Accessing the network

We recommend that you first work through the three items listed below. The rest of the information can be viewed at a later time.

Important

1.  Obtain a Brunel Network Account

Please visit the computing support team. The team will require evidence of one of the following documents:

• A contract from Human Resources (preferred)
• Arrange for a staff memo (this requires authentication by the departmental administrator to access and to complete) and photographic identification (preferably your university ID).

 2.  Register with the Password Portal Service 

(Applies only to Brunel members with a payroll number/employee ID)

To enable you to reset your password online. 

For staff and PGR students, the University imposes a password expiry policy. If a password expiry notification is ignored, then you will be prompted with login prompts within short time spans for all your applications until the account locks

You can reset an expired password from the Password Portal by selecting the 'Reset Expired Password' button using your old credentials

NOTE: Remember to reset all your devices and mapped resources with the new password, otherwise you will be locked out of your account. 

3.  Register with the Connect Portal Service (optional)

This will enable you to connect your personal devices or if you need to download statistical information. Visit Connect Portal to register.

A Network account provides the following:

Access to the Brunel data network, library resources and the Intranet as well as the following Services:

• A personal home drive (h:\) with a quota allocated to store your Brunel work - this area is backed up regularly
• A departmental shared drive (g:\) - this area is backed up
• Office 365 webmail for UG/PGT/PGR students, staff, and affiliates - unlimited quota available
• Outlook on Brunel computers for PGR students and staff
• Map printers and h:\ drive to your personal devices: Connect Portal
• Shared mailbox facility
• Mailing list facility
• PC workareas 24/7 with bookable rooms. To book, email timetabling@brunel.ac.uk
• Access to audio visual equipment from Media Services
• Setting up your Brunel office PC and printers.  Schools and Departments may have their own Computing contacts, otherwise contact the IT Service Desk
  
• Access to temporary storage for large file transfers using Dropoff
• Ability to create your own website.

Information for visitors and university affiliates.

Network Account with limited resource access may be provided if you are: Affiliates of the University, working for or on behalf of, or collaborating with the University on university business, provided that you have a written contract from the sponsor School or Service. Your sponsor will need to complete the registration form for affiliates (authentication necessary). For further advice, please contact the IT Service Desk

Conference Guests: Conference Guests, may have wireless access from selected hotspots around the campus and from the Lancaster Hotel/Lodge. The Conference team provide Delegate IDs which can be used in the Lecture Block information kiosks. Conference delegates may also benefit from the Connect Visitors Network.

Visiting staff or students from other universities: Visiting staff or students from other universities may have access to the Eduroam service. Eduroam is an international network available to various educational instituitions to enable internet access to visitors of their university. This allows visitors from another Eduroam location to have the ability to access the internet using their own home university login credentials. Further information is availabe from the Connect Portal.

External visitor: A general external person may submit a business case for a network account to the Director of the iT Service Desk, which may be granted at his discretion and with terms and conditions as appropriate. 

Network account for returning students

Returning students are required to go through the Brunel Registration process at the start of each academic year of their studies. The network account details remains active throughout the student study period, unless one of the following apply: 

• If you have never collected a network account, then you can collect this by visiting our student login section
• If you have forgotten your password, then you will need to visit the IT service desk with your Brunel ID card to enable them to reset it for you
• If you are changing your course, then you will need to make a request to the Computer Centre service desk team asking them to move your account
• If you are a distance learning student, then you will need to ask your departmental administrator to organise a password reset on your behalf
• Important: Once you have obtained your Network Username and Password, then please register with the Password Portal Service. This will in future allow you to reset expired or forgotten passwords online.

 A network account provides you with the following: 

Access to the network, Intranet, virtual learning environments and library resources.

To help you with organising, planning and delivering your academic work, the Centre provides the following:

• A personal file store called home drive (h:\) with quota allocated and files backed up regularly
• Office 365 webmail for UG/PGT/PGR students, staff, and affiliates - unlimited quota available
• Outlook on Brunel computers for PGR students and staff
• Ability to map printers and h:\ drive on to personal devices: Connect Portal
• Printing and PC workareas available 24/7 
• Access to temporary storage for large file transfers using Dropoff.