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| Frequently Asked Questions |
| GatorLink Computer Services at the University of Florida |
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Help Topics
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This page is designed to answer the most frequently asked questions about GatorLink services. It is divided into two main sections: General Questions
Technical Questions
General QuestionsWho should I contact if I have problems with my GatorLink Account? The UF Computing Help Desk offers service and support for GatorLink accounts. The Help Desk is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for walk-in and phone consults. The Help Desk also has phone only hours from Sunday through Thursday from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM. You may stop by 214 CSE (Computer Science and Engineering Building) for account services or 520 CSE for any Help Desk consulting service. You may also contact the Help Desk by phone (392-HELP) or by email (helpdesk@ufl.edu). If the Help Desk is closed and you need assistance with your password you may contact The NERDC Support Desk at (352) 392-2061. Who can get a GatorLink account? Every student, faculty and staff member is entitled to a GatorLink ID and may want to take advantage of GatorLink services. Certain UF affiliated groups, including University Athletic Association, UF Foundation and Shands personnel can get a GatorLink ID with a username@ufl.edu email address which provides email forwarding, but no charged dialup or mailbox services. What is the difference between NERDC/CNS accounts and GatorLink accounts? Which do I qualify for? Some NERDC/CNS account services are offered to graduate students and faculty in addition to GatorLink services. These services were called Basic Access accounts; they are now called NERDC/CNS account services. NERDC/CNS services are useful for graduate students and faculty who need file or web space, batch processing (tape mounts or large jobs) or other Regional Data Center services. These accounts no longer offer any Internet dialup service, but the GatorLink monthly dialup quota is extended for graduate students (90 hours/month) and for faculty (120 hours/month). How long does my account last? GatorLink accounts can remain active for one semester after the student stops enrolling at the University. If you go home for the summer or leave town for an internship for a semester, your account will remain active. If you should forget your password, you can reset it online at myUFL if you have previously stored a password hint. Otherwise, just call (352)392-HELP (The UF Computing Help Desk) and an Account Specialist will assist you. Remember, if your password is reset, the password for all of your GatorLink services will also be reset.
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How much does GatorLink cost?
GatorLink provides the following services:
What happens when I use up my 3600 minute quota? Your $5.00 charge will allow you 3600 minutes of local use. You are prevented from dialing up up after going over your 3600 minute quota. You can still access your mailbox with another connection and use the lab machines on campus. If you elect to turn on dialup charging, you can do this on the GatorLink web page. If your dialup is disconnected use the GatorLink "Guest" dialup procedure. To use "Guest" dialup, replace the username/i and password with username guest and password guest, and dial up as usual. Your web browser can access the GatorLink page. On the GatorLink web page select the Modify command and follow the directions. By default, such charging is not authorized on GatorLink accounts when they are created. How do I pay for my monthly charges? If you select charged services you will be billed by University Financial Services. GatorLink charges for services beyond the baseline, like other UF charges, must be paid by indicated deadlines to prevent financial holds. Payments can be made at University Financial Services or by mail. Direct billing inquiries to Financial Services at 392-0181, S113 Criser Hall. Are itemized usage charges available? Monthly and itemized charges are available by selecting the Modify option on the GatorLink home page, logging in, and selecting Account status, from the modification menu and selecting the Show Dialup Detail link at the bottom of the page. When do I get my monthly allocation? Does it "roll-over"? You are allocated your dialup quota amount at the beginning of each month. Any unused time at the end of the month is NOT allocated to you the following month. Usernames can be up to 16 characters long. They must start with a letter, but can have any combination of letters or numbers thereafter. They may also contain a period. Be sure to carefully choose a username that can be used for professional communications - changing your username later is possible (once only), but may cause complications for you. Can I change my GatorLink username? Yes, you can, although we recommend that you give your initial choice serious thought before choosing it. If you decide you need to change your username, come in to the UF Computing Help Desk (520 and 214 CSE) during normal business hours. You must bring your University ID. That depends on your password poliy. Signon to myUFL. Choose My Account, Change My Password. The first screen will display your policy level and expiration terms. It is the goal of the University that all students have an email address at username@ufl.edu. Please be advised that all students, faculty and staff are now required to obtain a GatorLink account to use myUFL. You will also need to either use GatorLink for e-mail or use GatorLink to forward your e-mail to your preferred e-mail address in order to receive official UF notifications via e-mail.
Technical QuestionsMy account was working fine yesterday; today it won't let me dialup. Why? There are two likely scenarios in this case: either your password expired or you reached your free quota limit without having authorized charges. Does GatorLink have telnet access? No. How does my GatorLink account affect my University Online PhoneBook listing By default, your GatorLink username@ufl.edu is the address displayed in the University Phone Book (your preferred email address). You may be receiving mail at this address (using the GatorLink mailbox) or be forwarding email (set the forwarding address using Email forwarding in the Modify command) to another mail system. If you want to display some other address in the online directory, set your Preferred email using the Modify command. How do I renew/change my password before it expires? After it expires? You may change or renew your password before or after it expires , if you know the value, at myUFL. If you've forgotten your password, use a previously set up password hint at myUFL or call the Help Desk for assistance. How do I add Grove service to GatorLink? Go to the GatorLink home page and select the Modify command. Log in, and select "grove unix services." This problem is usually caused by improperly exiting Netscape 4.0 while it is accessing the mailbox. If you shut down Netscape while it is doing this, or your machine locks up during this process, the next time you try to access the mailbox your will usually get this error message. Accessing the mailbox with another protocol usually fixes this problem. Switch Netscape to POP protocol is you are using IMAP: In the Edit --> Preferences menu, click on the plus sign next to "Mail and Groups." Click on the "Mail Server" tab, and change the incoming mail server from imap.ufl.edu to pop.ufl.edu. Be sure to check the option "Leave messages on server after retrieval" and on the POP protocol option below. Save changes and access the mailbox. You can switch back to IMAP later with the same procedure, except the incoming mail server is imap.ufl.edu. Be sure to select the IMAP option below. If you are already using POP, switch to IMAP. The above instruction can be followed in the reverse order to do this. When downloading mail with the POP protocol, why does my machine "lock up"? Chances are the machine didn't lock up, it just encountered a very large message and is downloading it. Some programs don't indicate the download progress, and it seems as if the machine locked up. If you are using Windows 95/98, look at the modem icon on the bottom right hand side of the screen. It looks like a rectangular box with lights on it, and is located next to the clock (you don't see it unless you're dialed up). If the red and green lights are flashing, just be patient - the message is downloading. Incidentally, if you use the IMAP protocol, you will not encounter this. See below. What is the difference between POP3 and IMAP? POP3 services transfer your e-mail messages to the hard drive of your computer when you request your mail. This means that your mail resides on your computer at home once you request to view it. POP3 is the older method and is most suitable for those who check their mail from one location (only). IMAP4 services allow you to read and manipulate your mail messages while keeping them on the remote mail server. IMAP4 is the newer protocol and is useful for accessing mail from various locations. You do not have cookies enabled in your web browser. Cookies are simple devices that web browsers and servers use to track information about the user. They can be used to track your web surfing habits, and for this reason many people choose to shut them off. A cookie is used on the GatorLink page for security purposes. It simply ensures that you create or modify your account within a set period of time and don't remain logged in for a long period of time should you leave the station without properly logging off. For example, you log in, but then leave the computer. Any person can sit down and modify your account profile, password, billing choice, etc. However, the cookie, which confirms the login, expires after a short period of time, disallowing this. If your browser does not accept cookies, you get a session invalid error, just as another person would if they later sat down at the station. To enable cookies in Netscape 4.x: Choose the Edit --> Preferences menu, then click on the word Advanced (on the left). Select the option that says "Accept all cookies" and proceed with your session. You can disable cookies later in the same menu.
How do I check my email long distance?
The GatorLink incoming mail servers can be accessed through any standard
Internet connection, even if it is not through the university. You can use
Webmail
or configure an email client to the specifications provided under the topic
"Email Services" on the GatorLink web page.
The GatorLink sending mail server (smtp.ufl.edu) cannot be used when
dialing up through another provider. Find out the name of your provider's
sending mail server (often it is listed on an email web page documentation) and
use it in place of smtp.ufl.edu.
You can dial up long distance for a GatorLink connection, but be
aware that normal long distance charges apply to the number you are
dialing from. An 800 number can be used to dial in also (800-217-4096), but
you will be billed $.10/ min by the University. This fee is NOT
allocated in your free dialup. Every minute you are connected will result
in $.10 being billed directly to you.
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Last revision: September 7, 2000
For assistance, contact the UF Computing Help Desk:
(352) 392-HELP or helpdesk@ufl.edu
 Center for Instructional and Research Computing Activities E520 CSE • University of Florida • Gainesville, FL   | |||||