Remote Access & Home Working

Staff that do not already have the Attendance Monitoring (T) Drive mapped to their device can do so by following the below instructions.

Using a University provided Microsoft Windows Device?

If you have a university provided Microsoft Windows laptop, you will already be connected to the VPN using the inbuilt service called Always-On VPN as long as you are connected to a network with internet access.

Using a Personal Microsoft Windows Device?

If you have your own personal Microsoft Windows device, please follow our guides below:

1. Microsoft Windows - Setup the UWTSD VPN Service Guide
2. Microsoft Windows - Accessing the T Drive Connection Guide

Using a Personal Apple Mac Device?

If you have your own personal Apple Mac device, please follow our guides below:

1. Apple MacOS - Setup the UWTSD VPN Service Guide
2. Apple MacOS - Accessing the T Drive Connection Guide

If you require guidance on using the Attendance Monitoring System (AMS), please refer to our Attendance Monitoring System Full User Guide.

Staff that do not already have the Departmental Shared (S) Drive mapped to their device can do so by following the below instructions.

Using a University provided Microsoft Windows Device?

If you have a university provided Microsoft Windows laptop, you will already be connected to the VPN using the inbuilt service called Always-On VPN as long as you are connected to a network with internet access.

Using a Personal Microsoft Windows Device?

If you have your own personal Microsoft Windows device, please follow our guides below:

1. Microsoft Windows - Setup the UWTSD VPN Service Guide
2. Microsoft Windows - Accessing the S Drive Connection Guide

Using a Personal Apple Mac Device?

If you have your own personal Apple Mac device, please follow our guides below:

1. Apple MacOS - Setup the UWTSD VPN Service Guide
2. Apple MacOS - Accessing the S Drive Connection Guide

Microsoft Windows Laptops

If you have a university supplied Windows laptop you will be able to use the inbuilt service called AOVPN to enable you to connect securely to all University IT Services as if you were on campus.

In most circumstances, this service is setup by default on all university staff Windows 10 laptops and works seamlessly without you needing to do anything. Simply login to your laptop and work as normal.

Having connectivity issues? Contact our IT Service Desk 24/7/365.

Apple Mac Laptops

If you have a university Apple MacBook, you will need to install the latest FortiClient EMS application from the self-service portal on your MacBook. To install the client, follow our Apple MacOS Self-Service VPN Setup Guide.

If you don't have a university supplied laptop, you can access most systems from your personal device or connect to university shared drives from your personal device by following our guides below.

Connect your personal device to shared drives

Just need access to shared drives? You can follow the step-by-step guides below to connect to shared drives on your personal device.

Using a Personal Microsoft Windows Device?

If you have your own personal Microsoft Windows device, please follow our guides below:

1. Microsoft Windows - Setup the UWTSD VPN Service Guide
2. Microsoft Windows - Accessing the S Drive Connection Guide
3. Microsoft Windows - Accessing the T Drive Connection Guide

Using a Personal Apple Mac Device?

If you have your own personal Apple Mac device, please follow our guides below:

1. Apple MacOS - Setup the UWTSD VPN Service Guide
2. Apple MacOS - Accessing the S Drive Connection Guide
3. Apple MacOS - Accessing the T Drive Connection Guide

If you require guidance on using the Attendance Monitoring System (AMS), please refer to our Attendance Monitoring System Full User Guide.

You can install Microsoft Office 365 for free on your personal devices including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams & Skype for Business.

Once installed on your personal device, you can login with your university account and access the same Microsoft services and files as if you were on campus.

Mobile Phones & Tablets

Search your devices app store for the app you'd like to install and download it. Once downloaded, login to the app with your university email address and password.

Windows & Apple Mac Laptops & Computers

1. Visit Microsoft Office and login with your university email address and password
2. Follow the instructions to install Office 365

More detailed instructions can be found on the Microsoft Website or you can watch a short Microsoft video guide.

If you need to collaborate with colleagues & students including having virtual meetings or lectures, we recommend using Microsoft Teams.

To find out how to download and make use of Teams for interacting with colleagues and students visit our Microsoft Teams page.

If your office phone is a Skype for Business phone, you can download the Skype for Business software on your home computer laptop or mobile device to make and receive phone calls as if you were on campus.

To find out how to download and make use of Skype for Business visit our Skype for Business page.

Staff are reminded that while working at home they are still bound by the University’s policies particularly those relating to:

• Data Protection
• IT Acceptable Use Policy

Staff wishing to temporarily take home IT peripheral kit from their own office equipment (including, keyboards, mice & docking stations) to help them when working from home, must speak to their Head of Department for approval. Your Head of Department will be required to keep an inventory of who has loaned what equipment along with serial numbers and inform the Finance Department via insurance@uwtsd.ac.uk. 

Please note, we do not permit the removal of Desktop PCs or iMac’s to be used at home. 

The process for temporarily loaning IT peripheral equipment:

• Contact your Head of Unit/Institute to request to take home Office IT Peripherals
• Head of Unit/Institute will either approve or reject the request
• For kit approved to be taken home, the Head of Unit/Institute will keep an inventory of who has loaned what equipment (including the serial numbers of the equipment)
• Head of Unit/Institute to email insurance@uwtsd.ac.uk to confirm equipment taken off campus

The TEL Resources Centre contains guides and videos on the core technologies you will need when delivering teaching online.

If you have any specific questions or support requests, please contact the TEL team:

• Moodle enquiries: moodle@uwtsd.ac.uk or (01792) 481049
• Other TEL enquiries: tel@uwtsd.ac.uk or (01792) 481119

Digital Connectivity - Limited or no broadband options at home?

The University is looking to assist those students and staff who are studying or working from home and have either very poor speeds or no broadband provision.

If you do live in an area where broadband is either not available or the speeds available are very low (lower than 5Mb available - as can be confirmed via Broadband Checker), there are options for you via a Welsh Government grant to fund alternative broadband provision such as mobile and wireless broadband. These technologies do not utilise normal broadband infrastructure and so can provide a more flexible service to remote locations.

Find out more by visiting our Home Internet Help webpage.

To help get the best from your home internet, follow our tips below:

• Position your internet router as far as possible from other devices that may interfere with the signal, such as on a table or shelf rather than the floor.
• Keep your router switched on. By consistently turning your router on and off, it can reduce overall speeds as providers will see this as line issues.
• If you're carrying out video calls or meetings, turning the video off and using audio will require much less of your internet connection.
• Try starting those calls at less common times, rather than on the hour or half hour.
• For the best broadband speeds, use an ethernet cable to connect your computer directly to your router rather than using wi-fi.
• Where possible, try not to use a telephone extension lead, as these can cause interference which could lower your speed.
• Devices that can interfere with router signals include: cordless phones, baby monitors, halogen lamps, dimmer switches, stereos, computer speakers, TVs and monitors.
• Make calls on a landline where possible, given the increase in the demand on mobile networks.
• If you do need to use your mobile, try using your settings to turn on wi-fi calling especially in areas with low/poor signal.
• Similarly, you can make voice calls over the internet using apps like Facetime, Skype or WhatsApp.
• Disconnect devices, the more devices attached to your wi-fi, the lower the speed you get. Devices like tablets and smartphones often work in the background, so try switching wi-fi reception off on these when you're not using them.
• Download films in advance rather than streaming them when someone else may be trying to make a video call, to the less expected.
• If using Wireless connectivity, don't use the microwave when you're making video calls, watching HD videos or doing something important online.