Many Hamilton
College network resources such as our web sites, e-mail, library systems, etc. are readily available to the campus
community from off-campus locations. If you are away from campus
and need to use these network resources, the only requirement to
connect to them is to have a computer that is
connected to the Internet by dial-up modem, cable modem, DSL, or another
network (a corporation, library, hotel, coffee shop, another college,
etc.)
However, some network resources have more restricted access from off-campus. These
include the Employee Storage Server (ESS,) Datatel (Colleague &
Benefactor,) and access to network servers by systems administrators.
To access these resources from off-campus, Information
Technology Services (ITS) recommends the following options:
ESS File Manager access to personal ESS folders via the my.hamilton.edu portal.
Remote Desktop - access to your office computer
from off-campus allowing you to access all of the servers, files, and
programs you use in the office.
VPN access (Virtual Private Network) - access to Hamilton network servers if Remote Desktop is not a viable solution for your particular needs.
ESS File Manager
The ESS File Manager is a web interface for the Employee Storage Server
(ESS.) The ESS File Manager is the simplest way to get to your
personal ESS folder to access your files. It is also your best
option for off-campus access to these files if you use a dial-up
internet connection. You can use it
to download files from ESS to your off-campus computer, upload files
from your off-campus computer to ESS, create new folders within your
ESS folder, rename files and folders on ESS, and delete files and
folders on ESS. This tool only
provides access to personal ESS folders; you cannot use it to access
departmental or special shared campus folders. You can access the ESS
File Manager with this link: http://my.hamilton.edu/myhamilton/filemanager.
If you would like more information on how to use the ESS File
Manager, please refer to the following document for detailed
instructions:
ESS File Manager on the WWW
Remote Desktop
Remote Desktop is an application built into Windows XP Professional on
college owned Windows computers. When properly configured, it allows a
remote user to securely connect to their office computer and access all
of the resources (local and network) that are available when sitting at
their computer in their office. To use Remote Desktop successfully, you
need to meet the following
requirements:
You must have a Windows XP Professional computer
configured to allow Remote Desktop connections. It must be turned on
and connected to the Hamilton College network.
You must have a computer off-campus running one of the following operating systems:
Windows XP Professional or Home Edition
Windows 98 or 2000 (not fully supported by ITS.)*
Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later
You must have a fast internet connection to your off-campus
computer to use the Internet (a cable modem, DSL, or another high-speed
network is recommended).
* Although ITS doesn't fully support these operating systems, Remote Desktop connectivity software is available for free from Microsoft
If you meet these requirements, please refer to the
following documentation for detailed information on setting up and using Remote Desktop:
Windows off-campus instructions:
Using Remote Desktop in Windows XP
The Hamilton VPN provides secure, encrypted connections which allow an
off-campus computer to appear to be connected to the Hamilton College
network. VPN access is available only to off-campus computers used by
the following people:
Employees who travel extensively and need regular access to Datatel from off-campus
Employees who administer servers and other systems who need secure access to those systems from off-campus.
Users who fit into one of these categories can contact Network Services
(x5638) to request VPN access. For detailed instructions on how to acquire, set
up, and use the Hamilton VPN connection, please refer to the following
document:
