What is UVM GuestNet?

UVM GuestNet is an easy way for current UVM students, faculty, and staff to grant (or "sponsor") temporary Internet access to their visiting colleagues, families, and friends.

How does it work?

There are a few possible variations, but most often, it works like this:

• Guests who would like to use their own computer to access the Internet while visiting UVM's campus ask the person they are visiting to sponsor temporary access for them.
• That UVM affiliate logs into this system using their NetID and creates a "sponsored account" for their guest, then gives the resulting Login Name and Password to the visitor. This sponsored account will have a finite lifetime. For most UVM affiliates, the maximum is seven days from the date of creation.
• The visitor uses their computer to connect to a wireless network called "UVM Guest" and attempts to visit a website. At this point they are asked to enter the Login Name and Password given to them by their sponsoring affiliate.
• After successfully entering the Login Name and Password, the visitor is able to access most of the Internet resources they are accustomed to using from elsewhere (websites, webmail, instant messaging, etc.).
• Once the sponsored account's lifetime has expired, the visitor is no longer able to use the Internet from the UVM Guest wireless network. If appropriate, their sponsor may choose to create a new account for them at this time.

Who can use the UVM Guest wireless network?

Visitors to UVM's campus who are the guests of current UVM students, faculty, and staff and who have their own laptop computer or WiFi-compatible mobile device may use the UVM Guest wireless network.

This is an open network, and users must take appropriate precautions to protect their own communications, if those communications are sensitive. Users must take appropriate precautions to protect their own computers from intrusion. UVM disclaims all responsibility for any data loss, security compromise, or other harm suffered by guests' computer hardware, firmware, and software while connected to the UVM Guest network.

Who can sponsor access?

Current UVM students, faculty, and staff can sponsor temporary guest access.

What are the sponsor's responsibilities?

UVM students, faculty, and staff who elect to sponsor temporary Internet access for their guests are entirely responsible for those guests' use of the system and the Internet.

The creation of every sponsored account and its use of the UVM Guest wireless network is logged, and your NetID is in every one of those log messages.

Please carefully consider the implications of this when sponsoring visitors' access.

How do I sponsor guest access?

Visit the Manage Your Sponsored Accounts page and fill in the form titled "Create a New Sponsored Account". A few notes:

• Be sure to enter something meaningful (to you, that is) in the "User's Full Name or Description" field: if a complaint investigation leads the Enterprise Technology Services staff to your sponsored account, this information must help you remember the visitor for whom the account was created.
• The automatically-generated password for your sponsored account is case-sensitive. (In other words, your guest must enter their password with exactly the combination of capital- and lower-case letters shown.)
• The login information for your current sponsored accounts is always visible on the Manage Your Sponsored Accounts page under the section titled "Your Sponsored Accounts".

If your position requires that you sponsor more than the maximum number of concurrent guests (five), or need your sponsored accounts to last longer than seven days, please contact the ETS Helpline through Footprints or by calling (802)656-2604.

What kind of access do guests get?

Users of UVM GuestNet will have controlled, bandwidth-limited access to the Internet.

GuestNet will NOT allow access to UVM's on-campus services. UVM's public services (www.uvm.edu, Webmail) are accessible to users of GuestNet, but this access will be treated as though it originates from a remote site. Consequently, GuestNet is not an appropriate vehicle for users who have a valid, current NetID. Current UVM students, faculty, and staff must use the "Cat's PAWS" wireless network and the appropriate virtual private network (VPN) software in order to access UVM's campus resources and receive support.

Certain Internet resources may not be available to users of UVM GuestNet. Notably, these include:

• the ability to send mail using an email program like Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Apple Mail unless the visitor's ISP supports the "SMTP Submission" protocol and the visitor's email program is correctly configured to use this service; support for email clients is beyond the scope of UVM's support for the GuestNet service, and visitors experiencing such problems should be directed to either use their ISP's webmail service or contact their ISP's technical support for assistance; and
• the ability to use certain virtual private network (VPN) software.

I am planning an event or conference, and want my attendees to have Internet access. What do I do?

If your event is being handled by UVM Conference & Event Services, you may request that they provision temporary access for your guests. Otherwise, if you need to sponsor more than the maximum number of concurrent guests (five), or need your sponsored accounts to last longer than seven days, please contact the ETS Helpline through Footprints or by calling (802)656-2604.

Where can I (or my visitors) get help using GuestNet?

GuestNet sponsors may contact the ETS Helpline through Footprints or by calling (802)656-2604. Visitors should start by asking their sponsors for assistance, then call the Helpline at the number above if necessary.