Helping you work remotely

The following are some of the key links and guidance notes to help you work remotely, connect, save and stay secure.

How do I best work remotely and get set up?

Various methods of remotely accessing services, computers and file stores from outwith the University

How do I save securely?

FAQs and 'How-To' articles on the usage of the OneDrive For Business cloud-based file storage facility:

OneDrive For Business - FAQs

How do I stay safe?

“Is there any advice from InfoSec on how to work from home securely?”

Yes, there is. It can be found at:

Current Information Security Guidance for Home Working

“Are there any additional security risks I should be aware of?”

When working from home you do not have the benefit of using the University network, so only handle data that you need to and try to avoid storing sensitive data locally. Phishing attacks are still being targeted at UK academia during this disruption, so always be wary of unexpected emails, especially those requesting your details or containing attachments.

Further advice on spotting phishing emails

Broadband assistance and guidance

As many more people are now working from home you may be experiencing issues with your home broadband or Wi-Fi. The following is a short set of suggestions as to things you might try to improve these issues.

Please bear in mind that while ISG can provide advice we can’t diagnose or resolve any issues you may be having with your home broadband or Wi-Fi – you will need to contact your broadband provider’s support.

• Most home broadband routers will also allow you to plug devices directly into them. If you have a suitable Ethernet patch cord and can do so this may give better performance and reduce the load for other Wi-Fi devices. 
• If you connect via Wi-Fi make sure you have a good strong signal. Can you move closer to your router or can you move your router to a more central place in your home? If your router is on or near the floor, even moving the router to waist or neck height can give better performance. You may also wish to contact your broadband provider’s support as they may have recommendations for equipment that may help. 
• Restarting your home broadband router can sometimes help with issues. 
• Turn off or disconnect devices which don’t need to use your home Wi-Fi.
• Be aware of what everyone else at home is doing on the internet and work with them to not overload things when you need to work.  Live streaming of movies or live gaming can especially slow down your wifi for all.
• Rather than stream audio or video listen to the radio or watch broadcast TV. 
• If you are streaming video try reducing the quality – going from HD to SD saves 75% of the bandwidth. 
• Many broadband providers have agreed with the UK Government to remove usage caps at this time. However, if you normally have a usage cap you may wish to confirm that this has indeed been removed, as you will be using substantially more data. 
• Try and schedule any large application updates to happen overnight.  
• Close down applications that are not being used but may still be using the network. 
• If you are logged into the University VPN on a device avoid using it for other non-work internet services or streaming audio or video whilst the VPN is active. 
• Understand that the speed of your broadband depends not only on your use but the use of other customers in the area, and by design this means that at times of peak usage this may mean you get lower than advertised speeds; under current conditions peak usage may now happen throughout the day. “

Microsoft Teams FAQ page

FAQs on the University's Microsoft Teams communications and online meeting platform