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FDU Anywhere Tutorial

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FDU provides remote access to many of the software applications typically found in university computer labs.
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Index

What is FDU Anywhere?

FDU provides remote access to many software applications typically found in university computer labs. This new Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) gives users access to a Windows desktop environment along with many General Lab Software, without requiring downloading and installing programs on a user’s personal equipment. The service, called FDU Anywhere, is powered by University Systems and Networking (USAN) and can be found at anywhere.fdu.edu.

FDU Anywhere

Using FDU Anywhere is like walking into one of FDU’s computer labs. Upon logging in with your FDU NetID and password, you will have access to the virtual platform. To find a list of currently available software on FDU Anywhere, use the FDU Software Catalog. A listing of available Free and Open Source software can also be found by visiting the FDU Software Catalog.

The FDU Software Catalog provides an up-to-date catalog of software available to Faculty, Staff, and Students at the university:

System & Network Requirements

System Requirements

FDU Anywhere is a powerful resource with a lightweight footprint. In order to utilize FDU Anywhere, you must have the following:

  • Any device with a browser that supports HTML 5 will work. HTML 5 is supported by almost all desktop and mobile browsers including Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox
  • An internet connection
  • FDU NetID credentials

Tip

Your system hardware specifications may impact the performance of FDU Anywhere, such as systems with less than 8GB of memory.

Network Requirements

For the best experience, while using FDU Anywhere, your network should:

  • Have a download speed of at least 5Mb/s or more
  • If your download speed falls below 5Mb/s, the connection could become unstable and cause issues with your stream
  • Have an upload speed of 5Mb/s or higher
  • An upload speed of 5Mb/s is enough to use a basic mouse, keyboard, and controller. More bandwidth-heavy devices such as webcams, microphones, and external storage devices can use up to 100Mb/s
  • Wired network connections are preferred over Wi-Fi network connections whenever possible
  • Wired network connections are more stable and offer more bandwidth over Wi-Fi

For graphics-intensive applications, like Adobe Creative Cloud and Autodesk, we recommend using a wired network connection instead of Wi-Fi, ideally with a bandwidth of 5 Mbp/s.

Wi-Fi networks with 5Ghz rated wireless connections are preferred over 2.4Ghz wireless routers and provide better performance.

VPN Applications and Connections

Warning Warning

The use of any VPN Software within FDU Anywhere is not allowed. Using a VPN client in FDU Anywhere may interrupt your session and disable your access for approximately 15 minutes.

Testing your Connection

Your experience with FDU Anywhere greatly depends on your internet connection. Testing your connection can help you identify and correct most issues.

To test your Internet connection speed, click the link below:

Internet Speed Test

Using FDU Anywhere

FDU Anywhere is available to all students and accessible by following the instructions below:

Accessing FDU Anywhere

  1. From any web browser, visit “anywhere.fdu.edu

FDU Anywhere

Tip

For the best overall experience using FDU Anywhere, Google Chrome is the browser of choice.

  1. Use your FDU Credentials (NetID and associated password) to complete the login to the FDU Anywhere

General Lab

Note

When you login to the General Lab experience, it may take about 60 seconds to get to the desktop. This is because your profile is being created or loaded.

  1. The selected app or desktop opens in a new browser tab

Note

Depending on your screen resolution, your desktop experience view may differ from the picture above.

Log Out of FDU Anywhere

Logging out is a critical step in making sure others continue to be able to easily access FDU Anywhere services. To log out of FDU Anywhere, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Windows “Start” button
  2. Click your “Name
  3. Click “Sign Out
  1. On the upper left-hand side, click the “Hamburger” menu icon
  1. Click “Log Out
  1. Click “OK” to confirm Logout

Automatic Session Logout Policy

To help make FDU Anywhere as available as possible to all students, accounts that have been inactive (or idle) for 15 minutes will automatically be logged out.

Accessing and Using OneDrive

There are many ways in which you can access and save files within FDU Anywhere. Fairleigh Dickinson University highly recommends saving all files on your FDU Microsoft 365 OneDrive which is accessible within FDU Anywhere. There will be a first-time setup and initialization process required to use OneDrive within FDU Anywhere.

Setup and Initialization Process

Accessing your Microsoft 365 OneDrive account is done easily by following these instructions:

  1. From the FDU Anywhere General Lab, single click on the “OneDrive” icon found on the Windows desktop
  1. Enter your FDU NetID and click “Next
    • Follow the FDU standard single sign-on prompts to complete the login process

Note

Your FDU NetID may already be filled in, just click Sign in.

  1. You have successfully logged into OneDrive, click “Next
  1. Microsoft OneDrive may prompt you to backup your folders, click “Next” to skip this step
  1. A brief overview will be given on OneDrive, to begin, click “Next
  1. When the tutorial is finished, click “Later
  1. OneDrive setup is complete and ready to use. Click the “X” to close the window or “Open My OneDrive Folder” to access files

Using OneDrive

Using Microsoft OneDrive within FDU Anywhere is very similar to accessing, saving, and opening files on a computer. Just open up File Explorer and look for OneDrive – Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Working With Files

Zipping Files

if you need to zip files to submit them to Webcampus, please follow these instructions:

  1. Click the file or folder

Note

For macOS users, you can use the “Two Finger” click method on the trackpad in order to initiate the right click. For additional information, please see the link below for “FDU Anywhere – Keyboard Shortcuts”.

  1. Click on 7-zip then click “Add to Archive
  1. Change Archive Format to “zip” like in the picture below, then click “OK” to zip your files

The zip archiving process could take some time depending on the size of the file. Once completed, the file will be in the same location as the folder. You can then email or upload your file to your professor.

Alternate Way to Zip Files

  1. Click “Start” on the taskbar on the left-hand side
  2. Type “7zip” and click on 7-zip File Manager that appears
  1. Navigate to the location of your saved file/folder and click to highlight, then click the “Add” button at the top
  1. Change “Archive Format” to “zip” and then click “OK” to zip your files

The file will now be zipped and you will find your file in the same folder as the project folder or file you wanted to zip.

Note

The zip archive could take some time depending on the size of the file. Once completed, the file will be in the same location as the folder is. You can then email or upload your file to your professor.

Submitting Files to WebCampus

To successfully submit your coursework to WebCampus, it is best to use the Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge web browser located on the desktop of FDU Anywhere.

To submit your coursework to Webcampus, you can log on from within FDU Anywhere. For more information on Webcampus visit:

Keyboard Shortcuts

Sometimes you may want to copy and paste content from your own computer to an FDU Anywhere desktop or application. You can do this using the copy-and-paste menus or keyboard shortcuts, for example, “Ctrl+C” and “Ctrl+V“.

Note

FDU Anywhere only allows copying from your personal computer into the FDU Anywhere desktop.

If you cannot copy and paste for any reason, we recommend using our FDU OneDrive service to access any files not found in FDU Anywhere.

Copy files from Windows OS Devices

Windows OS to FDU Anywhere

  1. Highlight the text you want to copy from your computer
  2. Press “CTRL+C” to copy the selected text
  3. Move the cursor to the paste location in FDU Anywhere
  4. Press “CTRL+V” to paste the text
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Copy Files from Apple OS Devices

Your macOS to FDU Anywhere

  1. Highlight the text you want to copy from your computer
  2. Press “COMMAND+C “to copy the selected text
  3. macOS also supports “CTRL+C

Tip

You may find it easier to use CTRL + C when copying content to FDU Anywhere, so you don’t have to switch back and forth between COMMAND + CTRL.

  1. Move the cursor to the paste location in “FDU Anywhere
  2. Press “CTRL+V” to paste the text
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Note

The copy and paste functions DO NOT work across all applications and browsers, including the copying and pasting of images. This is a limitation inherent in browser clipboards. We recommend the Google Chrome web browser for optimal clipboard capabilities.

Getting Support

For additional support, open up a support request by clicking the link below:

SAMI Support

Network Optimization

If you are experiencing issues while using FDU Anywhere, please use the following tips as guidelines to help improve your experience.

Power-cycle your Modem/Router

Power cycling your modem and router allows them to reset and re-establish a connection to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Shut down your computer and unplug your modem/router. Plug them back in after 60 seconds and watch the lights on your modem/router. Once the lights are on and steady, start your computer.

Keep all your Local Components Up-to-date

Check that your modem/router and your local computer are totally up to date. This includes the operating system, driver, and browser updates.

Disconnect/Turn off any Devices that are not in use

Some devices could be using bandwidth while on standby. Gaming consoles, for example, might download and install updates. Turn off these devices to keep your bandwidth free.

Use an Ethernet Cable

Using a wired Ethernet connection will make your connection more stable and eliminate additional latency compared to a wireless connection.

Change your Wi-Fi Configuration

If a wired Ethernet connection is not possible or your device requires a wireless connection:

  • Connect to a 5GHz wireless network. Some routers offer both 2.4GHz connections and 5GHz
  • Place your devices (such as a computer or smartphone) and your router closer to each other

Note

You may need to contact your internet service provider for help with rebooting your router and/or to configure your wireless settings correctly.

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Microsoft Office 2019 University Wide Standard

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Microsoft Office 2019 Pro Plus is Fairleigh Dickinson University’s standard office productivity software suite used on all FDU-owned laptops and desktops.

Office 2019 Pro Plus is the current version installed on all university computer labs and Microsoft Office 2019 is the current version for all Apple macOS devices.

FDU Faculty and Staff in possession of a university-owned laptop or desktop who has Microsoft Office 2016 Pro Plus installed, may upgrade to the latest version of Office 2019 Pro Plus using the FDU Self Service Portal for Software. Follow the instructions below to upgrade.

Windows

Launch Microsoft Office 2019 Pro Plus from the FDU Self Service Portal for Software

macOS

Compatible macOS devices will upgrade to the latest version of Office 2019 Pro Plus automatically (minimum version macOS 10.13)

For more information visit:

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Operating System Support Lifecycle

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Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Usage states, “All computers and mobile devices accessing any FDU resource must run an operating system and configuration that is supported by its vendor with regard to security patches and updates.”

This guide defines the lifecycle of our support for different operating systems.

Note

Apple does not publish official End of Life dates, but typically provides security updates for the current release of macOS, as well as the previous two releases.

Support Status Descriptions

Active (Default) This platform is supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking and new machines will be built with this platform unless otherwise requested.
Active This platform is supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking and will be installed on request.
Containment This platform is currently supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking but no new machines will be built with this platform. Platforms in containment will receive security updates and patches for the FDU supported software components. FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking Facilities will not provide new software or major revisions to existing software for these platforms.
Phasing Out FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking is actively working to migrate assets away from this platform. Platforms go in to this status automatically 6 months before the FDU End of Support Date. Platforms may be placed in this status before that time.
EOL This platform is no longer supported by FDU Computer Services & University Systems and Networking. Software support will be dropped from any asset running this platform. Other levels of support may be dropped as circumstances warrant. A valid reason is required to maintain an asset running this platform past the End of FDU Support date. All exceptions must be logged and periodically reviewed.

Supported Operating Systems

OS Family Operating System Latest Release FDU Support Status Vendor Release Date Start of FDU Support End of FDU Support Latest Vendor EOL Date
Windows Desktop Windows 11 23H2 Active (Default) Oct-2023 Jul-2024 Oct-2026 Nov-2026
22H2 Phasing Out Sep-2022 Jul-2023 Jul-2024 Oct-2025
Windows 10 22H2 Containment Oct-2022 Dec-2022 May-2025 Oct-2025
21H2 Phasing Out Nov-2021 Jan-2022 May-2024 Jun-2024
Apple
Devices
macOS Sonoma 14 Active (Default) Sep-2023 Nov-2023 Jun-2026 ~2026
macOS Ventura 13 Containment Oct-2022 Dec-2022 Jun-2025 ~2025
macOS Monterey 12 Phasing Out Oct-2021 Dec-2021 Jun-2024 ~2024

Latest Release

The latest release for desktop operating systems includes all minor and incremental updates.

End of Life

Any operating system not listed above is considered EOL (End of Life) and will not be supported. Examples of EOL Operating Systems include:

Windows: 95,98, XP, ME, VISTA, 7 & 8
macOS: Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, & Big Sur

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Vendor Access Policy for Networking & Computing

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As the demand for access by on-site vendors increases, Fairleigh Dickinson University has created a Vendor Access Policy for Networking and Computing. The intent of the policy is to define the categories of non-employees that are on our campuses and provide rules and guidelines around their networking & computing needs. All business units should utilize the Contract Review Process which has been instituted by the Office of the General Counsel prior to initiating any of the below processes. Fully executed contracts that have been reviewed and approved may be requested by members of OIRT prior to providing any access for the non-employees below.

Effective Date: 3/1/2023
Last Revision: 1/14/2024

Contractors/Consultants

The University employs individuals from companies that perform work on behalf of the University and expressly for the University. Examples could be an employee from a staffing agency working within IT to augment the staff in assisting with a series of projects, or an individual hired from an agency to work within Human Resources to assist in processing forms. These individuals are hired under contracts and are held tothe terms and conditions of those contracts. In most cases, working as part of the University, these individuals need computing functionality identical to those of university hired staff, as they are acting on behalf of the University & fulfilling a role specific to the University. All work done by these individuals is part of the university’s data property, and therefore, these individuals should be provided with University issued devices such as desktop/laptop computers, landline phone extensions, etc.

Individuals hired from companies outside of the University to conduct business on behalf of the University must meet the following guidelines and are provided with the following access:

  1. The hiring manager or department head must complete an HR Personal Information Notice (PIN) to begin the process.
  2. Contractors/Consultants will always be issued a University NetID in the format of Firstinitial.Lastname@v.fdu.edu.
  3. Once the NetID has been created & communicated to the hiring manager, a Vendor Employee Technology Form must be completed if the contractor/consultant needs access to certain FDU systems. The form to be found in the Staff and Faculty Forms tile of SAMISupport.

SAMI Support

  1. All Contractors/Consultants are required to complete the Written Information Security Program (WISP) training immediately after an account is provisioned. Validation of completion is needed within the first 30 days.
    1. WISP training reminder on day 15
    2. WISP training daily reminder every day after day 15
    3. Disable account day 30 with an email sent to the manager
  2. All contractors/consultants must read and accept the following additional policies:
    1. Policy for the acceptable use of email
    2. Acceptable use policy for computer usage
    3. FDU alert policy
    4. Password policy
  3. Contractors/Consultants will be able to sign up for FDU Alert through Colleague Self-Service. Instructions can be found here:
  1. Contractors/consultants issued a university managed laptop/desktop are entitled to an email address without the vendor designation at the request of the hiring manager. This would be requested by the manager through the Vendor Employee Technology Form by clicking the “Convert Vendor NetID” box.

Note

It is strongly recommended that contractors/consultants be issued University managed equipment. Access to certain systems may be denied if personal equipment is used.

  1. Contractors/consultants must be terminated at the end of their contract using the same methodology utilized for current faculty and staff. It is the unshared responsibility of the managing department to submit termination paperwork per the HR process for any contractor/consultant who had been issued a NetID.

Volunteers

The University utilizes volunteers in non-paying positions during the school year. Examples of these roles include but are not limited to preceptors & chaplains. These individuals do not need access to any University systems with the exception of email. As such, they need access to Internet services & email but they do not require an FDU managed laptop/desktop.

Volunteers must meet the following guidelines and are provided the following access:

  1. Volunteers will be issued a NetID in the format of Firstinitial.Lastname@v.fdu.edu to be able to authenticate to FDU’s wireless network (and wired network in the future).
  2. Volunteers are required to complete the Written Information Security Program (WISP) training immediately after an account is provisioned. Validation of completion is needed within the first 30 days.
    1. WISP training reminder on day 15
    2. WISP training daily reminder every day after day 15
    3. Disable account day 30 with an email sent to the manager
  3. All volunteers must read and accept the following additional policies:
    1. Policy for the acceptable use of email
    2. Acceptable use policy for computer usage
    3. FDU alert policy
    4. Password policy
  4. Volunteers will be able to sign up for FDU Alert through Colleague Self-service. Instructions can be found here:
  1. All volunteer accounts will expire at the end of the fiscal year and must be renewed by their FDU manager by completing a PIN form.
  2. Volunteers must be terminated at the end of their contract using the same methodology utilized for current faculty and staff. It is the unshared responsibility of the managing department to submit termination paperwork per the HR process for any contractor/consultant who had been issued a NetID.

On-Campus Vendors

The University outsources various functions to entities (Vendors) that operate independently but work exclusively on our campuses and provide services for our faculty, staff & students. These employees are individually managed by their corporate entities and are largely held accountable by their corporate management.

While on campus, employees of these vendors might need access to the Internet to interact with their corporate websites or communicate with their corporate managers. In many cases today and in most all cases in the future, these employees will need to authenticate through the University’s network in order to conduct their business. The University has established a process whereby the Fairleigh Dickinson University department responsible for that vendor completes the Human Resource forms necessary in order to create a non-employee record within our Colleague system.

Employees of on-campus vendors must meet the following guidelines and are provided the following access:

  1. Vendor employees will be issued a NetID in the format of Firstinitial.Lastname@v.fdu.edu to be able to authenticate to FDU’s wireless network (and wired network in the future).
  1. Vendor employees will be able to add their contact information to FDU Alert by sending an email to fdunotify@fdu.edu
  2. All vendor employee accounts will expire at the end of the fiscal year and must be renewed by their FDU manager by completing a PIN form.
  3. Vendor employees must be terminated through FDU’s systems when they either are removed from their assignment at Fairleigh Dickinson University or are terminated by their employer using the same methodology utilized for current faculty and staff. It is the unshared responsibility of the managing department to submit termination paperwork per the HR process for any contractor/consultant who had been issued a NetID.

Elevated Vendor Privileges

From time to time, the employee of an on-campus vendor might have justification for having access to FDU email or a need to access systems and/or applications that reside behind FDU’s firewalls. If such a case is identified, the FDU department responsible for that vendor would need to contact the Director of Systems with a formal request for additional vendor access. The FDU department must present solid business justification for the elevated access. The Director of Systems will review each request and either approve or reject the request based on business needs and security posture. The Director of Systems might consult with the Data Security & Incident Response Team before providing an answer.

Employees of on-campus vendors approved for elevated access must meet the following guidelines and are provided the following access:

  1. Vendor employees will be issued a NetID in the format of Firstinitial.Lastname@v.fdu.edu to be able to access FDU’s wireless network (and wired network in the future).
  2. All vendor employees are required to complete the Written Information Security Program (WISP) training immediately after an account is provisioned. Validation of completion is needed within the first 30 days.
    1. WISP training reminder on day 15
    2. WISP training daily reminder every day after day 15
    3. Disable account day 30 with an email sent to the manager.
  3. Vendor employees will be able to sign up for FDU Alert through self-service. Instructions can be found here:
  1. All vendor employees with elevated access must read the following additional policies:
    1. Policy for the acceptable use of email
    2. Acceptable use policy for computer usage
    3. FDU alert policy
    4. Password policy
  2. If the vendor employee needs to access FDU systems and/or applications, issuance of a University managed laptop/desktop may be required. This would be at the expense of the requesting department.
  3. Upon departmental request, vendor employees will only be provided access to the specific University Systems and applications approved by the Director of Systems.
  4. All vendor employee accounts will expire at the end of the fiscal year and must be renewed by their FDU manager by completing a PIN form.
  5. Vendor employees must be terminated through FDU’s systems when they either are removed from their assignment at Fairleigh Dickinson University or are terminated by their employer using the same methodology utilized for current faculty and staff. It is the unshared responsibility of the managing department to submit termination paperwork per the HR process for any contractor/consultant who had been issued a NetID.

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Wireless Guest Account Creation

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Fairleigh Dickinson University regularly hosts on-campus visitors requiring access to our wireless network. As a security measure, in order to provide access to our Network, an FDU faculty member, staff member, or student must sponsor the guest(s) that they are providing access to. The sponsor takes responsibility for the Internet usage of their guests and ensures that they adhere to FDU’s Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Usage.

Choosing the Correct Account Type

  • Accounts can be created for up to 8 days
  • The sponsor can manage accounts (extend time, delete, suspend or reset password)
  • Account creation requires a valid FDU NetID to create
  • A single Guest Account (Known Guest) can be created or generic accounts (5 devices per account with the ability to create 10 generic accounts at once) can be created through this function

For events that will have a large audience, a Group Account may be needed. If you are a faculty or staff member and you require this account type, please create a sponsored guest account and then create a UTAC ticket. This can be accomplished by contacting the Fairleigh Dickinson University Technical Assistance Center (UTAC)

Please provide UTAC with the following information:

  • Guest account name
  • The name that you would like to use for your Group account
  • Faculty/staff sponsor name, contact number and e-mail address
  • Location for the event (Building, Room, Classroom, etc.)
  • Time and date of the event

Once the ticket is created, OIRT (Office of Information Resource Technology) will contact you within 3 business days to complete the Group account activation.

EduRoam

Fairleigh Dickinson is a member of Eduroam (education roaming) which provides secure, world-wide roaming access service for the international research and education community. If your guest is coming from another Higher Education institution that is also a member of Eduroam, they will not require an FDU guest account. Instead, they can gain access to our Network simply by logging into the eduroam network with their regular credentials.

(Available on Metro and Florham Campus Only)

Creating and Managing an FDU Wireless Guest Account

Creating a FDU Wireless Guest Account
  1. Log into access.net.fdu.edu using your NetID and password
  1. Click the “Generic” or “Known Guest” button
  • Generic – This option allows you to create up to 10 accounts concurrently without entering your guest’s information
  • Known Guest – This option allows you to create an account with guest information. You need to input the guest’s “First name”, “Last name”, “Email address”, and “Phone number”. You also need to enter your own FDU email address
  1. If you have selected “Generic”, enter the number of accounts that you would like to create (maximum of 10)
  1. The remaining instructions are for both known guests and generic accounts. Choose how long you want the guest account to be active
  • First Option – Click the box next to “End of business day” if your guest only requires access through the end of the day
  • Second Option – Type the number of days required in the “Duration” box (maximum of 8). The “From Date” and “To Date” will automatically change based on the requested duration
  • Optional – If needed, you can select an exact date and time for the guest account access to begin and end (24:00 format)
  1. Click the “Create” button
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Managing a FDU Wireless Guest Account
  1. Log into access.net.fdu.edu using your NetID and password
  1. Click the “Manage Accounts” tab
  1. Check the box next the account that you would like to update. You can now use the following administrative functions
  • Edit: Modify any information entered during account creation
  • Resend: Print or email the account username and password
  • Extend: Add additional time to the account. The maximum total duration of 8 days will still apply
  • Delete: Immediately delete the account
  • Reset Password: This will reset the password and either print or email the new password
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Support

For additional support, please contact the University Technical Assistance Center (UTAC)

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