The minimum requirements for eligibility to the Computer Lending Program includes having:

• A valid, unexpired Wiscard
• An active, valid NetID
• An active affiliation with the university during the checkout term (e.g. current enrollment or employment status)
• No current eligibility blocks from the Computer Lending Program

All customers agree to abide by the Computer Lending Program's policies detailed in this Knowledgebase article upon check out of equipment from the Computer Lending Program. 

All customers must meet the eligibility requirements at checkout.

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 assistance provided for non-university licensed, third-party owned software is best effort and up to the discretion of the willing agent.

Overdue equipment is considered "unauthorized possession" of university property.

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.

If customers are found to be in violation of any policies, their eligibility to the program may be revoked at the discretion of the Computer Lending Program Coordinator and the DoIT Onsite Help Desk. 

Disclaimer:

All equipment for the program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. Availability is not guaranteed at any time.

The Computer Lending Program is not able to sell equipment from the program for personal obtainment. 

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 cost-free resources such as Google Workspace and Microsoft OneDrive for data backup. 

The 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.

Replacement equipment is not guaranteed for checked out equipment that may fail.

Checkouts are only available in-person at the DoIT Onsite Help Desk during its usual business hours (Monday through Friday, 7:45am to 5pm). Please see Get Help from DoIT for accurate business hours surrounding breaks and holidays.

Customers can check out one of each equipment bundle type 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.

Use of equipment must follow the university's Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources Policy. Equipment from the Computer Lending Program is not meant for personal or permanent use or ownership. 

Customers must report any technical issues with equipment during the checkout term within a reasonable timeframe.

Customers must report any missing parts from an equipment bundle within a reasonable timeframe, otherwise they may be liable to replace the part before a return is accepted.

Customers must notify the program if their eligibility status changes at any time during their checkout period and return the equipment bundle to the DoIT Onsite Help Desk. Failure to do so will result in the equipment being classified as 'unauthorized possession' of university property.

Customers must return equipment on or before the agreed due date by the end of the DoIT Onsite Help Desk's business hours.

Customers returning equipment through mail must have an approved and documented agreement for the return to be considered a valid return. Customers are responsible for any shipping costs associated with returning equipment. Please see "Returning Equipment" below for additional information.

The equipment must be returned to the Computer Lending Program in the same condition that it was received, except for normal wear and tear. This includes all equipment parts: item, charging cable, wall adapter, and bag. If the condition of the return is not reasonably met, the equipment bundle may not be accepted as a complete return and any holds may remain until the matter is resolved.

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.

Customers who have overdue, unreturned item(s), are not eligible to check out additional equipment from the Computer Lending Program. 

Data retrieval is not provided for laptops that are locked due to overdue and/or unauthorized possession status. 

 Lending Term: 1 Semester or Less

Lost/Misplaced Chargers

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

1. Hold down the power button on top of the modem until the screen displays "MiFi".
2. The modem will take a few moments to start up and search for service.
3. 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.
4. When prompted for a password, enter the password found in the modem's settings.
5. 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:

1. Ensure that the modem has been allowed to charge for at least 2 hours.
2. Remove the plastic back panel of the modem.
3. Disconnect the battery from the modem.
4. Hold the power button on the modem down for 10 seconds with the battery removed.
5. Reinsert the battery and replace the plastic back panel.
6. Try again to power on the modem.

If you are unable to connect to the wireless modem or internet:

1. 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 in the modem's menu selection).
2. Switch your Jetpack off and on, then restart your computer or Wi-Fi device.
3. Check the display status on the LCD screen for your connection status, alerts, or messages.
4. Check the Alerts screen on the wireless modem and resolve any outstanding issues.
5. Make sure that network coverage is available in your area.
6. 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:

1. From the main menu on the wireless modem, go to Settings and tap the middle button.
2. On the next page, go to Wi-Fi and tap the middle button (it should be the first option on this page).
3. Tap the right button to go down one option to Band.
4. 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:

• Verizon Jetpack MiFi 8800L

If further troubleshooting does not succeed, please contact the DoIT Computer Lending Program at clp@doit.wisc.edu.

Please see the alternative campus resource for laptop and AV equipment loaners below:

Short-term Loaners (InfoLab Program)
Eligibility: students, staff, faculty Loan periods: 7-Day Loans Equipment: Apple and Dell laptops, AV Equipment from College Library Locations, hours, and availability: See Equipment for Checkout Questions: technologycirculation@library.wisc.edu Returns: must be returned to library where checkout occurred

 

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. 

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. 

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. We do not recommend shipping equipment internationally.

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

Where can I contact the DoIT Computer Lending Program?
The DoIT Computer Lending Program is managed by the Onsite Help Desk. Customers can contact the program with general questions through clp@doit.wisc.edu or in-person with staff at our Onsite space at 1210 W Dayton Street in the Computer Sciences Building. We are open Monday through Friday from 7:45am to 5pm. Customers may not receive a response from the Computer Lending Program outside of the listed business hours.

Where do I return my DoIT Computer Lending Program device?
Devices from the DoIT Computer Lending Program can be returned to the Onsite Help Desk. We are located at 1210 W Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706 in the Computer Sciences building. If a customer enters from the main doors on W Dayton Street, the Onsite Help Desk is in the offices directly to the right of the atrium space. We also have lockers that are available upon request for customers that may not be able to return devices during Onsite hours. Requests for lockers can be escalated to the Service Desk.

We do not take returns for any of the Infolabs/Libraries equipment. Customers need to return the equipment to the locations where they picked up. 

Devices may be shipped to the Onsite Help Desk. Please see Shipping to the DoIT Help Desk: Computer Repair and Loaner Equipment for more information on shipping loaner devices to the DoIT Help Desk. DoIT highly recommends to purchase insurance with the shipping provider for the package. If items are damaged or lost in transit, the customer is responsible for either a repair or replacement of the device as it states in their checkout agreement. Customers must email clp@doit.wisc.edu to notify that their device is being shipped back along with any tracking information. If customers have any other questions or concerns, they can fill out the DoIT Computer Lending Program request form. 

Please note that if equipment is returned by contactless locker or through shipping, penalties may still occur if the equipment is overdue. Equipment will always be due at the end of business hours the day that the customer has agreed to return the equipment. 

Can my friend or someone else return my laptop for me?
Yes, however you are still held responsible if there are any missing or damaged parts of the loaner bundle. We reserve the right to refuse a return if all the parts are not included otherwise we may place a hold on your student records until the matter is resolved. 

Can I check out equipment for a friend?
No. This is a direct violation of our check out policies. 

Can I reserve a laptop ahead of time?
No. The DoIT Computer Lending Program is not able to provide individual reservations ahead of time. Customers are only eligible to check out one laptop and/or one hot spot at a time. Checkout requests for more than one of each item are subject to approval.

Why can't I reserve equipment ahead of time?
The DoIT Computer Lending Program does not have a reservation system in place to manage a high volume of reservation requests. Additionally, the program does not have enough equipment to fulfill all the requests received. Equipment is primarily intended for individual, student-use and only support departmental and bulk requests on an ad-hoc, based-on-availability basis.

I am faculty/staff. Can I loan out equipment?
Yes, however the program highly encourage staff and faculty to reach out to their local IT departments for available resources before reaching out to the Computer Lending Program. The program typically does not check out equipment for long-term use to faculty/staff. All faculty/staff requests are subject to approval.

Is there a waitlist I can be added to for a laptop?
No. The Computer Lending Program operates on a first-come, first-serve basis due to the limited number of laptops that the program has available in our inventory.

Can I renew my device? 
The DoIT Computer Lending Program will no longer extend currently checked-out equipment past the term that items are due. If a customer needs equipment past their current due date, they will need to come in to the DoIT Onsite Help Desk to return their current item and check out a new one if available. If there are none available, they must wait 1 business day to allow their recently returned equipment to go through the intake processing before they can be allowed to check the same equipment out again.

Note: The Computer Lending Program has a limited supply of laptops that are meant to support all eligible students. It would not be fair to allow customers to continually renew their equipment each semester, since the laptops already have semester-long checkout terms. Additionally, the laptops from the Computer Lending Program are not meant to be permanent replacements for personal machines or for departmental work machines. If customers have questions or feedback concerning this policy or any other policies that the program has, please reach out  to clp@doit.wisc.edu.

What happens if I don't return my device on time?
The DoIT Computer Lending Program provides automated notifications concerning your overdue loaner although we do not guarantee mail delivery. Upon checkout, customers agree to abide by all the policies listed in DoIT Computer Lending Program - General Information. The program reserves the ability to place holds on your student records which may affect enrollment and official transcripts. Hot spot service may be suspended and laptops may be locked down from retrieving data.

My laptop is locked from use. Can I have it unlocked to back up data?
No. The DoIT Computer Lending Program does not provide data back up services for loaner laptops at any point as a part of policy. Data back up is the responsibility of the customer during the checkout term.

I didn't receive any reminder emails and was never notified before my computer was locked/blocked from network access.
Upon checkout, all customers agree to abide by the program's policies. Reminder notifications are a courtesy that the program provides, however we can not guarantee email delivery from our systems. Unless otherwise specified by the checkout agent and documented in our system, due dates for laptops coincide with the checkout calendar and check out periods noted above.

I have a hold on my student records. How can I get this removed?
The only holds that the DoIT Computer Lending Program place on student records are for overdue loaner items. This is not an automated process upon return of any overdue item(s). To have the hold removed, customers need to return the overdue items checked out under their name. Removing the holds are done manually and may take 2 to 3 business days before they are completely removed from your student records. 

How much does it cost to rent a computer, and how long can I rent one for?
Our loaner equipment is cost-free for students enrolled at UW-Madison. Laptops are available for semester-long checkouts and hot spots are available one week at a time.

I'm having an issue with a loaner computer. Can I call or email for help?
Yes. The DoIT Help Desk will provide best effort support for issues with the physical devices that customers have checked out. If an issue cannot be fixed over the phone or through email, the DoIT Help Desk may direct customers to return the device to the Onsite Help Desk at their earliest convenience to swap it for another one if the program has laptops available.