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TSS Director: Tom Van Gilder
vangildertm@appstate.edu

Main Office: 262-6272
Tech Support: 262-6266
Walkin Support: 262-TECH (8324)

Location: 2073 Raley Hall

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Student Computing Services

Students attending Appalachian State University will use computers for both academic pursuits and for other interests.  Students may bring their own computers, share computers with friends or roommates, or they may use a computer in one of the student computer labs.  Technology Support Service (TSS) is responsible for coordinating and promoting issues related to computing and offers a variety of services to support the student’s use of both personally-owned computers and those found in the computer labs.  ACS is located in 2073 Raley Hall and can be reached at (828) 262-6266.  Our Web address is www.acs.appstate.edu.  The University’s Web address is www.appstate.edu.  If you have further questions or issues we encourage you to contact us at: techsupport@appstate.edu.


Technical Support

ACS offers technical support through our Call-in and Walk-in Technical Support centers.  Questions in support of your student's technological needs can be addressed by contacting our support center at 828-262-TECH (262-8324) or 828-262-6266 and follow the menu presented by the automated system.  You may also send an email to resnet@appstate.edu.  In addition, students can stop by the technical support walk-in center to get a wide variety of individual assistance on technical matters.

Many of the questions that our consultants receive at the Help Desk are answered on the Appalachian Web site which your student has probably already used.  The First Connections web site is very thorough for all types of questions including the most common technical questions. (www.firstconnections.appstate.edu)

If your student has forgotten or lost their ASU username, there are a couple of solutions.  They can go to the Appalachian home page (www.appstate.edu) and choose Search.  This is located in the choices above the picture on the web page.  Next, your student can type their name in the area called Search the Directory.  Their name will appear along with their username.  If they have problems with this process, they can call our Technical Support Help Desk at 828-262-6266.

If your student has forgotten their password, they can go to the Appalachian home page (www.appstate.edu) and choose AppalNet from the list of choices above the picture.  There is a password change form link located below where they would normally log into AppalNet.  Your student does not have to know their existing password to reset the password.  There will either be a challenge question for them to answer or they will need to enter their birthday and id number.  If they have problems with this process, they can call Technical Support Help Desk at 828-262-6266 (choose option 1 from the menu.) 

Additional assistance is provided to students who bring their own computer to campus.  Our Computer Walk-In area is located on the second floor of Raley Hall in Room 2018A.  Your student can bring in their computer to have it worked on by calling 262-6266 (choose option 4 from the menu.)  We can also send someone to your student’s residence hall room to help in getting his or her computer connected to the campus network.  During the Fall and Spring Semesters the Walk-In area is open:  3pm – 11 pm Sunday, 8am – 11pm Monday –Thursday and from 8am – 5 pm on Friday (closed Saturday).  In the Summer, they are open: 8am – 6pm Monday – Friday.  A valuable website for students living in the resident halls is www.resnet.appstate.edu.  An additional useful site is www.support.appstate.edu which provides general computer announcements and updates for the Appalachian community.


Student Accounts and Usernames

After enrolling, each student is given a computer account and is authorized to use the computer resources on campus.  We encourage the student to access their account through AppalNet.  The student’s login name and password along with additional information concerning ASU computer access is mailed to the student’s home address.  Students need to be aware of the ASU Computer Use Policy, which describes the manner in which our campus computer resources may be used.  A copy of the Computer Use Policy may be viewed from the ASU Web site.  Failure to abide by these computer use policies may result in the loss of some or all computer privileges.  The login name is composed of the student’s two initials followed by a number.  Initially the student’s password is set to his or her student identification number.  We recommend that the student change her or his password in logging into the Appalachian system for the first time.  It is important not to lose any of this computer account information that was sent.  The student’s e-mail address will be his or her login name@appstate.edu.


Student Computer Access

Appalachian supports both PCs and Macintoshes in our computer labs and for student-owned computers.  We encourage the student to use the platform of preference.  For either platform, the student will need a good connection to the internet.  Students residing in residence halls on-campus have Ethernet connections to the internet.  Students living off-campus will need to make arrangements with an independent internet service provider.  Wireless access is not currently available or supported in the residence halls but can be used in various locations across campus

Student Computer Labs

Appalachian provides a large number of PCs and Macs in labs conveniently located around campus.  In each of these labs the student has access to e-mail, the internet and a wide variety of application programs.  Many classes make use of discipline-specific software applications which can be found in most of the student computer labs around campus.  The labs are equipped with laser printers and many are staffed with student operators who can provide support.  Several of the labs are open extensive hours.  Although there are certainly periods of peak usage, in general, students can find a computer available for use.

Student-Owned Computers

ASU supports both the PC and Macintosh platforms equally and we encourage you to purchase or bring the platform of your preference.  If you are purchasing a new computer, look at the configurations presented in the bookstore for comparison.  If you are considering the purchase of a new computer system from a source other than the Bookstore or you are wishing to bring a system that you already own please read the following comments carefully.

  • Our experience has shown that most models of Apple, Hewlett-Packard/Compaq, Dell, Gateway, and IBM computers work well in the ASU environment.  We are not able to offer support for other brands of computers or “custom built” computers.  If you are very comfortable with computer technology you are welcome to support your own configuration.
  • Minimum configurations for the purchase of new computer systems are specified on our web site at www.acs.appstate.edu.  The web site also shows the minimum specifications for those of you planning on bringing a computer system that you already own.
  • Both hardware and software change frequently.  Many firms have a policy of rolling out upgrades or entire new lines every 4 months or so.  There is a short time to obsolescence for either hardware or software.
  • Purchase from a reputable source that is able to provide after sales support.  In your purchase decision consider the overall cost of ownership.  You may need to obtain changes, upgrades and service at various times during the life of the system you purchased.  Carefully weigh any differences in prices with these critical issues.  You are more likely to get better support from a store that caters to computing than one that strictly promotes discounts.
  • If you purchase your computer before coming to Appalachian, be sure to bring along all documentation, warranty information, and software CDs and disks that are included with it. These can come in handy and can dramatically improve our ability to provide technical assistance.

Notebook Computers

Many students prefer notebook computers because of their mobility and size.  There are tradeoffs to consider relative to your lifestyle and needs.  While mobility is very appealing, the equipment is typically more expensive for any given configuration and notebook computers are more vulnerable to theft and damage.  We offer the following suggestions to protect your computer equipment:

  • Do not leave notebook computers unattended.
  • Record the serial number of your computer equipment.
  • Engrave your driver's license or some other identifying number on the equipment.
  • Apply a distinctive paint as a means of uniquely identifying your computer.
  • Buy AND USE a cable lock to secure your computer.
  • Buy the extension to the warranty that covers accidental damages.

Internet Connections

Students living in residence halls will have their computers connected via Ethernet.  Most new computers include an Ethernet connection.  If you are bringing an older computer, it is best to purchase an Ethernet card and have it installed by the store from which you originally purchased your system. You will need an Ethernet cable to reach from your computer to the connection on the wall.

If you will be living off campus you will need to arrange for access to the Internet and, by extension, the facilities at Appalachian State University.  The Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the area are listed at: http://www.nss.appstate.edu/isplist.html.  Students living off-campus may choose among DSL, Cable or dial-up connections.  We suggest that you examine the connection speeds of the various Internet Service Providers and all of their associated costs.  An Ethernet port will be needed to be able to connect to either DSL or cable while a modem is required for dial-up connections.  We recommend that you use a hardware firewall/router with either DSL or cable.

Operating Systems

For the PC, we recommend Microsoft Windows XP (either home or professional edition), preferably with Service Pack 2.  And for the Mac, we recommend OS 10, version 10.2 or higher.

Application Software

We recommend and are best able to support the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft’s Outlook and Internet Explorer packages and Mozilla’s Firefox/Thunderbird browsers and email packages. These packages and discipline-specific applications are available on lab computers, enabling you to work on your files when away from your local residence.  The standard application packages and many other special-purpose software packages are sold with academic discounts in the Appalachian State University Bookstore.

ResNet provides Ethernet connections to the internet for students who live in residence halls.  Please check the ResNet Web site at www.resnet.appstate.edu for additional services.  ResNet works closely with the department of Information Technology Services and with Academic Computing Services to support students living in the residence halls.

Anti Virus Products

We currently use McAfee Antivirus and anti-spyware for PCs and Virex for Macs.  The most current versions of these products are made available to students in residence halls.  We highly recommend that students living on-campus use our versions of the McAfee anti-virus and anti-spyware products.  It is critical for all students to have a current antivirus product and to maintain the most current data files for viruses.  In order to be more completely protected, students must maintain the most recent operating system patches and service releases for their computers.  This can best be handled by setting these systems to automatically install updates as they are made available for their operating systems.  If you have questions on how to do this, please contact our technical support folks.

Downloading Music and Video Files

While it may seem attractive to download music (mp3) and/or video files off the Internet, it is illegal.  This sort of activity is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).  We frequently receive complaints of alleged violations of the DMCA from agents who represent artists or works where copyrights are allegedly being violated.  In response to the complaint, we must remove the computer involved from the internet and notify the individual responsible.  Since this represents a violation of federal law, the student involved will also receive a sanction from Student Judicial.  The recording and movie industries are very serious about pursuing the illegal downloading of their copyrighted materials.  They have sued some individual students and received settlements of many thousands of dollars.  In addition to the legal issues, we have found that the peer-to-peer programs used in these sorts of downloads are the source of numerous computer viruses, spyware, and other potential computer problems.