Below are a number of the most commonly asked questions we receive about IT at Wolfson and within Oxford more generally. 

Please check these answers below, but if you do not find an answer to your question, feel free to contact us directly at it.support@wolfson.ox.ac.uk

Q: I’ve just moved into college accommodation and I am not able to get online. What do I need to do?

A: If you are a new student, you must first attend a college induction session and collect your university card before you can connect to the internet.

Each room in college accommodation has a wired Ethernet connection available for use, but you must first register your computer to use this connection. You can register your computer using any device that already has an available internet connection, including any of the computers in the library. You will need to know your computer’s MAC address in order to register, and a guide for finding this information is available here. The wireless networks require a separate process to connect to them, which is detailed below.

Ethernet cables are available for purchase from the lodge.

Q: How do I connect to the wireless networks (Eduroam/OWL) in college and elsewhere?

A: In order to connect to the Eduroam wireless network, you need to create a “Remote Access Account” and set a password that will be used for this connection. Details on how to create this account and how to setup your device to connect can be found here. Please note, this Remote Access Account uses a separate password to your normal SSO account.

Connections to the OWL wireless network also require you to register for a Remote Access Account, but also require that you activate a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client to gain access to the internet. Further details on this process can be found here.

Of the two networks, the Eduroam network is the most convenient to use. It will save your Remote Access credentials on your local machine for automatic connection, and it is supported by institutions of higher education across Europe and the rest of the world. This will allow you to connect automatically to these networks outside of Oxford, too, where available.

Q: What is an “SSO”, and what do I use it for?

A: “SSO” is your Oxford Single Sign-On username and associated password. These credentials are used to access the vast majority of digital services offered by Wolfson and the university, including your Nexus email account, your Search Oxford Libraries Online (SOLO) account, and the Wolfson library computers.

Q: My computer crashed and I need help! What should I do?

A: Oh no! We offer scheduled IT surgeries where we can help to diagnose computer problems, recover data, and potentially help repair your device.

If your device is still covered under warranty, contacting your manufacturer should be the first thing you do. If not, feel free to contact us at it.support@wolfson.ox.ac.uk with details of your problem and we’ll provide any suggestions or assistance that we are able. If you cannot attend an IT surgery, you can also request an appointment instead.

Please note, however, that we do not stock replacement parts for devices in our office, nor do we have any “loanable” devices that you can use if yours is awaiting repair or replacement. It should also be noted that the IT support team reserves the right to decline inappropriate and/or resource-heavy requests.

Q: I will be finishing my course soon. What will happen to my emails? Should I back them up somewhere else?

A: As you near the end of your time in Oxford, you will receive an automated email informing you of when your Nexus account will close. You will no longer be able to access your Nexus email inbox once your university card has expired. Before your account closes, you can input an email forwarding address which will work for two months after your account has expired. Your account will then be deleted. Details regarding this process are available here.

If you have emails you will need continued access to after you leave Oxford, we strongly recommend you back these up before your account closes and you lose access to them. You can do this by creating a local copy of these emails using a third-party application such as Outlook, Thunderbird, or Mac Mail.

Q: What digital services does Wolfson and the University of Oxford offer me?

A: So much! In addition to the digital services of the Bodleian library and your connection to the internet more generally, IT Services provide a free subscription to Sophos Anti-Virus, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client especially useful if you will be outside of Oxford for an extended period of time, and a free data back-up service.These can be found by logging into your Self Registration page and choosing the “software” button on the left side. Details on these services (and more!) can be found here.

Q: Are there any public-access computers available in college? How do I use them?

A: There are a number of new Windows PCs and Apple iMacs available for use in college. In order to lo gin, you simply need to use your usual Oxford SSO username and password combination (the same one you would use to access your emails). The iMacs only have “guest” accounts enabled on them, however, and do not require you to use login credentials.

Q: Are there print facilities available in college?

A: There are two colour laser printers/copiers available in the College to its members. One is located behind the old Lodge, and the other is in the main Library near the South entrance. The printers are stocked with both A4 and A3 sized paper.

Print jobs can also be sent from any of the library PCs, and the costs are charged to your monthly battels. It is not currently possible to print from the iMacs in the Library.

The following are the charges for printing in college:

Paper Size

Monochrome

Colour

1-sided

2-sided

1-sided

2-sided

A4

4p

7p

16p

28p

A3

8p

14p

32p

56p