Unofficial IT Tips & Tricks

bnt

Like the title says - if you have any tips & tricks that will help get the most of the systems, here's a place for them. For starters:

If you're coming back to UCD, you'll find all the PCs have been upgraded to Windows 7. The Desktop is now locked, and you can no longer put anything on it - but if you had anything on there last semester, it's still available in H:\Desktop. Your new default "My Documents" folder is H:\Documents, but all your old files will still be in H:\Personal.

The PCs are locked down, and you can't install anything on them yourself. You can, however, install PortableApps on a USB drive, or even to H: if you have the free space. If you do, I recommend starting with the PortableApps Platform, which has a menu and an automatic updating system for your PortableApps. Performance from slow USB drives can be ... slow - YMMV.

The new UCD Mail system runs on the Google Gmail platform. If you already use Gmail, it's helpful to enable Multiple Sign-In on both accounts, so you can have both going at the same time. When logged in, go to your Google settings (top right), Account Settings, then enable it there under "Security".

Red Alert

Connect Files seems to now be the new way to store your files - you can map a drive / set it up as a volume on your laptop. Question: is this now H: or has it even got a drive letter on the lab PCs?

bnt

Connect Files are not mapped to H: or any other letter as standard. Apart from the web interface you access via UCD Connect, the access method is WebDAV, and the help files tell you to use the Xythos Drive client to map a drive letter. I don't know if this can be done on a locked-down UCD PC - something for me to try tomorrow.

The "standard" Windows WebDAV method is Web Folders, which doesn't map a drive letter by default, but it's supposed to be possible from a command line.

bnt

OK, I've found a way to map a drive letter to Connect Files on a UCD PC. You have to create a short batch script and run it every time you log in.

Here's what I did. Insert usual disclaimer - no guarantees etc. This is as simple as I can make it, so if this method looks too hard, it is not for you.

---

Log in to UCD Connect and open Connect Files as normal. In the web window, you will see the path to your files on the server, which will be in two parts: <filestore> and your <studentid>. In my case, <filestore> is "filestore6", yours may be different - make a note of it. Note that this is not the URL to the web page shown at the top, but the "virtual path" shown just above the list of files.

Open Notepad and enter the following two lines:

net use W: https://connectfiles.ucd.ie/<filestore>/<studentid>/ /USER:<studentid> *

pause

Note the https in the URL - it's crucial. Replace <filestore> and <studentid> with the appropriate values for your setup. The second line just pauses the script so you can see if it's worked or not.

I've chosen drive W:, since that's one drive letter that is visible in Explorer - not all seem to work first time, with the way the PCs are locked down. I tried U: first, which didn't work - but now it does. Confusing.

Save the file as e.g. connectfiles.bat and execute it. If the drive letter doesn't appear in Explorer, try a different one. I have no explanation for this other than it has to do with the way these PCs are locked down. You will be prompted to enter your password. You could put your password in the script in place of the "*", but that's a bad idea.

Will

Pretty simple and can help you when in a bind, probably common sense to most.

Always email yourself your assignments or important documents, as long as you've an internet connection you can access it easily and pretty much zero chance of it being deleted/lost/corrupted

Sad Professor

Rather than emailing documents to yourself or using a USB stick, I'd recommend using DropBox. It syncs across multiple devices and ensures a constantly updated backup. I use it for all my college documents. You just need to add the proxy for it to work on the UCD network. I've ever had any need to use Connect Files.

._.

Sad Professor wrote: »

Rather than emailing documents to yourself or using a USB stick, I'd recommend using DropBox. It syncs across multiple devices and ensures a constantly updated backup. I use it for all my college documents. You just need to add the proxy for it to work on the UCD network. I've ever had any need to use Connect Files.

Evernote is pretty good for this too if you have an iPhone and Mac (there might be a windows version made now, I'm not sure).

ironclaw

Not specifically for UCD but keep your password secure and not your date of birth. Handy trick I've starting using is:

1) Choose a word e.g. dublin

2) Take the first letter of the website signing in i.e. b

3) Choose a random number e.g. 21

So your password for Boards.ie would be dublinb21

Basically means every site has a different but easily remembered password.

Secondly, remember that WaveLan is a public network. Don't sign into sites that are not secure and ensure that https is in use if its a secure site. Its possible to force a normal connection or redirect on WaveLan.

Thirdly, Use EduRoam if you can!

._.

ironclaw wrote: »

Thirdly, Use EduRoam if you can!

I'd use it a lot more if it didn't randomly boot me off the network all the time. It does the same thing on my Mac and iPhone, I swear it hates me.
Getting the ethernet sorted out next week though, I'll be expecting 6-11MB/s from it or I'll be severely disappointed.

EDIT: that's probably a good IT tip actually.

--> Buy an ethernet cable and use it.
You'll get:
• Much faster speeds
• Better security
• Way more stability & reliability
• No connection connection crap like on eduroam, after the first reg time, just plug it in and you're good
• Better battery life on laptops, with Wi-Fi turned off you should see a noticeable difference

And then you always have Wi-Fi for a backup incase you want to use your laptop while walking around campus

bnt

It is possible to use Dropbox on a UCD PC, thanks to a system called Dropbox Portable AHK. It basically "wraps" Dropbox to make it portable. It works fine, but with a couple of caveats:
- It will not sync with a network drive such as H: - that's something Dropbox do not allow, by design. It means, in practice, that you can only sync with a USB disk when using a UCD PC. (No such problem on your own computer, of course.)
- when setting it up, be sure to uncheck the option "save configuration for each PC". It kinda defeats the point of "portability" if you do that.
- you still need to set the Dropbox Proxy settings: proxy.ucd.ie:8484

Overature

Questian bout the new google mail that theve installed, is there a way to login with out going through connect? thanks

Slippers

Go to Gmail.
Put in your UCD email address as the username.
Hit enter and it should go to a page that says UCD Single Sign-On.
Use your UCD log-in details.

It doesn't work if I go straight to the Single Sign-On page first because it doesn't know where to send me after I've logged in.

Overature

Slippers wrote: »

Go to Gmail.
Put in your UCD email address as the username.
Hit enter and it should go to a page that says UCD Single Sign-On.
Use your UCD log-in details.

It doesn't work if I go straight to the Single Sign-On page first because it doesn't know where to send me after I've logged in.

cool thanks, that was a big help

bnt

My understanding is: even if you go through Gmail's front page, it still has to authenticate you against UCD's systems, because UCD has not handed your password to Google to use directly. So you may as well use UCD Connect. Me, I've set up forwarding to my main Gmail account.

Something I noticed today: my lecture schedule has been added to the Google calendar, but it's not visible by default. I had to turn it on:
- log in to UCD Connect.
- on the Calendar panel, use the option "configure viewable calendars"
- check "UCD Timetables" and any others you want.
This is a feature that's been requested for years, I'm surprised it's not being advertised in big type. :cool:

There are various options available for sharing this calendar with other applications e.g. under Calendar Settings you can get the URL for an iCal feed that you can use with Apple programs - though you may need to make your Calendar "Public" before it will work. (That's what the logic tells me, but I haven't tested this.)

Overature

bnt wrote: »

My understanding is: even if you go through Gmail's front page, it still has to authenticate you against UCD's systems, because UCD has not handed your password to Google to use directly. So you may as well use UCD Connect. Me, I've set up forwarding to my main Gmail account.

Something I noticed today: my lecture schedule has been added to the Google calendar, but it's not visible by default. I had to turn it on:
- log in to UCD Connect.
- on the Calendar panel, use the option "configure viewable calendars"
- check "UCD Timetables" and any others you want.
This is a feature that's been requested for years, I'm surprised it's not being advertised in big type. :cool:

There are various options available for sharing this calendar with other applications e.g. under Calendar Settings you can get the URL for an iCal feed that you can use with Apple programs - though you may need to make your Calendar "Public" before it will work. (That's what the logic tells me, but I haven't tested this.)

cool, yeah i saw that, does anybody know how to import the ucd calender into another gmail calender?

jimi_t2

Could someone give a step by step on how I can get my Android phone onto the network. I remember doing it before with EduRoam by downloading some cert and other confuscticated malarkey but can't seem to find it.

Also, are the necessary ports open so I can get my gMail (i.e. new ucdconnect) on the phone or it just the standard port 80?

smk89

jimi_t2 wrote: »

Could someone give a step by step on how I can get my Android phone onto the network. I remember doing it before with EduRoam by downloading some cert and other confuscticated malarkey but can't seem to find it.

Also, are the necessary ports open so I can get my gMail (i.e. new ucdconnect) on the phone or it just the standard port 80?

I googled android ucd and eduroam. How can you not find it?

bnt

Normally, with GMail, you can use their Microsoft Exchange compatibility to get your mail (Exchange server is m.google.com, login with full email address etc). That method uses the standard HTTP ports (80 and 443), which go through the proxy. On the iPhone, for example, you set up an Exchange connection under Settings, and then it syncs all your mail, contacts and calendar.

However, because of the way the Gmail / UCD authentication system works (see above), I don't think that the Exchange method will work with ucdconnect mail. It's not the ports, it's the way the servers are set up to talk back and forth. I tried it (on a Windows phone, not Android), but I basically gave up, and set up forwarding to my personal Gmail account, which works.

re the Calendar, I'm trying the following:
- log in to UCD Connect, go to Calendar (top right)
- select the "gear" icon at top right, then "Calendar settings"
- on the "Calendars" page, find "UCD Timetable", and click where it says "Shared: Edit Settings"
- where it says "Share with specific people", enter your other Gmail address, and change "Permission Settings" to whatever you want. Hit "Save".
If you go to your main Google calendar, you should see the events from the UCD Timetable in there.

Jumpy

ironclaw wrote: »

Not specifically for UCD but keep your password secure and not your date of birth. Handy trick I've starting using is:

1) Choose a word e.g. dublin

2) Take the first letter of the website signing in i.e. b

3) Choose a random number e.g. 21

So your password for Boards.ie would be dublinb21

Basically means every site has a different but easily remembered password.

Secondly, remember that WaveLan is a public network. Don't sign into sites that are not secure and ensure that https is in use if its a secure site. Its possible to force a normal connection or redirect on WaveLan.

Thirdly, Use EduRoam if you can!

I work in IT security.

That password method is a very bad idea.

Firstly do not use dictionary words. Mix up capitals, symbols and lower case. Throw in a number or two.

Even better, if you have a large password character limit, use a passphrase instead.
Such as "I like hats. Hats are cool"
Brute forcing that one would be a bitch of a job.

Raphael

http://xkcd.com/936/

ironclaw

Jumpy wrote: »

I work in IT security.

That password method is a very bad idea.

Firstly do not use dictionary words. Mix up capitals, symbols and lower case. Throw in a number or two.

Even better, if you have a large password character limit, use a passphrase instead.
Such as "I like hats. Hats are cool"
Brute forcing that one would be a bitch of a job.

Yeah I do a lot of reading and research into crypto and web app security myself. From experience, I sometimes find we can be over paranoid. Bruteforcing "dublin" versus "dublin21b" or "21dublinb" would be chalk and cheese, even with rainbow tables etc. Your effectly salting twice. And even if you did the above, you've only exposed the password of that site, assuming you know the position of which letter corresponds to the site. You could always use the first and last "dublinbs21" which is again fairly secure and also a hell of a lot easier to remember than "d_ubl1mb$21"

Will

Anyone been able to successfully sync their timetables onto their iphone using google calendar? Been trying for the last hour or so and I've been un-successful.

Shared the calendar from my ucd connect account to my main gmail one and it's meant to sync onto the calendar app but isn't happening. Any ideas or even can it be done?

edit - nevermind, got it sorted.

Fuzzy_Dunlop

Will wrote: »

Anyone been able to successfully sync their timetables onto their iphone using google calendar? Been trying for the last hour or so and I've been un-successful.

Shared the calendar from my ucd connect account to my main gmail one and it's meant to sync onto the calendar app but isn't happening. Any ideas or even can it be done?

edit - nevermind, got it sorted.

Would you be able to explain how you fixed it?

Chet T16

I set up my ucd mail to forward to my normal gmail account and it seems to be suffering from selective forwarding disorder. Anyone else having trouble with it?

graduate

I set up my ucd mail to forward to my normal gmail account and it seems to be suffering from selective forwarding disorder. Anyone else having trouble with it?

make sure that the missing mails aren't going into the spam filter.

**Timbuk2**

Is it possible to install dropbox on the ucd computers? I successfully installed it today but not surprisingly it disappeared when I logged out and back in again!

Chet T16

graduate wrote: »

make sure that the missing mails aren't going into the spam filter.

And that just goes to show that no matter how long you've had a computer/internet you can still be an idiot sometimes

Found my missing emails...

Chet T16

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Is it possible to install dropbox on the ucd computers? I successfully installed it today but not surprisingly it disappeared when I logged out and back in again!

I spent some time trying to get it installed using a modified portable version but with no luck. I also tried mounting my H drive at home (theres software on the UCD site to do this) and use a folder sync program to sync with the dropbox folder but that came to a dead end too

**Timbuk2**

^Ah that's a pity, would be incredibly handy to have dropbox on the UCD Desktop - I often try and get files onto the UCD computers in order to print (I've tried setting up printing from my laptop a few times, and it never seems to work for me!). Back to emailing them to myself, or using a USB key!

Sad Professor

DropBox's online interface works pretty well. You can also email documents directly into your account.

**Timbuk2**

Sad Professor wrote: »

DropBox's online interface works pretty well. You can also email documents directly into your account.

Oh I didn't know it had one - that's exactly what I wanted really! Thanks

bnt

I did mention Dropbox Portable AHK before - definitely works at UCD, just not with network drives such as H: (a Dropbox limitation by design). It's OK syncing with a USB key, but can take quite some time on first sync.

Will

Fuzzy_Dunlop wrote: »

Would you be able to explain how you fixed it?

I first set up my ucd connect account to forward to my main gmail.
Then I "shared" my ucd connect calendar with my main gmail - read only, no editing ability.

Figured this would be enough to access it from my calendar as I'd google sync set up on my iphone as it was.

Long story short I basically re-synced, made sure contacts,calendar and mail were selected and up it popped.

bnt

This is more official than unofficial, bit worth pointing out. Previously I was concerned that normal mail packages wouldn't work with your UCD mail. Google wasn't handed your UCD password, so connecting to the new email system requires Gmail to authenticate you against UCD's servers, complicating the whole process.

It turns out you have the option of breaking that connection and setting up a password for your account on Google's servers, so that you can access your mail using more standard methods, as per the link above. Look under "What if I’m using an application like Outlook to access my email?"

I haven't tried this myself, since I'm happier forwarding to my other Gmail account, but this should be a good solution for people with e.g. iPhones. I stlll recommend using the Microsoft Exchange method of connecting, rather than IMAP, since that uses standard HTTP ports and plays nicely with UCD's proxy servers. It also supports syncing of your Calendar and Contacts too. If you do this, the "Exchange Server" is m.google.com, use your full email address as username.

ironclaw

In Case You Changed Your UCD Gmail Password - iOS Devices

I was having an odd problem when I changed my password after logging into the UCD Gmail interface. If you do this (Click your email in the top right corner, its under Account Settings), your given the option to set the password as the same as your UCDConnect password or choose a new one. If you do either, you'll probably lose connectivity from your iPhone, iTouch etc.

To get back in, delete the mail account on your iPhone but instead of adding "Other" chose "Gmail" and fill out the details as before. Its actually abit easier than having to go through the lenghty UCD IT Services with the server, SSL ports etc.

bnt

Red Alert wrote: »

Connect Files seems to now be the new way to store your files - you can map a drive / set it up as a volume on your laptop. Question: is this now H: or has it even got a drive letter on the lab PCs?

I'm bringing this thread back up because there are more IT changes on the way. The current H: drive is going away, and Connect Files will be the new H: drive. This is already the case on the PCs in the Daedalus building, and it's being rolled out across campus soon.

I don't know whether the IT dept are going to migrate your current data for you, but I wouldn't assume that. If you have data on H: you can still get to it via the IT Services tab on the UCD Connect portal, and I hope they'll leave that up for a while.

The good news about Connect Files is that it follows the WebDAV standard, so you'll be able to connect to it from home or anywhere else. I think I've talked about this elsewhere in this thread - there's a way of finding the URL you require for this. You can do it with "Add Network Folder" method, or if you want a drive letter, look up the "net use X:" command line method.

The bad news about WebDAV is that this flexibility comes at a price: it's slower than the existing file access method. But you do get more space (2GB vs 500MB), and that doesn't include the 25 GB provided by Google if you log in to UCD Connect, select "Email" then "Drive".

PS for the geeks: I'm currently testing a service called Otixo that aggregates multiple "cloud storage" services under one WebDAV link. I'm currently using it to access 9 separate services, including 2 Google Drive accounts (the UCD account and my own), UCD Connect Files, Microsoft SkyDrive, Dropbox, box.net, and others. (It will be 10 when they add support for cx.com as promised.) Each service appears as a folder under a single WebDAV link, and I can also move data between them via the website. Since it uses the standard SSL port (443), it all works inside UCD too.
Since they don't provide storage themselves, there's no space limit, but they do have a bandwidth limit staring at 2GB/month. A referral is not required, but using one gets us both an extra 100MB/month - PM me your email address if you want a referral. No, I don't put any personal data on "the cloud", nor do I do piracy - at the moment, this is a solution in search of a problem. :cool: