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Visitor Computing at the Harvard Mathematics Department
Due to limited hardware resources, the Harvard Mathematics
Department is unable to guarantee individual office computers
for every visiting scholar. However, there are accessible
Macintosh OS X computers available on all four floors of the
Math Department for the use of graduate students and visitors
with computing accounts in the Math Department. Some visitor's
offices may have desktop Mac computers that can also be used
by those with Math Department computing accounts. If you are
not planning to obtain a Math Department computing account,
or if you want to assure a private computer for your own use,
it is best to provide your own desk top or lap top computer.
Web access can be arranged for visitors with no Math Department
account and no computer.
In any event, what follows describes in more detail what can be done
with regards to the computing needs of visitors.
Computers with wireless capability
If you bring a computer with wireless capabilities you will
be able to access the web, your home institution's email, the
rest of the Internet, and our departmental printers without a
Math Department computing account. Even so, the use of your
wireless capabilities requires an initial register of your
computer with the wireless network. Here is how this is done:
When you arrive at the Harvard Math Department, enable your
wireless access and connect to the "Harvard University" network.
Open a web browser and attempt to access a web page. The browser
should force you to a registration page. If you have a Harvard
ID and PIN, then you can directly log in. If not, ask your
Math Department sponsor to log you in.(The ID and PIN are
only required for your first access.) Once logged in, follow
the on-screen instructions. You should thereafter have normal
Internet access. By the way, some Math Department printers can
be accessed via the wireless network. The list of such printers
is at http://www.math.harvard.edu/computing/printing.
Computers without wireless capability
Computers without wireless capabilities can also be accommodated.
However, they need to be manually registered on the network by
a member of the departmental computing staff. After you arrive
and are assigned an office, please arrange with Arthur Gaer
(Room 527, gaer.harvard.edu) or Pete Chvany (Room 524,
pchvany.harvard.edu) to have your computer registered.
The hardwired registration procedure can sometimes take a day
or two to wind its way through the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
network registration system. If you are here for a day or two,
you can get your computer registered for 24 hours (renewable)
if you use one of the computer jacks in Room 234. When you open
up a web browser using one of these jacks, you should be sent
to auto-registration web pages. The first page will ask you to
agree to Faculty of Arts and Sciences rules, and the second will
have a checkbox that asks if you are visiting Harvard without
a Harvard ID. If you say yes, you will be directed to a third
page that asks for your name, email address and phone number.
After giving this information, you will be registered on the
Faculty of Arts and Science computing network for the subsequent
24 hours. If there is someone with you that has a Harvard ID
and PIN, you can enter this information to register for longer
term use.
Math Department computing accounts
If you wish to use the Math Department's computers you will need a
departmental computing account. This can be arranged by emailing
Arthur Gaer with a cc to Ruby Aguirre (ruby.harvard.edu)
giving your full name (as you will want it to appear on your
email), your preferred username, and how long your stay will be.
If you email these people at least a week before you arrive, then
your account should be ready upon your arrival. In this case,
Ruby Aguire in the Math Office, Room 325 will give you your
username and password in a sealed envelope upon your arrival.
Note that a Math Department computing account will not give you
access to other Faculty of Arts and Sciences computing resources,
nor will it give you access to Harvard Library electronic
resources. Access to either requires an official Harvard ID.
Those who are eligible for a Harvard ID should arrange with Ruby
Aquire to obtain one either on or prior to your arrival.
Internet and web access for 1-2 day visitors
There are two computers in the Math Department that are dedicated solely
to internet and web access. One is in the alcove out side of Room 505
and the other is in the hallway across from room 241. These computers
are labeled Mathguest. To use either, click on the mathguest icon and
enter the password. Neither of these dedicated computers
can access the Math Departments computing facilities, nor those of
Harvard Universtiy. However, both can be used for printing documents on
Math Department printers. Visitors who are here for a day or two with
no computer of their own should plan to use one of the two Mathguest
computers. However, we ask that you not monopolize these computers at
the expense of others.
