Technical Requirements for Off-Campus PCs
There are a number of technical requirements that need to be in place to enable you to access the full range of L&IS resources off-campus.
Firewalls
If your home or work PC is behind an internet firewall, this firewall needs to allow access to sites from 'tees' domain, for example:
It also needs to allow access to the following ports:
| Port | What does it affect? | How can I test? |
|---|---|---|
| (8080) | Previously blocked Online reading lists service. Port 8080 is no longer needed to access these services, but some links may still include it | Go to Test page - page should show Welcome to Teesside University Reading Lists as below: If page does not display, whenever you come across a URL like http://redcar-bb.tees.ac.uk:8080/talislist/, simply remove the :8080 from the address in the menu bar to convert it to http://redcar-bb.tees.ac.uk/talislist/ |
Security settings
| Technical Requirement | What does it affect? | How can I test? |
|---|---|---|
| On Internet Explorer, privacy settings need to be set to medium so that cookies can be accepted. | Access to electronic resources. This will affect all off-campus access to resources. | Go to test page and login with your usual ICT username and password. You should be taken to an electronic book on Fire Investigation. |
| Pop-up blockers need to switched off for specific sites | Access to many parts of the RefWorks site, also Anatomy TV online database. This may also affect other sites that provide electronic resources. | Login to RefWorks, and click on Tools then RefGrab-It - if you have a pop-up blocker, you will see a warning message at the top of the screen. |
| In your Internet Explorer settings, File Download needs to be enabled. Go to Tools then Internet Options then Security then Internet then Custom Level. Scroll down to File download and check that it has been enabled. | Exporting records from Search It | Save some records in Search It, by clicking on the + (plus) symbol. Go to My Favourites and choose to export those records, then Save. You will see a warning message about your security settings if this option is not permitted. |
| Some internet browsers (e.g AOL's own browser) are not recommended for viewing electronic resources. | Access to certain electronic resources, for example ebrary. | If you are having difficulties accessing a site, try viewing it using Internet Explorer or Firefox instead. |
Additional Plug-Ins or Software
| Software or Plug In | Why do I need it? | How do I obtain it? | How can I test? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe acrobat reader | To view PDF documents, including L&IS factsheets and most electronic journal articles. | From Download adobe page. | Go to  test page (pdf - 112kb) - should open up factsheet 20 on off-campus access to resources |
| Athens cookie | To enable you to login to Athens-authenticated electronic resources with your Teesside University ICT username and password. Please note: Athens is being gradually phased out, so this cookie is now only required for access to a small number of resources. | Click on the link to Set Athens cookie | Go to Test Athens login page (for Ovid databases) - you should see a screen with Continue to login at the top, and Go to Teesside University login page in the middle of the page. |
| FileOpen software to accompany Adobe Acrobat Reader | To read documents sent electronically (via SED) by the British Library using the ILL service. | Download from FileOpen download page | Open up test document |
| Ebrary reader | To allow access to the full range of features including printing of electronic books via ebrary. | Download from ebrary reader download page. You will need to log in first. | Go to ebrary test page. Once you have logged in, you should be able to read the book on-screen. |
| Google Scholar link preferences | To enable Find it @ Tees links to appear in Google Scholar search results. | Go to Google Scholar. Click Scholar Preferences. In the Library Links search box, search for tees. Tick the checkbox for the option Teesside University (Find it @ Tees). Click Save Preferences. | Find It @ Tees links should appear in your Google Scholar results. |
| RefGrab-It | For users to RefWorks, to capture bibliographical information from web pages. | Install it from the RefGrab-It page | RefGrab-It should be listed as one of your links within Internet Explorer. |
| Write-N-Cite | For users of RefWorks, to produce documents whilst using Microsoft Word that incorporate references from your RefWorks account. | Download from Write-N-Cite download page | Write-N-Cite should be listed within Word or the icon should be on your desk-top. |
If you require any assistance or information about L&IS services for Off-Campus users, please contact our Off Campus Assistant on 01642 342922 or via email to libraryhelp@tees.ac.uk.