slack Enterprise Grid will enable even greater collaboration across the Institute by connecting MIT workspaces together into a cohesive fabric, and delivering these previously separate groups enterprise-level benefits including:

  • Single sign-on (SSO) integration with MIT Touchstone
  • 1 TB of storage space per user (that’s across all workspaces)
  • Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, WebEx, Zoom integration
  • Supports HIPAA-compliant message and file collaboration
  • Unlimited, interconnected Slack workspaces to enable new collaboration opportunities
  • A centralized user directory, so you can message any Slack user at MIT
  • A directory of all open MIT workspaces
  • Shared Channels across MIT workspaces, for announcements and more
  • Ability to collaborate with non-MIT partners as Guests and/or Shared Channels
  • 24/7 support with 4-hour first response time

Migrating Existing Workspaces

If you have an existing workspace created using an @mit.edu email address, no action is required at this time. IS&T is developing a migration plan to bring MIT workspaces into Slack Enterprise Grid, and will be reaching out to all workspace owners to coordinate migration.

If you want to verify that your current workspace is included in the migration plan, please email slack-help@mit.edu to coordinate.

Resources and Support

Email

Phone Setup

In this section:

  • Call Forwarding
  • Enabling BroadSoft softphone app

Call forwarding

 Enabling BroadSoft softphone app

  • MechE VoIP phones on the Broadsoft platform can utilize a "Softphone" application for smartphones and laptops. This will allow calls to your MIT phone number to ring on your smartphone or laptop, and answered from within the app. It also allows you to place calls from your MIT VoIP number.
  • This app requires a strong network connection to function properly. Variable network connections can cause unclear audio or dropped calls.
  • Follow the steps here to enable the softphone functionality for your phone line: https://kb.mit.edu/confluence/display/istcontrib/MITvoip+Softphone+Landing+Page
  • The link to the Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac versions of the app can be found here: https://ist.mit.edu/broadsoft/communicator
     

Setting Up Your Devices

In this section:

  • Set up Duo devices
  • Install Certificates on home devices
  • AntiVirus tools for personal computers

 Set up Duo devices

Install Certificates on home devices

  • MIT certificates allow you to access secure web services at the Institute, such as Atlas and Stellar, and should be installed for each browser on each device you use. Certificates expire every year at the end of July and must be renewed. Make sure that certificates on any home device you may use when working remotely are installed and up to date.
  • https://ist.mit.edu/certificates

AntiVirus tools for personal computers

Workspace Needs

In this section:

  • Microsoft Office
  • Scanning
  • Requesting loaner equipment and WiFi hot spots
  • Ergonomics

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office is licensed to be installed on 1 personal computer per person: https://ist.mit.edu/office/license

On Windows, Office 2019 64-bit is recommended.

Scanning

Requesting loaner equipment and WiFi hot spots

 IS&T maintains a limited pool of tablets, laptops, and peripherals for MIT faculty, students, and staff who do not have a computer with which to work remotely. Please log in using your MIT Touchstone account and fill out this form to request loaner equipment.

Ergonomics

The MIT EHS Industrial Hygiene Program has put together information on ergonomic support for remote working. Visit the following website and scroll down to the “Working Remotely” section.

MIT EHS Ergonomics Page

Support

In this section:

  • Additional Resources
  • Contacting IT Support

Additional Resources

Contacting IT Support

  • To reach MechE IT support, please email me-help@mit.edu for requests. Please ensure you have set up call forwarding from your MIT office phone so an IS&T staff member can call you back if necessary. Instructions for setting up call forwarding from VoIP phones can be found here.
  • If you need after-hours assistance (beyond the hours of 9am and 5pm), please reach out to IS&T’s 24-hour support line: 617-253-1101
  • Please note that in the coming weeks, IS&T will be receiving a high volume of inquiries and requests to help facilitate remote working and virtual education. Please continue to be patient and kind as our IT colleagues are hard at work to ensure we can all do our jobs with minimal disruption.
  • Effective Monday March 16, and until further notice, IS&T is ramping down all in-person support to minimize close contact with others to ensure the safety of our full community.
  • Walk-in IT help and repair services will not be offered in the Atlas Service Center. IS&T staff from the Atlas Service Center will also shift to remote work, augmenting Service Desk support capabilities. Limited staff will continue to visit campus to respond to urgent issues as required and permitted by the evolving COVID-19 situation.