Logging In Explained (UWC)
This week's tip is for UWC staff and faculty. It explains how best to log into the various systems UWC faculty and staff use on a daily basis. Thanks to Jason Scholz for writing this tip.
Logging In
With a single sign-on, people no longer have to remember two separate passwords. Instead, one can use their network user name and password to access just about any resource out there.
There is some confusion though about how to login properly to some resources. This tip will explain how to login to various resources and why it is done that way.
Your Computer
When logging into your computer you are asked for two important pieces of information: your user name and your password. Some use their first.last name:
And others use their full e-mail address:
So which one is right?
The answer, in this case, is both ways are perfectly acceptable.
To see why this is the case, expand the login screen to its fullest view (if it isn't already) by clicking on the Options >> button:
The Log on to: field is the key in this particular case. Here you notice it points to UWC . If we drop it down, we can change this to several other items, one being a name followed by (this computer), or the computer itself. In this case the computer is named ADM-SOFTTEST :
If I hit OK now, with ADM-SOFTTEST plugged in to the Log on to: field, I can't login:
Why didn't this log me in? The answer is this: I wasn't logging into the network, which knows me as jason.scholz. I was trying to login to the computer, which has no idea who I am.
To illustrate this simply, think of the computer as a go-between from you to the network. When the Log on to: is set to UWC the computer sends your user name and password to the UWC network. The network looks you up, checks your password, and, if all is well, let's you in. This is called a Network Login.
However, when the Log on to: box is set to Your Machine Name (this machine) the computer looks inside itself for your user name and password. This is called a Local Login.
Most people do not have a local login because it has to be set up manually on every machine. Having a network login is much more practical since it allows you to login to any computer that is connected to the network automatically.
When you log on using your first.last name followed by @uwc.edu you are forcing the Log on to: box to ignore whatever it is set to and point to UWC . This is illustrated in the following picture:
Notice how we can't change the Log on to: box anymore? That's because the @uwc.edu after my login name is telling it to bypass that Log on to: box and go straight to the UWC network to log me in. If I was to hit OK I would be logged in just fine.
Likewise, if I choose to set the box to UWC and just use jason.scholz as my user name, I would also be able to log in just fine:
By removing the @uwc.edu from the end of my user name I was able to enable the Log on to: box again.
Key Points to Remember
- A Network Login works by sending your user name and password to be checked by the server. If the server says your information is correct it tells the computer to let you in.
- A Local Login works by checking your user name and password against those stored inside just the machine you are logging in to. Most people do not have a local login because a network administrator has to set this up manually.
- The Options >> button on the login screen will allow you to change the Log on to: field. Conversely, you can hit the Options << button again to hide this field.
- You will always be able to login successfully by using your first.last name followed by @uwc.edu and the correct password. This is because this tells the Log on to: field to ignore whatever information is in that field and to login directly to the UWC network.
- You will always be able to login with your first.last name and the correct password if Log on to: is set to UWC .
Make Sense?
Logging into Other UWC Tools
What about everything else? Outlook Web Access, PRISM, and this newfangled IAA Authentication Hub? What do I use there?
For all services EXCEPT Outlook Web Access you should always log on with just your first.last name. No @uwc.edu . Why? These services don't have a local login so it is assumed you are logging in to the UWC network.
With Outlook Web Access the truth is it doesn't matter. Either jason.scholz or jason.scholz@uwc.edu will work just fine.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Who can I call if I have a problem logging in?
If you are logging into a lab or work machine at a campus you should contact your campus support staff. If you are having trouble anywhere else you should call the helpdesk at 877-449-1877.
Remember these tips are archived at http://www.uwex.uwc.edu/outlook/tips/ , so after you read this e-mail, delete it! Make sure though that you have the web site bookmarked in your browser.