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Kansas State University

IT Help Desk
Kansas State University
214 Hale Library
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-7722
helpdesk@k-state.edu

New to IT at K-State

Welcome to information technology at K-State! You'll find the university provides many technology resources and facilities for use by K-Staters.

eIDs and passwords

K-State students and employees must have an eID, or "electronic identifier". Your eID is used to access your WebMail, personal webpage, iSIS, K-State Online, dial-in services, and other K-State resources.

Keep your password private. K-State policy prohibits using someone else's eID or sharing passwords. Your eID's security is your responsibility! Remember that you must change your password twice a year, at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. See eid.k-state.edu for details.

E-mail

K-State provides e-mail service to all its students and employees. Your official, primary K-State e-mail address has two forms — eID@ksu.edu and eID@k-state.edu. You will receive e-mail sent to both, and you can use either one when sending e-mail.

The university sends official correspondence to K-Staters via their primary e-mail addresses with full expectation that communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.

If K-Staters choose to forward their mail to another e-mail address (AOL, Hotmail, departmental server, etc.), their primary campus e-mail address remains the official destination for official university correspondence.

E-mail at K-State offers spam filtering, antivirus protection, and improved Webmail services. For further information, see central e-mail services.

Buying a computer

K-State encourages new students to bring a computer to college. Computers are used for coursework, research, and communicating with instructors and other students.

Computer labs

Many campus computer labs are available for free use by K-State students, faculty, and staff. Most labs require a K-State eID/password when signing in.

University computing labs and the K-State InfoCommons (in Hale Library) contain more than 350 computers for use by K-Staters. The labs have printing facilities, a variety of software, and access to the campus network and the Internet.

Departmental labs are reserved for students in specific fields of study. Ask your advisor about available labs or contact the department's main office about usage guidelines.

Residence-hall computer labs are reserved for students in the residence halls.

Software

  1. A basic office suite is needed (word processing, database, and spreadsheet). Microsoft Office Suite is recommended.
  2. The CatPack is a collection of free and licensed software that is available to K-Staters only. It includes K-State's antivirus software, an office suite, communications, and other useful programs.
  3. Significant software savings are available at the K-State Student Union Computer Store, 785-532-7319, computerstore@k-state.edu. The store works with many vendors who offer educational pricing (lower than retail) on software and hardware. Details and prices are available on the store website.

Protecting your computer

It is imperative that K-Staters protect their computers. Computer security risks and threats continue to rise, and a vulnerable machine can be attacked and infected in a few seconds.

  • It is your responsibility to protect your computer and your data. Protecting your computer helps protect the university's network and resources, as well as other K-Staters.
  • K-State actively scans its network to identify computers that are unpatched, vulnerable, or infected with a computer worm or virus. If your computer is compromised, it will be blocked from accessing the network and Internet until it has been repaired and/or patched.
  • K-State's free antivirus software must be installed on any computer connected to the campus network directly, via dial-in, or wireless. The software is free to all students, faculty, and staff. It is in the free CatPack suite and can be downloaded from the antivirus software page.

See the IT security site for more information.

Connecting to K-State's network

K-State's high-speed data network allows access from residence-hall rooms, off-campus, the K-State Student Union, the library, university computing labs, high-technology classrooms, and locations equipped with wireless support.

At K-State, there are three ways to connect to the campus data network and then to the Internet:

  1. Direct network connection, using a hard-wired line and an Ethernet card.
    K-State buildings are directly connected to the Internet. Students living in the residence halls get access to the Internet and campus network through Housing and Dining Services.
  2. Wireless network connection.
    K-State's wireless computer network allows laptops and other mobile-computing devices to link to the Internet without being physically tied to an Ethernet connection line. See the wireless network policy.
  3. Dial-in connection, using a phone line and a modem.
    K-State Telecommunications provides dial-in service for a low-cost monthly fee. Commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are listed in the Yellow Pages.

K-Staters are prohibited from operating Wireless Access Points on the K-State network or on K-State property, including the residence halls.

Residence-hall requirements

See the Residential Networking site and the Network Access site.

Leaving K-State IT

Students and employees who are planning to leave K-State permanently should review the Preparing to Leave K-State IT site, which documents what to do before you leave.

Contacts