Frequently Asked Questions - Telecommuting/Remote Access

We will be updating this page regularly -  check back frequently for additional information and changes

Updated: 11:30a 3/16/2020

Do you have computers available to take home?

Unfortunately, we do not have spare computers available for staff to take home at this time, nor do we anticiapte having them available in the near future.  

Can I take my desktop computer home?

While this is not ideal, if your department manager allows you to, you may take the desktop home.  However, we must inspect the computer before it leaves the building.  We will need to confirm it is encrypted and is configured properly.  There are also asset forms which need to be filled out (we will link those forms here soon)

Can I use my personal computer at home?

Yes, you may use your personal computer but you must use Microsoft Remote Desktop (or equivalent).  We will not allow VPN to be installed on personal computers.

Can I use my HCI office phone at home?

Yes, we have a number of options to accomplish that.   Cisco Jabber is an app which can be setup to accept your HCI extension on your mobile phone or on a PC - contact the HCI Help Desk to enable this app/feature.  In this case, both your desk phone and the 'soft phone' will ring at the same time.   Single Number Reach is another feature in which the system dial another number (usually your cell phone) if you don't answer your desk phone.  Lastly, your deskphone can simply be forwarded to another phone (mobile or landline).

Do I need to encrypt my personal computer?

By policy - all portable computers (laptops) used to conduct business at the University of Utah must be encrypted.   If your laptop is a Windows computer, it must be running Windows Education or Pro in order for encryption (Bitlocker) to work - Windows 10 Home does not support encryption.

At this time, personal desktop computers connecting via Remote Desktop are not strictly required to be encrypted but in the interest of protecting yourself and any data you will be handling, we strongly recommend encryption.

If your computer is running Windows 10 Home, you can upgrade to Windows 10 Education for $15.  The software can be found at utah.onthehub.com.

If I bring in my home computer, can you take a look at it?

We can help evaluate whether your computer can be used for remote work, assist with with installation of Microsoft Remote Desktop and it's configuration, but we cannot assist with other issues you may be having on the computer.