• Laptop
• Laptop bag or means to transport laptop
• Power adapter
• If used - MFA security fob for NetID authentication
• Mouse
• Physical materials needed to work from home such as paper documents, office supplies, purchasing card, etc.

If you have specific websites you use to complete your work, make sure you have a copy of the URLs saved somewhere you will be able to access from home (Box, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive or the Russell file servers).

You can see how to export bookmarks for major browsers at the links below:

• Chrome
• Microsoft Edge
• Firefox
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Safari

Thanks to Kerry Tobin at the Biochemistry department for this information.

Collaboration Software

Task	Software
Collaboration/Productivity	UW-Madison G Suite (Google), Microsoft Office 365, UW Box
Instant Messaging	Microsoft Teams
Virtual Meetings/Video Conferencing	WebEx, UW Zoom
Web Calls	Microsoft Teams

Resources

• Comparison chart from DoIT
• Comparison chart from CALS IT - contains important security information about cloud platforms

The university offers several cloud storage options that enable you to efficiently access your documents from any location – at work or at home.

• Google Drive
• Labstore
• Microsoft OneDrive

Check out the comparison chart for these different cloud storage options - covers G Suite (Google), Box, Microsoft Office 365, DoIT Shared Drive.

Campus Storage (Labstorage or Research Drive)

If you store items on campus storage, you must launch VPN software before you can access the drive.

• Installing the VPN software - see the "VPN (Virtual Private Network) Info" section of this document
• Mapping a drive - see the "Mapping a Drive" section of this document

Ergonomics is an important consideration for home work spaces.

Some office equipment marketed for home use like chairs and desks are fine to use for handful of hours.

But when you work from home, you may spend longer hours in them than they were designed for.

How the desk and chair are configured becomes much more important. 

The Campus Environmental Health and Safety Department website has a section on office ergonomics:

• Ergonomics for Telecommuters Handout
• Remote Workspace Checklist
• Ergonomics Online Training

They can also do a remote assessment of your workspace ergonomics and provide advice.

Russell IT has a supply of some computer peripherals - check with them for more information. They do not have headsets.

• Desktop Support
  • Use for: issues with computer hardware or software, how-to questions
  • Email helpdesk@russell.wisc.edu
• Website Support
  • Use for: if your lab website is down, if your lab website has an error message, how-to questions
  • Complete the Web Services help request form (login required)
• Other Resources
  • Russell Main Knowledge Base:  http://kb.wisc.edu/russell (check the Computing topic on the drop-down menu at the top)
  • CALS Knowledge Base:  https://kb.wisc.edu/cals
  • Campus Knowledge Base:  https://kb.wisc.edu
  • Outages:  https://outages.doit.wisc.edu

Windows

Mapping a drive off remotely on a Windows computer can be challenging due to the way options are labeled on the screens.

If you want to try it yourself, use these instructions:

• How to map a drive to the campus shared space on Windows

If you run into problems, contact Russell IT for assistance: help@russell.wisc.edu.

Mac

• How to map a drive to the campus shared space on a Mac

Check out this article from Computerworld which covers things like lighting, audio, and uncluttered backgrounds and desks.

How can I access my voicemail from home?

• Create an out-of-office voicemail greeting. You can do this from any phone.
• Check voicemail via the Cisco Unity Voicemail Portal.
• Setup email voicemail notifications.
• Configure call forwarding on the physical phone, or configure it online.

For shared or departmental phone lines: 

• You cannot change the lines without completing a DoIT VOIP request form.
• You must be an authorized user to make the request.

A VPN connection (Virtual Private Network) is required when working remotely.

We use VPN – Palo Alto GlobalProtect software for this.

We recommend you test GlobalProtect from the office to ensure it's working properly. 

View VPN installation instructions for mobile and personal devices.

• Follow these security tips from DoIT.
• View the recommended antivirus software for personal devices.