DoIT Computer Lending Program - General Information
Eligibility
Note: If customers are found to be in violation of our policies, their eligibility to the program may be revoked at the discretion of the Computer Lending Program Coordinator and the DoIT Onsite Help Desk.
The minimum requirements for eligibility to the DoIT Computer Lending Program includes having:
- A valid, unexpired Wiscard
- An active, valid NetID
- An active affiliation with the university, such as current enrollment or employment status.
Faculty/Staff: If the program has computer availability and the customer is a faculty/staff member traveling abroad, they are eligible for a loaner computer without having to contact their local IT.
For questions pertaining to eligibility for the DoIT Computer Lending Program, please contact clp@doit.wisc.edu.
Policies
Note: All customers agree to abide by the following policies upon check out of equipment from the DoIT Computer Lending Program. These policies are subject to change at the discretion of the Computer Lending Program Coordinator and the DoIT Help Desk at any time. Failure to comply with all terms and conditions of this agreement may result in the loss of equipment check out privileges. Any DoIT Help Desk staff may revoke check out privileges at any time they deem necessary in their sole discretion.
Equipment from the Computer Lending Program is not meant for personal or permanent use or ownership. Use of equipment must follow the university's Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy.
Checkouts are available during the DoIT Help Desk's Onsite hours (Monday through Friday, 7:45am to 5pm). Please see Get Help from DoIT for accurate business hours surrounding breaks and holidays.
Customers must be deemed eligible to check out from the DoIT Computer Lending Program. If a customer loses eligibility at any point during a customer's check out term, they must return equipment to the Onsite Help Desk otherwise the equipment is considered "unauthorized possession" of university property.
All equipment for the program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Computer Lending Program does not take individual reservation requests. There is a limited supply of equipment and availability is not guaranteed.
The DoIT Onsite Help Desk can not assist with non-university licensed, third-party owned software. Any assistance is best effort and up to the discretion of the willing agent.
The DoIT Onsite Help Desk and Computer Lending Program are not responsible for customer data. Customers are recommended to independently back up their data. The university provides many cost-free resources such as Google Workspace and Microsoft OneDrive for data backup.
The DoIT Computer Lending Program can not guarantee laptops will work as intended during each checkout as they are not rebuilt between uses. The DoIT Onsite Help Desk staff makes reasonable effort to maintain equipment however it is the customer's responsibility to report any technical issues with equipment once checked out. Replacement equipment is not guaranteed for checked out equipment that may fail.
Customers can check out one of each item per checkout term. Requests for more than one item per term are subject to approval.
Customers may not check out equipment in place of other customers.
Customers must return equipment on or before the agreed due date within the DoIT Help Desk's Onsite hours.
The Computer Lending Program reserves the right to review and revoke program eligibility, lock devices, and/or suspend devices from the network if a customer is found to be in violation of its policies.
The equipment must be returned to the DoIT Computer Lending Program in the same condition that it was received, except for normal wear and tear.
Customers are responsible for any shipping costs associated with returning equipment.
Customers who return overdue laptop checkouts are ineligible from checking out laptops from the Computer Lending Program for the following term. They are referred to view alternative campus resources for equipment needs. See more information below under Alternative Campus Resources.
If a customer has an overdue, unreturned item, they are not eligible to check out additional equipment from the Computer Lending Program.
Unreturned equipment is considered "unauthorized possession" of university property.
The Computer Lending Program is not able to sell equipment from the program for personal obtainment.
Equipment
The following describes the equipment that the Computer Lending Program provides. Equipment is available for pick up at the Onsite Help Desk located at 1210 W Dayton Street in the Computer Sciences building.
Note: We do not take individual reservation requests for equipment and can not guarantee device availability. Any inquiries concerning requests that fall outside of our general policies can be directed to the DoIT Computer Lending Program contact form.
Laptop Loaners
Lending Term: 1 Semester or Less
Dell Laptops
Hardware Specifications: 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD (Minimum)
Operating System: Windows 11 64-bit
Pre-Installed Applications: Microsoft 365*, Adobe Creative Cloud*
- Dell 3510
- Dell 7410
- Dell 7440
- Dell 7490
Macbook Laptops
Hardware Specifications: M2 Chip, 256GB SSD
Operating System: Mac OS Sonoma
Pre-Installed Applications: None
- 2022 Macbook Air
- 2017 Macbook Air (Faculty/Staff)
Lost/Misplaced Chargers
If a customer has lost or misplaced the charger included with their loaner, we ask that it is replaced with an equivalent one before return based on the following policy listed in DoIT Computer Lending Program - General Information: The equipment must be returned to the DoIT Computer Lending Program in the same condition that it was received, except for normal wear and tear.
The following are specifications for chargers per laptop model:
Dell Latitude 7410 (13in), Dell Latitude 7440 (13in), and Dell Latitude 7490 (14in):
- 65W USB-C Adapter
- NEMA 5-15P to C5 3-Slot Mickey Mouse plug (1m) (Honglin, LongWell)
Dell Latitude 3510 (15in):
- 65W 4.5mm barrel AC Adapter (2m)
- NEMA 5-15P to C5 3-Slot Mickey Mouse plug (1m) (Honglin, LongWell)
Macbook Air (M2, 2022):
*The USB-C to MagSafe3 cord is preferred as this is the charging cord that originally comes with our 2022 Macbook Air laptops.
Hot Spot Modems
Lending Term: 7-Days or Less
Note: These modems are not intended for primary internet usage or HD video streaming and have a cap of 20GB of high-speed data per month. Data coverage is not guaranteed and is based on Verizon's coverage map. These are not meant to be used internationally or outside of continental US.
Hot Spot:
- Verizon Jetpack MiFi 8800L
Features
- Internet access in Verizon's 5G and 4G coverage area in continental United States
- Portable and charges over USB
- Secure wireless network
Usage
- Hold down the power button on top of the modem until the screen displays "MiFi".
- The modem will take a few moments to start up and search for service.
- Once the modem has finished starting up, open the wireless network connection settings on your computer or mobile device and select the MiFi 8800L Jetpack network.
- When prompted for a password, enter the password found in the modem's settings.
- Your device should now be connected to the wireless modem and should have internet access through that network.
Troubleshooting
If the device will not power on or start up:
- Ensure that the modem has been allowed to charge for at least 2 hours.
- Remove the plastic back panel of the modem.
- Disconnect the battery from the modem.
- Hold the power button on the modem down for 10 seconds with the battery removed.
- Reinsert the battery and replace the plastic back panel.
- Try again to power on the modem.
If you are unable to connect to the wireless modem or internet:
- Ensure that you have selected the correct wireless network on the device you wish to connect and that you have entered the correct password (found on the back side of the wireless modem).
- Switch your Jetpack off and on, then restart your computer or Wi-Fi device.
- Check the display status on the LCD screen for your connection status, alerts, or messages.
- Check the Alerts screen on the wireless modem and resolve any outstanding issues.
- Make sure that network coverage is available in your area.
- Reset the wireless modem using steps 2-6 from the power on/start up troubleshooting steps above.
One common "issue" that may be encountered is an older computer not automatically selecting the correct frequency to connect to to the wireless modem. The wireless modem can operate at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and some older computers can only connect to the 2.4 GHz frequency. To change the frequency, follow these steps:
- From the main menu on the wireless modem, go to Settings and tap the middle button.
- On the next page, go to Wi-Fi and tap the middle button (it should be the first option on this page).
- Tap the right button to go down one option to Band.
- Tap the middle button to change the frequency between 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
For further troubleshooting, please refer to Verizon's documentation at one of the links below. We have three different models of 4G wireless modems, please visit the link that pertains to the model that you have:
If further troubleshooting does not succeed, please contact the DoIT Computer Lending Program at clp@doit.wisc.edu.
Alternative Campus Resources
Please see the alternative campus resource for laptop and AV equipment loaners below:
| Short-term Loaners (InfoLab Program) |
|---|
|
Equipment Availability:
The best way to check on equipment availability is to call in to the DoIT Help Desk during our Onsite Help Desk's general business hours.
Long-Term Laptop Checkout Calendar
The following is information on the current and following academic year checkout calendar for semester-long laptop checkouts. These due dates may be subject to change based on UW - Madison's academic calendar.
| Term: | Checkouts Begin: | Due Date: |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Spring | 12/4/2023 | 5/13/2024 (Monday after Finals) |
| 2024 Summer | 4/29/2024 |
8/16/2024 (Friday after 8-week Session) 9/6/2024 (Automatically extended due date per communications of new policies sent out on 8/14/2024) |
| Term: | Checkouts Begin: | Due Date: |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Fall | 8/19/2024 | 12/20/2024 (Friday after Finals) |
| 2025 Spring | 12/06/2024 | 5/12/2025 (Monday after Finals) |
| 2025 Summer | 4/28/2025 | 8/29/2025 (Last Friday before 2026 Fall Term) |
Returning Equipment
Customers who check out from the DoIT Computer Lending Program can return their items using the following options:
In-Person at the DoIT Onsite Help Desk
The DoIT Onsite Help Desk is located at 1210 W Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706 within the Computer Sciences building. When entering through the main Dayton Street entrance, the Onsite Help Desk is found in the space to the right of the atrium. The Onsite Help Desk is open Monday through Friday from 7:45am to 5pm, otherwise please see Get Help from DoIT for the most up-to-date information concerning hours during holidays and breaks.
Contactless Lockers at the DoIT Onsite Help Desk
Important: This option must be arranged and approved by the Onsite Help Desk within a reasonable time frame before the due date of the item for it to qualify as an on-time return. It is up to the discretion of the Onsite Help Desk and Computer Lending Program Coordinator to determine reasonable time frames for returns through this method.
The DoIT Onsite Help Desk has contactless lockers available for equipment returns. To request this option for return, please contact the DoIT Computer Lending Program at clp@doit.wisc.edu.
Shipping to the DoIT Help Desk
For an item to qualify as an on-time, valid return to the DoIT Help Desk through mail, the following must be provided to the clp@doit.wisc.edu as a part of the arrangement:
- the reason for a shipping return
- tracking information for the shipment
Please note that if any item(s) that were included with the equipment bundle (e.g. bag, charging cable, device, wall adapter) at check out are not included upon return, the return may be considered incomplete and customers may receive a hold on their academic records until the matter is resolved.
For information on how to ship an item to the DoIT Help Desk, please see Shipping to the DoIT Help Desk: Computer Repair and Loaner Equipment