1. Smith Mail: Smith uses Smith Mail (powered by Google Apps for Education) for email. Here’s how to log in to your Smith Mail account:

- Open a Web browser (Chrome recommended) and go to:  http://mail.smith.edu/
- In the Smith Mail login window, enter your Smith Mail username and password.
- If prompted to accept a usage agreement, click Yes.

Your username is usually the first letter of your first name (or your preferred name, if you specified one), followed by up to 19 letters of your last name. (For example, Anna Reyerson’s username would be areyerson.)

Your initial password is the last 4 digits of your 9-digit Smith ID number plus the first 4 characters of your username. (For example, if Anna Reyerson’s ID number was 991234567, her initial password would be 4567arey.)

Note that passwords must be at least 8 characters long. If your full username has fewer than 4 characters, use your full username with the last letter repeated as the second part of your initial password. (For example, Diane Li’s username is dli and her Smith ID number is 991223344, so her initial password would be 3344dlii.)

If your username and password combination doesn’t work, it could be because your username is an exception to the rule. (Exceptions are required when more than one person has the same first initial and last name.)

For assistance, send email to 4its@smith.edu or call the User Support Center at (413) 585-4487. The USC is open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM during the summer.

Important: Smith Mail is an official communication channel at Smith and you are expected to read all messages sent to your Smith Mail account by college faculty and staff.  Be sure to test your Smith Mail login soon so we can help you resolve any problems before you come to campus.

2. Password resets: Once you have successfully logged in to Smith Mail once, we recommend resetting your password to something harder for a hacker to guess, such as intermingled letters and numbers (e.g., 7t9x3v44).

To reset your password, click here. Note that your new password will work for Smith Mail, the Moodle course management system (see below), the campus wired and wireless networks, and Smith’s library databases.

You can also get to the password-reset page by clicking on the Reset Password link in the green bar at the top of the TARA home page.  The TARA web site (Technology And Resource Adviser) is a good place to visit in any case, since it’s chock full of information about using technology at Smith.

3. Moodle: Many Smith instructors and programs use the Moodle course management system. To log in to Moodle, go to http://moodle.smith.edu/. Your Moodle username and password are the same as your Smith Mail username and password.

4. Smith Residence Network: If you will be living in a Smith residence house, be sure to read about connecting to the Smith Residence Network (ResNet).

5. Buying a new computer: If you’re planning to buy a new computer before you come to Smith, visit the the Smith Computer Store web page.

6. Preparing a Windows computer:  Windows users, we strongly recommend doing the following before you come to campus:

• Install all Important and Critical Windows updates: To check the status of your Windows updates, open Internet Explorer and go to Tools, then Windows Update. When the update window opens and completes its check, click the Express button to download and install the recommended updates. If you are missing multiple updates, you may need to restart your computer and repeat this process several times to get all the updates you need.
• Install CCleaner and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the Smith software download site. These two programs can help clean up your computer if it is compromised by malware. It is much easier to remove malware from your computer if these programs are installed before it is attacked.

7. Anti-virus Software:  All students should have anti-virus software installed on their computer. Once you know your Smith Mail username and password, you can download a free copy of McAfee VirusScan for Windows or Mac from the Smith software download site.

Before you install McAfee VirusScan, check to see if you have any other anti-virus software installed on your computer, such as Norton AntiVirus, Sophos, AVG, etc. If you do, you can continue using that software if you wish. If you want to switch to McAfee VirusScan, you must un-install your other anti-virus program (even a trial version of McAfee) before you install VirusScan, or VirusScan won’t work properly.

8. Wireless network: Smith students can access the campus wireless network in almost every academic and administrative building  as well as the residence houses. Click here to learn more about connecting to the wireless network.

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Questions? If you have questions about any of the information in this TechNotes post, please call the Smith User Support Center at 413-585-4487 any weekday between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, or send us email at 4its@smith.edu.

To view all TechNotes posts, click on the word “TechNotes” at the top of this page. For more software instructions, user guides, and tips on a variety of technology topics, visit Smith’s TARA (Technology And Resource Adviser) web site.

The Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications used to commit these violations include BitTorrent, Gnutella, Limewire, and Ares.  If you have any of these applications or similar ones on your computer, we recommend that you remove them immediately.

If you choose to keep P2P software on your computer and are detected using it to distribute copyright-protected material, please be aware of the consequences.  You will first be notified that you are in violation of federal copyright law and the college’s policy on the acceptable use of computer resources.  If you do not remove the software at that time, your network access will be disabled and you will be required to meet with the Dean of Students.  If the problem persists, the matter will be referred to the Judicial Board.

Please take the appropriate steps to avoid disciplinary actions and potential legal problems for yourself.

(1) Smith uses Novell GroupWise for email, and you are expected to check your Smith email regularly. If you haven’t tried your GroupWise account yet, here’s how to get started:

- Open a Web browser and go to the Smith homepage: http://www.smith.edu
- Click on the GroupWise Web button in the lower right corner.
- In the first GroupWise window, click on the Go button.
- In the GroupWise login window, enter your GroupWise username and password.

Your username is usually your first initial followed by the first 7 letters of your last name. (For example, Anna Reyerson’s username would be “areyerso”.)

Your initial password is the last 4 digits of your 9-digit Smith ID number, followed by the last 4 characters of your username. (For example, if Anna Reyerson’s Smith ID number is 991234567, her initial password would be “4567erso”.)  If your username has fewer than 4 characters, just use your full username as the second part of your password.

If your username and password combination doesn’t work, it could be because your username is an exception to the rule. (Exceptions are required when more than one person has the same first initial and last name.) For assistance, send email to 4its@smith.edu or call the User Support Center at (413) 585-4487. The USC is open weekdays from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM during the summer.

(2) Once you have successfully logged in to GroupWise once, we recommend that you reset your password to something that will be much harder for a hacker to guess, such as intermingled letters and numbers (e.g., 7t9x3v44).  To access our quick password-change utility, click here. Or, you can click on the Reset Password link in the green bar at the top of the TARA home page.  The TARA (Technology And Resource Adviser) web site is a good place to visit in any case, since it’s chock full of information about using technology at Smith.

(3) Many Smith instructors and programs use the Moodle course management system. To log in to Moodle, go to http://moodle.smith.edu. Your Moodle username and password are the same as your GroupWise username and password.

(4) If you will be living in a Smith residence house, be sure to read about connecting to the Smith Residence Network (ResNet).

(5) If you’re planning to buy a new computer before you come to Smith, visit the the Smith Computer Store web page.

(6) Windows users: We strongly recommend that you do the following before you come to campus:

• Install all “Important” and “Critical” Windows updates: To check the status of your Windows updates, open Internet Explorer and go to Tools, then Windows Update. When the update window opens and completes its check, click the Express button to download and install the recommended updates. If you are missing multiple updates, you may need to restart your computer and repeat this process several times to get all the updates you need.
• Install McAfee VirusScan for Windows to help protect your computer from viruses and malware. Once you know your GroupWise username and password, you can download a free copy of McAfee VirusScan for Windows from the Smith software download site. (Mac users: There’s a free version of VirusScan for you, too.)Before you install McAfee VirusScan, check to see if you have any other anti-virus software installed on your computer, such as Norton AntiVirus, Sophos, AVG, etc. If you do, you can continue using that software if you wish. If you want to switch to McAfee VirusScan, note that you must UN-INSTALL your other anti-virus program (even a trial version of McAfee) before you install VirusScan, or VirusScan will not work properly.
• Install CCleaner and Malwarebytes Anti-malware, two anti-malware programs that can help clean up your computer if it becomes infected. Both are free and can be downloaded from the Smith software download site. It is much easier to remove malware if these programs are installed before your computer is attacked.

(7) Smith students can now access the campus wireless network in almost every academic and administrative building  as well as the residence houses. Click here to learn more about connecting to the wireless network.

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Questions? If you have questions about any of the information in this TechNotes post, please call the Smith User Support Center at 413-585-4487 any weekday between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, or send us email at 4its@smith.edu.

To view all TechNotes posts, click on the word “TechNotes” at the top of this page. For more software instructions, user guides, and tips on a variety of technology topics, visit Smith’s TARA (Technology And Resource Adviser) web site.

• Turn off the display after several minutes of inactivity, and
• Put the hard drive into standby mode after 30-60 minutes of inactivity

She measured a savings of 1.16 kWh per day, which translates to…

1.16 kWh/day * 250 days/year * 2600 students = 754,000 kWh. That’s worth more than $120,000!

For instructions on setting your own computer display to automatically switch to sleep mode (instead of a power-wasting screen saver) after a period of inactivity, see: http://www.smith.edu/its/estar/

Personal wireless routers are not permitted because they interfere with regular network access for other students located near them. 

If you have a wireless router connected to the network, please disconnect it immediately. Otherwise, your access to the network will be disabled until the router is removed.

Please note that this requirement is clearly stated in the college’s Policy on Acceptable Use of Computer Resources and Wireless Network Policy. 

Thank you for your help in ensuring that the Smith network is available to all students.

The college switched to this simpler form to save keystrokes, streamline our email processing, and give Smith addresses the same format used by most other academic institutions.

IMPORTANT: Use your @smith.edu address to log in to the MessageScreen quarantine system. Also, if you subscribe to any email lists, you may need to change your subscription setup so you can continue posting to the list..

For more information, click here. 

Wireless at Smith

Smith College provides wireless access points in multiple locations across campus, including the Libraries, the Science Center, Stoddard Hall, and the Campus Center. This wireless is managed by BlueSocket, which has you login each time you connect to an access point.

Wireless service is also available in the common areas of Smith residence houses.

For more information, see: Using an iPhone or iPod Touch at Smith

Email

GroupWise email can be accessed via the desktop client, WebAcess (web mail), or a POP/IMAP client. You can setup most wireless mobile devices to access email via POP or IMAP. ITS recommends that you use IMAP if it is available on your device.

To setup email on your iPhone or iPod Touch, read the instructions on TARA.

To setup email on another mobile device, check out the instructions for setting up email clients on TARA to find the correct host names and settings.

Please do NOT respond to any web-based attempts to get you to install anti-spyware software. As long as you have an up-to-date version of McAfee VirusScan+AntiSpyware on your computer, you are well protected.

If Smith receives a DMCA notice that identifies your computer as an offender, you will receive an email notice from Herb Nickles, Executive Director of ITS.

PLEASE NOTE: If you receive a copyright infringement notice from Herb Nickles, you MUST respond IMMEDIATELY and remove all peer-to-peer (P2P) software from your computer.

If you do not respond, you will no longer be able to use the Smith College Residence Network until all P2P file-sharing software is removed from your computer, regardless of your academic responsibilities.

Students who violate the Smith College Acceptable Use Policy on copyright infringement may also face the Dean of Students and the Smith College Judicial Board.

For instructions on removing and disabling P2P applications on your computer, click here.

To read Smith’s formal copyright-infringement notification policy, click here.

For more information on copyright infringement and the RIAA, read these previous TechNotes posts:

• Downloads & Slow Network Speed
• Link Round-up: (Free) Alternatives to Illegal File Sharing
• Link Round-Up: Copyright & File Sharing
• Answers: Copyright Infringement Reminder
• Update: The RIAA & You & Smith
• The RIAA & You & Smith