Working Remotely @ CSUN: Tips and Tricks

This guide was prepared to help Staff & Faculty who telecommute or work remotely. It will give you tips and tricks to enable you to work more effectively when off campus.

Table of Contents

1. Webmail: Folders and Filtering
2. Virtual Private Network (VPN)
3. What is the uDrive?

Webmail: Folders and Filtering

Using Folders to Organize Messages

Webmail Direct provides four folders where mail is stored.

• The Inbox folder contains your incoming mail.
• The Sent folder contains your outgoing mail messages.
• The Draft folder.
• The Trash folder.

TIP You might want to create additional folders so as to further organize your mail –by topic or sender, for example.

Adding and Using Folders

To add a folder:

1. Click Folders on the menu list and the folders page is displayed.
2. In the text box to the left of the Add button, enter a name for the folder you want to create, ex. Budget (Figure 1).
3. Figure 1
4. 
3. Click the Add button
4. A new folder called "Budget" will be added/created and the new folder will appear on the list of folders.

To move a message from one folder to another, do the following:

1. Click the check box next to the message(s) you want to move.
2. Use the drop–down menu next to the Move and Copy buttons to select the desired folder (as shown in Figure 2).
3. Figure 2
4. 
3. Click the Move button. (Clicking the Copy button will place a copy of the message in the selected folder while retaining a copy in the current folder.

Deleting a Folder

To delete a folder, do the following:

1. Choose Folders from the links menu.
2. Click the "X–Mark" in the delete column next to the folder you want to delete. (Figure 3).
3. You´ll be asked to confirm that you want to delete the folder(s) – and all contents.

• Click the Delete button to do so.
• Click Cancel if you change your mid about deleting the folder.

Filtering Messages

You can have incoming messages automatically stored in particular folders by creating a message mail filter. A filter is a "rule" for routing a message.

To store all messages from a mailing list ("listserv") that you've subscribed to do the following:

1. Add a new folder.
2. Click Options from the links menu.
3. On the "Options: Automatic Reply" page click the Message Filters link.
4. On the "Options: Message Filters" page, specify filter conditions and filter actions in the boxes provided (Figure 4).
5. Figure 4
6. 
5. When finished, click the OK button.

EXAMPLE

To filter all messages from the mailing list "mathwhiz" to a folder called "Math Whiz", you could do the following:

1. In the Filter Conditions section of the Message Filters page specify:

• "If all of these conditions are met: From: contains mathwhiz" (as shown in Figure 5).
• Figure 5 Sample Filter Conditions
• 

2. In the Filter Actions section, specify:

• "Move to:[the folder called] Math Whiz" (as shown in Figure 6)
• Figure 6 Sample Filter Actions
• 

Many other filtering options are available. To check out the possibilities, explore the drop–down menus on the Message Filters page or view Help topics.

You can also use the filtering capability to:

• Delete unwanted mail from identifiable sources.
• To isolate potential junk mail in its own folder.

To edit a filter

1. Go to the Message Filters page (Options | Message Filters).
2. From the Edit column of list of message filters you´ve defined, select the pencil icon next tot he filter you want to modify.
3. Make the desired changes to filter conditions (Editing Filter) and filter actions.
4. Click the OK button.

To delete a filter:

1. Go to the Message Filters page (Options | Message Filters).
2. In the Delete column of list of message filters you´ve defined, click the "X–mark" next to the filter you want to delete.

HELPFUL HINT FOR FACULTY AND STAFF If you also use IMAP to access your mail on an email client such as Netscape Mail or Microsoft Outlook, you can use Webmail Direct´s filtering capability to move incoming mail to folders, thus eliminating the need to define IMAP filters in the email client on every computer you use. To move mail to local folders, you´ll still have to define filters on the client.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Access and Security through VPN

To make it easier for the campus community to access CSUN computing resources from off campus, and to help ensure the security and integrity of sensitive information passing across the internet or the CSUN wireless network, IT is pleased to offer the Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Downloading the free and easy–to–install Cisco VPN client is all you need to take advantage of this service. The client only takes about five minutes to install and using it enables you access to campus resources from off campus as never before.

Here are just a few examples of what you will be able to do with your hoe and other remote computers while using the VPN client.

1. Use the CSUN email system with a standard email client (i.e. Netscape Messenger, Microsoft Outlook etc.)
2. Easy access to Library resources (no need to enter your library bar code!)
3. Connect to on campus Windows´ based server shares.
4. Secure all network communications between your computer and CSUN with 168bit encryption.
5. Secure you communications while using the campus wireless network

CSUN faculty, staff, and students can download the Cisco VPN client – for Windows, Mac OS/X, Unix, and Solaris – from IT´ software download site (you will be prompted to enter your CSUN Username and Password).

Installation and configuration instructions are available for Windows and Mac OS/X based computers.

What is the uDrive?

The uDrive is an extra storage area that provides additional disk space for campus users who wish to store their desktop files and folders on a remote server. This campus server houses all files and email message that are sent to users´ CSUN email accounts. For example, you can publish your web pages by a simple drag–and–drop action from your desktop computer. For more information on this please select one of the topics below.

• Mapping your uDrive using a PC
• Mapping your uDrive using a Mac

Mapping your uDrive using a PC

• 

1. Right click the My Computer icon on your desktop, and select Map Network Drive... The "Map Network Drive" window appears
2. In the Drive: box, click the down arrow and select the U: drive from the list of available drive names for the drop down menu, the default drive name is Z:
3. Click the Folder:text box and type \\udrive\xxxx where the "xxxx" is your CSUN Username, e.g. jsmith.
4. Click Finish
5. A window listing your files and folders, including your public _html folder (if you have created one) will be displayed in the My Computer window.

• You may copy, move, and delete files to and from this drive, the same way you use any window on your PC.

The title bar of this window reads something like xxxx on ´uDrive@CSUN (udrive)´ (U:) where "xxxx" is your CSUN Username. This window displays the My Computer component of Windows. In fact, most of its features are the same as those in My Computer. It may also be used in Windows Explorer view mode.

The first time you map to the uDrive you will see the files that currently reside in your campus account. Many of these files may not be familiar to you. Never delete files with which you are unfamiliar, as they may cause problems with your account. Ignore these files and simply use the drive to copy, move, organize and navigate through your files, folders and drives.

Note: To activate your uDrive the first time, you must change your Password. Go to http://www.csun.edu/account and change your current Password. Your uDrive will be recognized. This only needs to be done once.

Mapping your uDrive Using a Mac

1. Under the Go menu on the blue apple menu bar at the top of the display, choose Connect to Server.
2. 
2. In the Connect to Server window, type in the location of the account that you wish to map.

• The correct format for the path is smb://udrive.csun.edu/xxxx where "xxxx"is your CSUN Username.

3. Then click the Connect button.
4. 
4. In the Authentication window, leave the Workgroup/Domain box blank. Type in your CSUN Username and Password in the boxes indicated.
5. Then click the OK button.
6. 
6. The icon for your uDrive will appear on your desktop. Double–click the icon to open and view the contents.

• The first time you map to the uDrive you will see the files that currently reside in your campus account. Many of these files may not be familiar to you. Never delete files you are not familiar with as they may be necessary to maintain your account. Ignore these files and simply use the drive to copy, move, organize and navigate through your files, folders and drives.
• 

Note:To activate your uDrive the first time, you must change your password. Go to http://www.csun.edu/account and change your current Password. Your uDrive will be recognized. This only needs to be done once.