Staff work from home resources

Victoria University staff can easily work remotely from home or elsewhere using a range of well-established remote communication tools.

Set up access to necessary systems and services to work remotely.

Access applications & files from home

: Office 365 is the key to accessing your staff email and other Microsoft applications from your computer, laptop or mobile. You only need an internet connection to access your applications and files – no need to use the VPN service.
Go to http://myoffice.vu.edu.au and log in using your Staff ID and password e.g. [email protected] (not your personal Microsoft Account log in details) to access:
staff email and your calendar
OneDrive file storage
SharePoint
other tools including Yammer, Whiteboard, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote.
User guides & training resources
training & support in the ITS knowledge base
Microsoft Office 365 training centre.
: You can use Jabber for calls and voicemail using only your computer and an internet connection. Jabber is installed on University computers and allows you to:
instant message other Jabber users from your computer
make and receive calls on your desktop or laptop
share your desktop with colleagues
join WebEx meetings
see the availability of colleagues
listen to your voicemail messages (or you can do this from your staff email, where voicemails are also sent).
You can also download Jabber on your personal computer or device.
See Jabber user guides on the ITS Intranet.
: Most staff will be able to work remotely without needing to access VPN (virtual private network). Some staff may need to use VPN to connect to certain software or applications while working remotely, for example accessing network drives (e.g. Y drive) while off campus.
If you do need VPN, download the Cisco AnyConnect client from https://vpn.vu.edu.au and follow our VPN installation guide.
Once you have completed your tasks that require a connection to the VU network, please disconnect your session using the VPN client.
If you have any queries about what services or systems require VPN, please contact the IT Customer Service Desk.
Please note:
Remember to disconnect from VPN before joining a Webex or Zoom meeting. If you are connected to VPN during a virtual meeting, you may experience interference with your voice and video.
When connected to the VU network, streaming services including Spotify and YouTube won't work. To play YouTube videos available on the VU YouTube channel, ensure you are disconnected from VPN.
: OneDrive
Use OneDrive to store and access files from any location with an internet connection - no VPN connection required. To access your OneDrive files from home, log in to your Office 365 Portal.
See OneDrive user guides on the ITS Intranet.
Network drive (Y drive)
To access files and folders stored on VU's network drive (Y drives) while working remotely you will need to connect via VPN, then set up a network drive mapping tool:
network drive mapping for Windows (Y: or R: Drive)
drive Mapping for MAC Y: Drive.
: Staff can download up to 5 copies of Office 2016 for personal PCs, macs and tablets for free!
Follow the steps to download and install Office 365 on your personal computer or device.
You can also install Adobe Creative cloud applications on your computer using our installation guide.
For all other software queries, please contact the IT Customer Support Desk.
: If you don’t have access to a staff laptop or your computer doesn’t allow you to connect to the University network, you may be able to borrow a VU computer. You'll need the approval of your manager.
The details of relocated IT assets currently need to be added to the University’s Asset Register. Please email the make, model and serial number to [email protected] . We don't need the asset tag or network name as applied by the ITS Service Desk at the time of initial deployment.
For Apple Mac users, see the instructions for finding your serial number.
For Microsoft Windows users, the quickest method of obtaining your serial number is to tickle the BIOS directly and see what it says.
Click on the start menu
Type 'cmd' in the search box, then press the [Enter] key
A command prompt window, like the one below, should appear on your screen
Type wmic bios get serialnumber, exactly as shown below, after C:\Users\[your e-number]>
Your serial number will appear in the window as shown below under SerialNumber

Teaching & Learning

Collaboration tools

You can use Jabber to make and receive video enabled or voice calls to other Jabber users from your desktop or laptop.

Learning and Teaching staff can use Zoom for video communications. Zoom is available in VU Collaborate from the Communications Menu.

You can use either Webex or Zoom to host or attend virtual meetings on any device that is connected to the internet. See our Information Classification Scheme and Media Guidelines on the use of collaboration/communication media for guidance on your choice of video conferencing platform.

Information Classification Scheme and Media Guidelines (PDF, 295.66 KB)

: Jabber gives you the freedom to collaborate with other staff at VU in a number of ways.
Jabber lets you:
see presence (so you can see staff availability)
use instant messaging (IM) to chat with colleagues, individually or in groups
share your desktop screen and files
make and receive calls from your computer
access your voicemail.
Access Jabber (login required) instructions and FAQ.
: You can schedule a Webex meeting directly via the calendar invitation, the Webex Portal, the Webex desktop application or Jabber – refer to guides on the ITS intranet for how to do this.
Click, Connect, Collaborate (login required) has information about Webex, Jabber, Voicemail. Make sure you are not connected to VPN when joining a Webex meeting as this will interfere with your video and sound.
Webex help on ITS intranet:
download Webex instructions (login required)
Webex user guides (login required).
Access Webex portal
: Zoom is an online video conferencing tool used by Victoria University for remote teaching and training but can also be used to hold virtual meetings.
If you would like to start using Zoom to schedule and join meetings you will first need to sign into the Zoom Web portal and download the Zoom Outlook plug-in and the Zoom desktop application.
PC Zoom access
Step 1: Install Zoom Outlook plug-in (login required)
Step 2: Download Zoom desktop application.
Find our Zoom guides on the ITS Knowledge Base.
Mac Zoom access
Use the Mac Zoom user guide - includes instruction for installing Zoom and scheduling a meeting.
Tips for all users
Make sure you are not connected to VPN when joining a Zoom meeting as this will interfere with your video and sound.
The Chat function in Zoom cannot be used as a phone for making and receiving calls. Instead use Jabber for chat to make and receive calls from your computer.
Follow these controls for the prevention of Zoombombing, the act of uninvited parties entering a Zoom meeting room ID and joining the open meeting.
Preventing ZoombombingSecurity controls for Zoom meetings (PDF, 748.21 KB)
Zoom meetings allow up to 300 participants. If a meeting or event needs to accommodate more than 300 participants, options are available to expand this limit or hold a Zoom webinar.

Stay safe online when working remotely

To make your working from home (or working remotely) arrangements as secure as possible, follow these top 6 tips to stay safe online:

Register for Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your work account, if you haven’t already. MFA is the best way to protect your VU account and personal information.
You can also set up MFA for your sensitive personal online accounts. Find out how to set up MFA easily for your Google, Facebook, Apple, and many more personal online accounts.
There is an increase in scam emails, SMSs, and phone calls, targeting Australians and businesses. Double check you know how to detect them at vu.edu.au/vucyber.
Use VU’s VPN when working with sensitive information. Look at VPN guidelines on this page on how, and when, to use it.
Ensure your home Wi-Fi connection is secure. You can do this by logging in to your modem or router at home and check the security settings. In the security settings make sure either WPA or WPA2 is turned on (if WEP is turned on, it’s not very secure). This will really help stop hackers getting into your network.
If you’re working from a personal computer, ensure anti-virus is installed and fully updated.
If you work in a shared space, make sure you lock your computer when you walk away from it (holding the Windows Key and pressing L locks it quickly).