BU provides three options for Internet access:
- Ethernet connections in offices
- Wireless access from certain locations on campus
- Modem dialup services for people living or working off-campus.
You may also choose to use a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) and connect to BU resources via that ISP. The instructions provided below will assist you in making any of these connections.
Connecting from On Campus
BU Ethernet network
If you work on the BU Charles River Campus see this page for information on your Ethernet connection.
BU wireless network
Wireless service for laptops is available from certain locations on campus.
By modem from unwired offices
If you are on campus but do not have Ethernet access, you can dial in with a modem. The instructions provided for off-campus modem configuration are also applicable in this situation, although the phone number will be different. Instead of the phone number provided in the off-campus documentation, users in this situation should use 39600 as the dial-up number. This service is accessible only from on-campus offices (numbers in the 353 and 358 exchanges).
Connecting from Off Campus
BU modem dial-Up
If you are off-campus you can dial in with a modem. Please note that BU does not offer an 800 service so if the phone call to Boston is not free for you, you should consider using a different ISP.
Using a different ISP
Learn how to access BU resources, including e-mail, when BU is not your Internet Service Provider.
Using a calling card (for dial-up) with Windows XP
If you are traveling and don't have access to a local ISP, you can dial in with a modem, and may want to use a phone card.
ACS accounts
The Academic Computing System accounts are available to all faculty and staff. You can open an account online or in person at Information Technology's Input/Output Services window in the basement of 111 Cummington Street. ACS services are accessible from anywhere, and can be used to access all University web-based services (faculty link, staff link, etc.), PC labs at MET CS. ACS is managed by the Office of Information Technology. Help desk: 617-353-7272
Individual ACS accounts for BU faculty and staff are processed online. Once you have completed the online application, you must present your current BU ID at Information Technology's Input/Output Services window in the basement of 111 Cummington Street. Your account will normally be available within twelve hours.
Department ACS accounts must be sponsored by the head of the department.
To create an account for a department, follow these steps:
- Complete and print the Department Account Application. The form you complete is an interactive PDF file. You can complete it online, then print and sign it.
- The department sponsor should submit on BU letterhead the proposed use of the account.
- Include a list of those who will have access to the account and authorization to change the password.
- Have a first and second choice of desired login name.
- Applications must have supervisor's or department head's signature.
- You can fax both the application and letter (617-353-6260).
You will be called to come in to establish the password when the application has been approved and the computer account created.
Tyngsboro students can request their ACS accounts WITHOUT the need to come to BU campus.
- Request an account online
- No later than two days after you have requested your account e-mail Mary Carlson, Manager of Off-Campus Programs (carlsonm@bu.edu, 617-358-2901) with your full name and BU ID
- Mary will verify your account and send you a confirmation e-mail.
- Log into your account AFTER 6 pm on the day you receive the confirmation (logging in earlier may necessitate repeating the process).
PCSC
Personal Computing Support Center
The PCSC is a free resource dedicated to helping Boston University students, faculty and staff use their personal computers and the Internet. They have a help desk for phone and walk-in support in room B19 at 111 Cummington Street (617-353-7272).
The PCSC is probably the best all-round resource for computing questions that don't fall under the purview of the School of Management's ITS department.
You can find a great deal of useful information on their site at http://www.bu.edu/pcsc.
People.bu.edu
People.bu.edu is a Web server at Boston University for students, faculty, staff, and organizations that want to publish on the Web. It's available to nearly anyone affiliated with Boston University.
How can I apply for space on people.bu.edu?
Provided you already have an ACS account, you can apply with an online form. Following completion of the form you should receive e-mail confirmation within 15 minutes.
You can contact MET ITS helpdesk for training in the ftp program you'll need to transfer files to your area on people.bu.edu.
For more details about this and other Web publishing services, visit WebCentral.
Online Records and Information
The Link provides an online connection to university records and information. For example, faculty can use it to pull up their class lists, students can use it to see their schedules and grades, register online, or check payment and billing information, staff can use it to check employment information, etc.
You must first have an ACS account with username and Kerberos password. This information will allow you to log in to any of the various areas of the Link to which you may have access.
The Link has various sub-areas for different groups of users. These sub-areas can be entered from a common gateway: The Link menu. The Link Support Line is 617-353-5465.
WebCT and CourseInfo
CourseInfo (http://courseinfo.bu.edu/) and WebCT (http://webct.bu.edu/) help faculty build, conduct, and manage courses on the Web. Both are fully Web-based. Anything you can do on the Web, you can do in CourseInfo and WebCT.
- Each product includes tools to post announcements, a calendar, bulletin boards, chat, e-mail, and a whiteboard.
- Both also include assessment tools that support multiple-choice, true or false, fill in the blank, matching, and essay questions. Only essay questions are not automatically graded.
- Grade books allow students to view their own grades online if the instructor desires.
- Student tracking gives instructors a way to roughly measure how actively students are using the course site and what materials are most frequently requested.
- In both products, instructors control access to course content. Instructors can develop courses online, keeping their work in progress hidden from students' view until they are ready to make it available.
Differences
WebCT, the more mature product, is more powerful and contains more features than CourseInfo, but is universally considered more difficult for faculty to use.
CourseInfo, the younger product, is not as powerful or fully featured as WebCT, but it has a consistent and well-designed interface for faculty.
WebCT is a closed system. You cannot view content in any course unless you are on the roster for that class.
CourseInfo is a more open system. If you have a CourseInfo account, you can view content, except the communications area, of any course unless the instructor has restricted access.
Requesting a CourseInfo or WebCT Site
Request a new CourseInfo or WebCT site faculty should use the new course form.
To copy an existing site faculty can use this copy an existing site form.
EMAIL
Electronic mail is a free service provided to the entire Boston University community.
ACS email services
The Academic Computing System (ACS) provides the University's central e-mail services, accessible from the Web at www.bu.edu/webmail/, through a wide variety of e-mail programs using IMAP and POP, and through UNIX clients such as PINE.
For detailed information on getting an account and support go to: http://www.bu.edu/pcsc/email/.
Exchange email services
Microsoft Exchange services provide email, calendaring and scheduling, public folders, contact lists, to-do lists, tasks, etc. to full-time faculty and staff of MET.
To get an Exchange account email your request with the first name, last name and BU ID number to ITMET@BU.EDU. Once your request received, you will be asked to complete two steps:
- Register at http://www.bu.edu/computing/accounts/ad/dee (you will need your BU ID, BU login name and Kerberos password to complete the registration).
- Change your BU electronic PH entry to direct all your mail to Exchange mail services
- Go to http://www.bu.edu/directory;
- Click on Change Your Entry in the drop-down “Directory” menu;
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Login to BU Electronic Directory”
- Login using BU Login name and Kerberos password
- When the Account Information Page loads change the email entry to yourname@ad2.bu.edu
- Click on the Update Listing button and Confirm Changes
You can access your Exchange email account using:
- Microsoft Outlook email client that supports all of the services available via Exchange. To configure your local Outlook account call 617-358-0014 or click here.
- Outlook Web Access interface. Internet Explorer is a recommended browser for accessing MS Exchange, but any browser will work with some minor limitations. To access your email over the web go to: https://xmsweb.bu.edu and enter your user name and password.
SERVERS
MET ITS supports the following servers;
Server name |
Services provided |
Note |
MET.BU.EDU |
Authentication, file, print, backup, restore services to all faculty and administrative staff of MET & EE |
Supports150 users and 29 printers |
MET-WEB.BU.EDU |
Hosts: |
Supports 150 users |
CSMET.BU.EDU |
Hosts: |
Supports 150 users |
SECURITY SERVER |
Hosts: |
Supports 300 users |
CPE.BU.EDU |
Multiple applications, website and databases to support Center for Professional Education |
Supports CPE and all its clients |
PRINTERS
MET ITS supports network printing services at six locations. To install print client or any of the MET network printers go to: https://met.bu.edu/ipp
BACKUP/RESTORE SERVICES
We provide daily backups for all servers Monday-Friday, every Friday of every week for four weeks, every last day of every month and store (off-site) monthly backups for 12 months according to established MET policy.
Our restore procedures assure immediate on-demand restore of user data. To request your data to be restored email ITMET@BU.EDU
SOFTWARE
We research, recommend, purchase, install, configure and support a wide variety (over 25 packages) of software, including desktop and network operating systems, MS Office and other productivity applications, college applications, software development tools, and specialized software packages for education.
We maintain site licenses for the following major packages:
- MS Office Pro
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Macromedia Studio
- FileMaker Pro
- WinZip
Most Microsoft software programs are available to all faculty, staff and students through MET Academic Alliance subscription - MSDNAA.
We can research, recommend and purchase any software per your request. Please email ITMET@BU.EDU with any software questions.
LABS
Metropolitan College operates four pc laboratories located at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, second floor (617-358-0014)
Labs operating hours are:
| Fall/Spring | Monday-Sunday | 09:00 am – 11:00 pm |
| Summer | Monday-Thursday Friday-Sunday |
04:00 pm – 10:00 pm 12:00 pm – 06:00 pm |
Labs are closed during all holidays, intersession and spring break. Please note that lab rooms get reserved for classes during certain hours.
Please check labs calendar at http://csmet.bu.edu/labs.
Computer labs have 24x7 video monitoring system.
Each lab includes 17 DELL PC's running Windows or Linux operating systems, LaserJet network printer, scanner and a maunted LCD projector.
The following software is installed in the labs:
Microsoft: Office pro, Project Pro, Visio Pro, VisualStudio, MSDNA Library, SQL Server;
Adobe: Acrobat Reader, Photoshop; Mathworks MATLAB; Macromedia Studio; Oracle DB; SAS; SPSS
Any additional software can be installed in the labs per instructor’s request by MET ITS.
All PCs in our labs are part of BU Active Directory and require Kerberos authentication to login.
There is always a lab operator on duty during the hours of operations.
Instructors may reserve lab rooms to conduct hands-on instructions and class laboratories. To reserve a lab room please e-mail ITMET@BU.EDU or call 617-353-4063. All reservations should be done at least 48 hours in advance. We will always try to accommodate last minute reservations, but cannot guarantee the space. There is a lab reservation calendar you can check for availability of space at: http://csmet.bu.edu/labs.
To rent a lab at MET, please email to: ITMET@BU.EDU or call Julia Burstein at 617-358-0008.
Fees approved for use in renting MET PC labs:
$100 per hour (min 1 hour) $300 for 4 hours $600 for 8 hours
Payment within BU can be made by journal entry, from outside BU can be made by check to Boston University.
PC labs are located at 808 Commonwealth Avenue, second floor, Room 250. The building is on the corner of the BU Bridge crossing, on the Brookline side. There is an art gallery at the ground level. The entrance to the labs is from the continuation of the BU Bridge, Essex Street.
