Working Remotely

You will need a laptop or desktop computer that can function reliably.* In most cases, almost all devices within the past four years will certainly be acceptable.

The following guidelines are minimum computer specifications required for general purpose computing and participating in online instruction. Students should also review their academic program as specific majors may require greater specifications to adequately run required software.

Apple Computers

Operating system: Mac OS (Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterrey or later)

Processor: Intel Core i5 or higher; M1 is recommended

RAM: All Apple MacBooks come with the minimum amount of RAM**

Storage: At least 128GB SOLID STATE hard drive (SSD)

Camera: All Apple MacBooks come with a built-in camera and microphone that are suitable for education.***

Windows Computers

Operating system: Windows 10/11

Processor: Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3

RAM: At least 8 Gigabytes of RAM**

Storage: At least 128GB SOLID STATE hard drive (SSD)

Camera: Built-in or external web camera (480p or higher resolution) with microphone***

*Chromebooks and Tablet devices aren't recommended to be used as a primary computing device, unless your academic program requires it for curriculum purposes. While these devices can work, many core applications and services might be limited in functionality or features, especially when collaborating with peers and colleagues.

**Increased RAM tends to improve performance and speed. If you work with intensive programs-such as video editing, graphics, music notation software, etc, you may find 16GB or more RAM will be more suitable.

***Most desktops and laptops have a built-in web camera and microphone. If these built-in devices aren't functioning, you'll need to acquire an external camera or microphone.

We recommend a minimum bandwidth of 5 Mbps for both upload and download speed especially when managing full workloads remotely. Most commercial providers, even satellite, should offer packages that exceed this amount. For more information about residential internet and WIFI. please contact your internet service provider.

"How do I check my internet connection speed?"

You may check your upload and download speeds on a mobile or desktop device with an online tool

"What do upload and download speeds mean?"

1. Upload speed - refers to how quickly you send data from your device to the internet. This will effect the time it takes to upload an assignment to Canvas, share a photo online, or write a blog post. This number is typically lower/slower than download speed.
2. Download speed - refers to how quickly you receive data from the internet to your device. Activities like streaming video, gaming, downloading files, and viewing web pages are all determined by the download speed. This number/speed can be effected by a variety of factors.

There are many internet/web browsers that are available to use and download, and each one offers specific nuances and features that might suit your preferences more than another. However, UIW-based tools and resources might exhibit some oddities and unexpected behaviors on anything outside the list below. It's recommended that you use one of the browsers below when teaching online. Please know that all UIW-issued devices come with these pre-installed, so if you have a UIW-issued device you are good to go!*

If you are using a personal device to teach online, note that some of these come pre-installed on every type of laptop/desktop commercially available.** Check to see if they're installed before you start planning instruction.

Which Internet browsers are recommended?

In order of recommendation...

• Google Chrome
  • Download Google Chrome
  • Chrome browser training and help

• Microsoft Edge
  • Download Microsoft Edge
  • Edge help and learning

• Mozilla FireFox
  • Download FireFox
  • Learning the basics with FireFox

• Safari
  • Only available on Apple devices, comes pre-installed
  • Getting to know and learn Safari

• Brave web-browser
  • Download the Brave web-browser
  • Learn how to use Brave

*All UIW-issued Windows devices will come with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and FireFox installed. All UIW-issued Apple devices will come with Safari and Google Chrome installed.

**Any commercially bought Windows device comes with Microsoft Edge installed. All commercially bought Apple devices come with only Safari installed.

If you participate in video teleconferencing activities (Zoom, Teams, etc.), a web camera (aka webcam) can help personalize the experience and keep you connected to your colleagues and students. Most laptops/mobile devices have built-in cameras for teleconferencing, but if your device or home setup doesn't have one then you may need to acquire an external USB camera.

These simply plug in to a computer and work without installing/configuring and are often much better quality than built-in peripherals! Visit the link below to find a wide range of webcams with differing levels of features and form factors, all of which would pass as a recommendation.

Recommended Web Cameras

Note: This is not an affiliate link and UIW receives no compensation from anything purchased. UIW is not responsible for negative experiences with products from external parties. The link serves to show a particular brand/models of product that are recommended. Please, purchase a product from your desired retailer.

A microphone captures your voice and/or audio and sends it to listeners on the other side of a conference call, Zoom meeting, Teams, etc. Naturally, if you're planning on participating in remote conferencing calls on your PC you'll want to have a microphone. Most laptops/mobile devices have built-in microphones for teleconferencing, but if your device or home setup doesn't have one then you may need to acquire an external USB microphone.

These simply plug in to a computer and work without installing/configuring anything and are often much better quality than built-in peripherals! Visit the link below to find a wide range of microphones with differing levels of features and form factors, all of which would pass as a recommendation.

Recommended Microphones

Note: This is not an affiliate link and UIW receives no compensation from anything purchased. UIW is not responsible for negative experiences with products from external parties. The link serves to show a particular brand/models of product that are recommended. Please, purchase a product from your desired retailer.

If you need to take calls for your job, you can install the RingCentral app (see the Phone and Voicemail section below) to handle calls remotely on your existing UIW work number. Any calls made to your work number would be directly routed to your smartphone or desktop with options to customize the ringtone, call options, and more.

Additionally, many productivity services (like Office, Teams, Zoom, Calendar, etc) are also available in mobile versions. Instant messaging with colleagues through apps like RingCentral or Teams can prove to be incredibly convenient when off campus.

Microsoft Outlook serves as the primary Mail and Calendar application for all UIW employees and students. Your mailbox and calendar are available online through any web-browser on any device or via a more robust and downloadable app. See the options below to access Outlook and the Available Software link towards the bottom to find resources, tutorials and support options...

Online (Web-browser)

To access Outlook on the web, head to Cardinal Apps, then find and click on the blue 'Outlook' app. If you cannot find it, try searching for it in the search bar at the top of the Cardinal Apps home page.

• Get started in Outlook for the web-browser

Desktop (Local app)

Outlook is available as a part of the Office 365 suite of applications and can be downloaded in Cardinal Apps by following the guide below.

• Instructions to download Microsoft Office 365 suite, including Outlook.
  • Help and Learning portal for Microsoft Outlook
  • Get Started in Outlook for Windows
  • Get Started in Outlook for Mac

To learn more about the Outlook, visit the Available Software page below and select the 'Microsoft Outlook' tile to get started, view resources, and get support if you need it!

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

The Office 365 suite of applications are available at no cost to all UIW faculty, staff, and enrolled students and offer tools to help you stay connected, be productive, collaboratively work and get things done! The suite includes Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook (mail), and OneNote... All of which allow you to edit and share files

To find out more about the Office Suite, visit the Available Software page below and select the 'Microsoft Office 365' tile to get started, view resources, and get support if you need it!

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

OneDrive is the Microsoft cloud service that connects you to all your files. It lets you store and protect your files, share them with others, and get to them from anywhere on all your devices.

Benefits of using OneDrive with the Microsoft Office 365 Suite of tools

• Automatically save a backup copy of your files from anywhere
• Access files from anywhere
• Easily switch between different devices
• Share files with anyone, anywhere.
• UIW provides all users 5TB of storage space to be used freely
• 100GB Maximum single file size

How to get Microsoft OneDrive

Online (Web-browser)

The most seamless and easiest of the methods, the web version of OneDrive allows users to upload and share files from any device running a web-browser with an internet connection.

• Head to Cardinal Apps and click on the orange 'Office 365' tile, click the square set of dots in the upper left corner and click on OneDrive.

To find out more about the OneDrive, visit the Available Software page below and select the 'Microsoft OneDrive' tile to get started, view resources, and get support if you need it!

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Microsoft Teams (aka Teams) is a persistent chat-based collaboration platform complete with document sharing, video conferencing, and many more useful features for business and education-based communications. The platform helps everyone collaborate online wherever they're at and offers other features such as...

• Online video or audio-only conferencing: Share your screen, camera, or voice at the same time or individually. Teams is flexible in offering a variety of communication methods.
• Chat: Instantly search and find colleagues or anyone within the organization that's using Teams, complete with toggled status options to keep distractions at a minimum.
• Document storage in SharePoint: Every team within the platform automatically receives a SharePoint (shared OneDrive) site attached to the team. All the files shared with colleagues in the Team are conveniently shared in this shared space for collaboration and access.
• Organization: Manage your Team with dedicated spaces, called 'channels', to host specific types of conversation or idea sharing.
• Conversations within channels and teams: All team members can participate in conversations that are curated and organized by topic, importance, or whichever method a Team prefers.

To learn more about how to access and get started with Teams, view the 'Microsoft Teams' tile on the UIW Available Software page below...

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

The RingCentral desktop/mobile app can forward all of your work line calls directly to your desktop, laptop, or mobile device. These calls display as RingCentral calls, and the ring can be customized so you'll always know if it's a work item or personal call. The app comes loaded with features such as...

• A university-wide directory
• Call forwarding, handling, and filtering
• Extension management
• Video conferencing
• Instant messaging
• Faxing

To download RingCentral on a personal or work device, follow the links below to start managing your extension from anywhere.

• Install RingCentral (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android).
  • Navigating the desktop app and getting started.
  • RingCentral Mobile app basics (Video).

Just because you are working remotely, doesn't mean you're working alone! You can use video conferencing tools like Zoom to meet remotely with colleagues, students, departments, and individuals. Zoom provides audio, video, and collaboration tools and are available either through the web or a standalone application on your computer or mobile device. Visit the UIW Zoom page below to learn more...

Video conferencing with Zoom

Many of us are stressing our home networks like never before. If you find yourself having connectivity challenges, consider reading through the following resources.

• How to troubleshoot your home's WIFI.
• How to boost your home's WIFI.
• How to work from home when your internet goes out.

Alternatively, check out some of the following tips:

• If connected via WiFi carefully review the placement of your wireless router and laptop
  • The farther away you are the more chance for signal disruption and interference
  • Ensure your wireless router is in the open and not in a cabinet to allow for best signal propagation

• If possible select the 5Ghz WiFi network instead of the 2.4Ghz WiFi network
  • 5Ghz is more capable and has less interference. Nearly all modern routers provide this capability
  • Please refer to the manual or service provider information for details on specifics

• If enabled consider shutting off extra WiFi networks such as "guest" or "open"
  • Sometimes these networks are added or turned on by default

• Depending on the age of your wireless router, consider upgrading your hardware
  • You should look for "802.11ac" capable wireless routers. This is the latest signaling technology
  • New routers are more powerful, have better range, and offer other benefits

• If the placement of your router and computer allows consider a wired connection
  • Wired connections are not susceptible to signal loss or interference resulting in the best connection

• Check for competing for internet consumption
  • Streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and others can consume large amounts of bandwidth
  • Online gaming and gaming consoles should be considered. They may be consuming bandwidth if on but not used.

• Consider ad-blocker extensions for your internet browser
  • Web-based Ads, pop up videos, and other nuisances can unnecessarily consume bandwidth
  • Each browser can add these extensions at no cost

A small number of restricted services can only be accessed if you're connecting from a UIW network. The Cisco AnyConnect VPN allows only UIW employees to access these on-campus only resources from anywhere using their UIW credentials.

Example Use-Cases

• Users of Banner 9 “Admin” to enter or approve requisitions, payroll, or other financial functions will need to use the UIW VPN
• Library/UIW resources that will only load on-site
• Licensed software that operates on a site-based license

Instructions to install and connect via VPN are here for windows and here for macOS.

An alternative option to the VPN application is to connect via the vLab application in Cardinal Apps. This provides a virtual desktop that would allow access to anything needed for on-site purposes. You may follow the instructions on the UIW Virtual Lab site to learn more.

VPN Reminder:

The Virtual Private Network (VPN) tool - Cisco AnyConnect - is ONLY required in certain use cases. The primary application that requires VPN use is Banner 9 “Admin” for activities such as purchase order entry / approval, finance tasks, advising, registration, financial aid, etc. Users DO NOT need to use the VPN to connect to Canvas, Office365, Adobe, Zoom, vLab, Cardinal Apps and others. In fact, connecting via the VPN and using these tools may result in a less than optimal experience. Additionally, users who do use the VPN should consider connecting and completing those activities and then disconnecting immediately. This will ensure everything else will work great at home.

It can be tough to know what's available to you when you're new to UIW or working remotely. Visit the Available Software page to find a comprehensive list of educational software available to all UIW faculty and staff. Each tile showcases a specific piece of software including how to access the tool, what resources are available to use the tool, and how to get support for the tool.

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Users can send a print job from anywhere and release it on campus at a later point and time. Jobs printed from home or off-campus are stored for 72 hours and then are deleted, so if you are working remotely within that time period you can pull your print job whenever you get back to campus!

Detailed instructions on printing to UIW printers from home

Prior to recording or hosting online meetings please review UIW's Teleconferencing and Recording Policy with the link below. The purpose of this policy is to govern the use of the recording and privacy functions in teleconferencing applications. These applications include, but are not limited to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and RingCentral Meetings.

Teleconferencing and Recording Policy