How to work remotely

Quick links:

Preparing to work remotely 

After considering the IT tips above, the following questions may help you prepare for home
  • How do I get setup at home?
Answer: Once you have located your working area and have your computer, laptop
or tablet ready and connected to the Internet, you are ready to go. Please see the
section entitled AUS online tools for more information on tools that can help with
remote working.
  • What if I don’t have internet connection?
Answer: If you do not have an Internet Connection at home, please discuss this with
your Head of Department or Director. In some cases you could tether, or connect
through your mobile phone data package, or you may need to find a suitable
location to connect in from.
  • What if I don’t have a work phone?
Answer: Please discuss this with your director. It may be an option to use your
personal mobile phone, with calls being redirected from your work extension
number.
  • Can you help me fix my computer at home?
Answer: Unfortunately, we cannot offer home based support, but we can offer
support over the phone to guide you through resolving technical difficulties.
  • How do I contact support remotely?
Answer: You can contact the IT Support team using the main contact points:
o +971 6 515 2121 or
  • I have specialist software on my computer, how do I access this?
Answer: Unless specific provisions have been made, this may not be possible. Please
contact the IT Support team and we may be able to help you connect directly to your
work computer to use the software.
 
  • How do I divert my extension to my mobile phone?
Answer: A guide on how to redirect your work extension number to your mobile
number is available on the ITFAQ here: https://itfaq.aus.edu/faq/205
 
  • I don’t have an AUS laptop, what device do I work on?
Answer: You can use your own personal computer, tablet or phone. In some cases
AUS may be able to assign a temporary laptop, but these are for very specific staff as
we have limited quantities.
 
  • How do I access my work voicemail?
Answer: A guide on how to access your work extension voicemail is available on the
 
  • I don’t have a headset at home, can I be assigned one from AUS?
Answer: If you do not have a headset available, please get in contact with the IT
Support team in advance of home working and we may be able to help. Similarly to
laptops, we have a limited supply of headsets.
 
  • When setting up to work remotely – should I use a wired connection or a wireless connection?
Answer: A wired connection is preferable if you are using video conferencing tools,
however in many cases, wireless connections are adequate.
 
  • Can I work from another location aside from my primary residence (home)?
Answer: The online tools and access should support working from any location,
however you may need to discuss this with your Director or Head of Department.
 
  • How do I get specialized software installed on my home computer or laptop?
Answer: In some cases we can assist with providing specialized software for installs
on personal devices, however this would need to be arranged with the IT Support
team prior to working remotely.

AUS Online Tools

An ITFAQ page has been prepared with the details to our commonly used online tools. This
includes information on how to access them and helpful guides and videos. The page is
 
1. Google Mail.
Google Mail is the tool we use for our email communications. This can be accessed
on the following link, using your AUS login details:
2. Google Meet.
Google Meet is a video calling tool that can be used in meetings with dozens of
attendees.
3. Google Drive.
Google Drive is a great way to securely store, access and share your files with your
colleagues. Google Drive also provides tools for editing most common file types
within the web browser without installing additional software.
4. AUS Virtual Private Network (VPN).
AUS provides a VPN service to cater for staff who need to access services that are
only available on campus (e.g. Banner INB, Telephone Directory, etc).
  • Will Skype for business or google meet work from my home?
Answer: Skype for business is not available across the whole of the UAE, however we
have texted Google meet from numerous locations across the UAE and it has worked
consistently.
 
  • Where can I find information about AUS’ collaboration tools, how to access them
and how to use them?
Answer: You can find more information on the tools above and others, on the ITFAQ
  • How do I access shared folders remotely?
Answer: To access shared folders remote, you will need to connect first to the AUS
VPN. Once this is done you can connect. Helpful guides on this process are available
  • I need to access Banner INB remotely, how do I do this?
Answer: To access Banner remotely, please first connect to the AUS VPN. Once you
are connected, access should be available to all the Banner functions that you would
usually have when working from the campus.
 

Administrative tasks

  • How do I receive phone calls?
 
Answer: Before you leave the office to begin working remotely, you can redirect
your phone extension to your mobile phone or your home number. To do this please
contact IT Support:
 
  • How do I look up someone’s phone number?
Answer: To access the telephone directory, you need to connect to the VPN first.
Once connected, please use the telephone directory link here:
 
  • Can I print remotely?
Answer: If you have a printer at home you can connect this to your work laptop and
make use of the print services. If you need assistance with this, please contact the IT
Support team.
  • I need a physical signature for something, how do I get this?
Answer: Please discuss this matter with your Head of Department or Director. It may
be possible to use email-based authorization as a temporary work around until
signatures can be acquired.
  • How do I conduct meetings when working remotely?
The easiest method is to use the online tool, Google Meet. Any Staff member can
use Google Meet to create a meeting and send the meeting details to their
colleagues via WhatsApp or email. A guide to using Google Meet is available on the
  • How do I arrange and communicate an online meeting to the attendees.
Answer: The Google Meet guide is available on the ITFAQ website here:
https://itfaq.aus.edu/faq/tools-collaboration and explains how to create and run
meetings. The meeting details can be shared with colleagues using WhatsApp, text
message, email or even included within the calendar invite.
  • Can I access my computer remotely and can I have access to all my files remotely?
Answer: In some cases, we can assist with providing remote access to your work
computer, however this would need to be for a particular reason (e.g. specialized
software). Your files should be stored on your Google Drive, or in a Shared Folder so
that direct access to your computer is not required to get to these files. Please
contact the IT Support team if you need further advice or help transferring your files
in advance of working remotely.
 
  • Where should I save files that I am working on remotely?
 
Answer: It is recommended that you store your files on your Google Drive or Shared
folder so that you can access these once you return to work. Please do not store files
on portable media such as external hard drives or USB keys.
 

IT Support

The IT Support contact details are as follows:
Phone: +971 6 515 2121
Email: [email protected]
 
  • Can I call support outside of the standard 8am-5pm window?
Answer: If the matter is high priority and urgent, you can contact support via the
number above. Or if you know that you may need support outside these hours (e.g.
supporting a meeting on a different time zone), please raise a support ticket the day
before the required after hours support.