Susie's Tech Tips #3: Home WiFi Tips

As we continue to work remotely from our personal devices and technologies, it is important that we remember that the WiFi we are accustomed to having access to at the college is not the same as at home. 

ITS would like to offer some tips that might be helpful in getting the most out of your personal internet connection! 

1. Consider if your internet is really the issue. The issue might actually be the device you are using. A good way to test this is to restart the device you are using, and see if you are able to better connect to your internet. Sometimes all it needs is a restart. 

2. Determine the speed of your internet by running a speed test. This is easy and can be done by getting whatever device you are using as close to your router as possible. Next, turn the WiFi on your device off and then back on again. Once that is done go to speedtest.net, and there you can run a very quick test. For sufficient WiFi your speed should have at least 10 mbps download and 5mbps upload for watching videos and video conferencing. 

3. Make your WiFi more accessible. Wifi can be thought of similarly to music coming out of a speaker. The closer you are to it the more clearly you can hear it. You should consider moving your router. Sometimes the shape of your home can create a barrier for your wifi, and moving it to a more central location in your home, or closer to where you are working could help alleviate some of your connection issues. 

4. "Have you tried turning it off and then back on again?" A timeless question, that although seems trivial, holds quite a bit of power. Resetting your router and leaving it off for 15-30 seconds  can be a very helpful and successful troubleshooting tool for connectivity issues. 

5. Get the most out of your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Ask about upgrading your service, or updating your modem. Additionally you might want to consider doing some research and seeing what the BEST ISP in your area is, and switching to that ISP if you are not already using them. 

6. Preserve and persevere! If you have done everything you possibly can and are currently working on the fastest WiFi that you are able to receive, then you must preserve the bandwidth that you have. This means that you have to do things such as turning off anything that uses a lot of data, like iCloud or Dropbox, turning off your camera when video chatting, or using your phone as a personal hotspot and tethering it to your computer. 

To find out more about these tips and others like them please reference this article. 

If you have a moment, it would be greatly appreciated if you could fill out this form to provide feedback or ask questions about this tip!

COMPLETE: Horan Hall - Brief Network Outage 4/30 - 10am

UPDATE: As of 10:30am, this generator test has been completed.

Physical Plant will be conducting a generator test in Horan Hall on Thursday, April 30th at approximately 10am.

There will be two brief outages, one while switching to generator power, the other while switching back to main power. Both wired and wireless will be affected during this generator test.

This will not affect the rest of campus.

If you have any questions, please contact ITS at its@manhattan.edu. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Friendly Reminder: 4 Brand New Google Meet Features

This is a friendly reminder that Google is rolling out 4 new top requested features. These new features will help ensure that your future Google Meets run seamlessly and effortlessly.  You will be able to focus more on your meeting now! 

1. Tiled layouts for larger calls. You can now see 10+ people in a tiled view during your meetings.

2. Present higher-quality video content with audio. This means that you will now be able to more successfully show a video with audio while you are presenting to a meeting. This can be done by now selecting "present a Chrome tab" when sharing your screen. 

3. Low light mode. Google Meet can now auto adjust your video to make you more visible when you are in sub-optimal lighting conditions. This is currently being rolled out for smart phone users but will become available to web users in the future. 

4. Noise cancellation. Meet can now filter out some background noises such as the dog barking or the sound of someone typing while you are in the meeting. 

These features will be rolled out within the next couple of weeks, with some users possibly already having access to them. For more information on these features and their timelines,  please visit this link. 

Friendly Reminder To Back Up Your Data

With the convenience of the cloud and apps like Google Drive, it’s pretty easy to forget to back up your data. This is just a friendly reminder to do so!

Data on Google Drive:

Make sure that you have all of your data backed up either on your hard drive, a storage device, or a separate cloud storage service.

File Streaming:

If you are using Drive File Stream, it is very important that you are regularly checking drive.google.com to make sure that your data is syncing/saving properly. 

Once you’re logged into your google drive via web browser make sure that any files you worked on using drive file stream are present and up to date. You can access your drive via file stream or web browser on any device. 

Losing data can be incredibly stressful, but it is preventable! Here are some previously shared tips: 

• Your critical data should never reside in a single place.
• The ideal backup strategy will typically include both an online backup service (Google Drive) to ensure your data is secure no matter what happens to your mobile device or computer.
• Running consistent, automatic backups is a straightforward process that will take a little time to set up and will require even less to maintain.
• Backups can be configured to run in real time when files on your computer are changed.
• Routinely test your backup solution to ensure you can recover your data in the event that you do actually need to restore from a backup.

If you have any questions or concerns about this please reference our knowledge base articles or contact the ITS Help Desk for further assistance! 

Information partially taken from: https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2017/9/september-2018-do-you-have-a-personal-backup-plan

Moodle Outage

Update 11:00AM 4/28/20:

Moodle is fully operational.

Update 10:31AM 4/28/20: 

ITS is still investigating.  Moodle seems to be back up and fully functional.  If you are still experiencing issues, submit a ticket.  We will update again when we have confirmed the system is completely up and running.

Original Alert 10:22AM 4/28/20:

ITS is currently investigating an issue with Moodle.  Currently no one is able to access Moodle.  We will update you when we have more information.

2 New Student Employment Opportunities!!

The Technology Training Team of ITS is hiring and looking to hire at least 2 new student employees.

The positions are for that of a Technical Writer (Work Study) and Video Specialist (Work Study)!! They are both 20 hrs/week and can be done remotely!! The start date is ASAP!!

• The Technical Writer is responsible for helping the Technology Trainer create documentation and training for various technologies, softwares, programs, devices, and equipment, etc. This position will also aid in monitoring the colleges first ever chatbot and its transcripts, weekly.   

• The Video Specialist is responsible for helping the Technology Trainer create video tutorials and trainings for various technologies, softwares, programs, devices, and equipment, etc. 

Both of these positions are listed on the Student Employment website. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone at Manhattan College who is eligible to apply or advertise. Thank you! 

4 Brand New Top Requested Features In Google Meet!

Google is rolling out 4 new top requested features. These new features will help ensure that your future Google Meets run seamlessly and effortlessly.  You will be able to focus more on your meeting now! 

1. Tiled layouts for larger calls. You can now see 10+ people in a tiled view during your meetings.

2. Present higher-quality video content with audio. This means that you will now be able to more successfully show a video with audio while you are presenting to a meeting. This can be done by now selecting "present a Chrome tab" when sharing your screen. 

3. Low light mode. Google Meet can now auto adjust your video to make you more visible when you are in sub-optimal lighting conditions. This is currently being rolled out for smart phone users but will become available to web users in the future. 

4. Noise cancellation. Meet can now filter out some background noises such as the dog barking or the sound of someone typing while you are in the meeting. 

These features will be rolled out within the next couple of weeks, with some users possibly already having access to them. For more information on these features and their timelines,  please visit this link. 

New Version of Chrome Grid View

A new version of the GridView extension for Google Meet has been released.

This is because Google has released a new version of the GridView which can be downloaded from here.

You will need to select “Add to Chrome” and then a window will appear asking your permission to add the extension, select “Add extension”.

1.



2.

Once you have added this extension you will have the most up to date version of GridView.

Check out Manhattan College's First Ever ITS Chatbot Beta!

🎉 ITS would like to introduce our brand new Client Services & Operations Chatbot Beta! 🎉

For the first time ever ITS at Manhattan College will be rolling out a student developed Chatbot to assist the community with IT related issues. This Chatbot was entirely created by one of our STARS, Alberto DeAngelis ‘20, and was designed to bring you quick resolutions with the information you need to resolve potential issues you might encounter. You can ask the Chatbot questions about an issue you are having and it will quickly try to help you come to the best resolution and send you information from our knowledge base.

The Chatbot is running through Hangouts Chat and is easy to install. To install the Chatbot in your Hangouts please follow these instructions.


ITS is very excited about the deployment of the Chatbot Beta and would like to encourage you to take advantage of it! As this is a Beta version of a Chatbot we are looking for as much feedback as possible. Please fill out our CS&O Chatbot Survey and give us any feedback you may have.

Join a Google Meet Directly From Your Email!

Google has announced that it will be releasing a new feature which will allow you to join a Google Meet directly from your Gmail account. This means that you can now create or join a meeting right from you inbox!

Be on the lookout for this new feature as Google has begun to roll it out. For more information on what this new feature will look like and how to use it, check out this link.

Google Meet Grid View Distubance Due To Chrome Update

ITS is aware that some people may be experiencing issues with their Google Meet grid view extension. If you are having issues please know that it is due to the release of a new Chrome update. If you continue to experience disruptions to your Grid View extension please make sure that you have updated your Chrome browser and are using the latest version of Chrome. In addition to this ITS recommends that after your update your browser, uninstall and then reinstall the extension if you are still experiencing issues. 

You can check what version of Chrome you are using by accessing your Chrome settings or by following these directions. Please use this link for further assistance to update Google Chrome.

G Suite To Extend Access To Advanced Features Through September

Google has announced that they will now be extending their free access to advanced Google Meet video conferencing capabilities through September 30th, 2020. This extension is intended to help provide resources for remote working and learning during the pandemic.

Additionally, Google also announced that they will be dropping the word "Hangouts" from Google Meet. Please be on the lookout for this change as they have begun the process of removing the word. For more resources on Google Meet please refer to our knowledge base.

Stay safe and healthy!

RESOVLED: Lee Hall and Draddy Gymnasium Power Outage

UPDATE: As of about 6am this morning, the power has been restored to both Lee Hall and Draddy Gymnasium. Both wired and wireless services should be working as intended.

ITS is aware of a network outage affecting both Lee Hall and Draddy Gymnasium at this time.

As of about 2:53pm, both the wired and wireless networks in Lee Hall and Draddy went down due to a power outage. Lee Hall is currently on a generator at this time and very limited network services have been restored.

ITS is currently waiting to hear back from Physical Plant about when power will be restored to both buildings, however, we do not have an exact time as to when this will happen. ITS will update the campus community as soon as we can. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact ITS at its@manhattan.edu.

Remote Teaching FAQ

Our Instructional Design team has created a Remote Teaching FAQ resource. This resource address some Moodle and Google Meet topics that pertain to teaching remotely.  

Please use this link to access the resource. 

Additionally, this link has been added to the Manhattan College ITS Blog sidebar for convenient access and a knowledge base article has been created containing the link.  The article can be found within the "Working Remote" category under "Remote Teaching FAQ".

Please follow these directions to subscribe to the ITS blog and be the first to see blog posts containing helpful tips and information. 

Grid View for Google Meet available in Chrome Browser

ITS would like to announce some good news! Grid View for Google Meet will now be available in your Chrome Browser for all accounts managed by Manhattan college, meaning all @manhattan.edu accounts. Below please find some important information regarding this feature:

• Be on the lookout for this change as it will be occurring in the next 24 hours. It will automatically be added to your browser.

• Make sure that you are signed into your Manhattan College account in Chrome. If you are not logged into Chrome please use this link to login. If you are logged in with a personal account then you will not see this change.
  
• If you are unsure about managing different profiles in Chrome please reference this article for windows users or this article for mac users. 

If you would like to install the extension before it is added please reference this article for guidance and installation tutorial below:

Manhattan College’s First Ever ITS Chatbot to Go Live!

🎉 ITS would like to introduce our brand new Client Services & Operations Chatbot Beta! 🎉

For the first time ever ITS at Manhattan College will be rolling out a student developed Chatbot to assist the community with IT related issues. This Chatbot was entirely created by one of our STARS, Alberto DeAngelis ‘20, and was designed to bring you quick resolutions with the information you need to resolve potential issues you might encounter. You can ask the Chatbot questions about an issue you are having and it will quickly try to help you come to the best resolution and send you information from our knowledge base.

The Chatbot is running through Hangouts Chat and is easy to install. To install the Chatbot in your Hangouts please follow these instructions.


ITS is very excited about the deployment of the Chatbot Beta and would like to encourage you to take advantage of it! As this is a Beta version of a Chatbot we are looking for as much feedback as possible. Please fill out our CS&O Chatbot Survey and give us any feedback you may have.

Friendly Reminder To Back Up Your Data

With the convenience of the cloud and apps like Google Drive, it’s pretty easy to forget to back up your data. This is just a friendly reminder to do so!

Data on Google Drive:

Make sure that you have all of your data backed up either on your hard drive, a storage device, or a separate cloud storage service.

File Streaming:

If you are using Drive File Stream, it is very important that you are regularly checking drive.google.com to make sure that your data is syncing/saving properly. 

Once you’re logged into your google drive via web browser make sure that any files you worked on using drive file stream are present and up to date. You can access your drive via file stream or web browser on any device. 

Losing data can be incredibly stressful, but it is preventable! Here are some previously shared tips: 

• Your critical data should never reside in a single place.
• The ideal backup strategy will typically include both an online backup service (Google Drive) to ensure your data is secure no matter what happens to your mobile device or computer.
• Running consistent, automatic backups is a straightforward process that will take a little time to set up and will require even less to maintain.
• Backups can be configured to run in real time when files on your computer are changed.
• Routinely test your backup solution to ensure you can recover your data in the event that you do actually need to restore from a backup.

If you have any questions or concerns about this please reference our knowledge base articles or contact the ITS Help Desk for further assistance! 

Information partially taken from: https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2017/9/september-2018-do-you-have-a-personal-backup-plan

Susies Tech Tips #2

Tech Tip #2 

This weeks tech tip focuses on how to get the fastest response/help when you are creating a ticket. As we have transitioned to online learning and working and issues arise, this tip will help you to create a ticket that has all the right information so ITS can help you faster! 

When you are submitting a ticket it is important for ITS to know as much as possible about your request.

For faster help please reference the suggestions below for creating a ticket: 

1. Describe what you are trying to accomplish.
   Ex: You are unable to enter your Jaspernet account.
   Make sure that you specify which service you are trying to log into (email, banner, self service, etc.)
   
2. Describe what you tried to do to accomplish this.
   Ex: You are not able to log into Banner.
   Make sure to differentiate if it is a problem that is causing you to receive any kind of error message for or if you have forgotten your login credentials.
   
3. Describe exactly what happens and include screenshots.
   Ex: You are receiving an error message when trying to upload something to Moodle.
   Explain step by step starting from when you login to Moodle up until you receive the error message and how many times you tried to do this. Make sure that you take a screenshot, if possible, of the message and attach it to the ticket.
   
4. Other important details to include:

• Time and Date
• Is this a recurring issue?
• What is your computer make and model? 
• What operating system version are you running?
• What browser version are you running?
• If you are having problems with a software, what version are you using?

** Bonus Tip ** 

While most people are aware that you can create a ticket by emailing ITS, we would also like to encourage you to use our vast Service Catalog to submit tickets. Submitting via the service catalog ensures that your ticket is going to the appropriate team right away and will result in a faster resolution. 

For more help, please contact ITS at its@manhattan.edu or 718-862-7973