Keeping UH Hilo Connected (ITS Update)

On this page:

Summer Scoop 2025

Here's the Summer Scoop from your ITS team, keeping you in the loop with all things tech across campus. We're always working to improve our services, and your understanding and patience are greatly appreciated!

Recent Outages

We know outages are never fun, and we appreciate your patience during recent interruptions.

• June 6th: Our Wi-Fi controller crashed impacting about 80% of our Wi-Fi access points on campus. Our Wi-Fi partner recommends we perform some maintenance. We'll communicate the maintenance at a later date.
• June 18th: A few private subnets experienced an outage due to an issue with our Firewall interface. We're working closely with our firewall partner to identify the root cause and implement a permanent solution.
• June 20th: Following a power outage that occurred on June 19th approximately 10:40 PM, we identified a degrading component in one of our two core switches. We've disabled the affected interface, and traffic has been rerouted to the redundant core switch. This highlights the urgent need to transition to our new pair of core switches.

Summer Momentum!

Infrastructure

Summer is a busy time as we tackle key infrastructure upgrades.

• Wireless Everywhere: We're upgrading Wi-Fi Access Points in several buildings, including EKH, Marine Science, Wentworth, Science & Technology, Life Sciences, Kanelehua, and Kehau. (Mahalo to Housing for the access points for the dorms!)
• Core Switches: As mentioned, replacing our core switches is a top priority to enhance network stability and performance.
• Farm Wi-Fi: We're testing our implementation for expansion of the Wi-Fi coverage at the farm.

Classroom Technology

We're gearing up for a technologically enhanced fall semester!

• Classroom Upgrades: We're moving through all of our classrooms and verifying the current technology and performing preventive maintenance. This will be the start of our technology refresh plan for all of our audio and visual systems.

Student Lab Upgrades

We are refreshing computers in some student labs.

• We will replace all the student computers in MSB103, UCB 104, and UCB 105. Instructor computers will be left alone.
• In the student labs, we will move away from our old Single Sign On solution, Comtarsia, and move to Google Credential Provider for Windows (GCPW). This should provide a better experience when logging into these new workstations.

Your Digital Safety & Security

Information Security & Data Governance

Keeping our data safe is a team effort! If you haven't already, check out the slide deck for a comprehensive overview of our security initiatives.

• Trellix (formerly McAfee): Trellix for home use is being phased out, but don't worry! UH System will be providing best practices for home security in the near future.
• Passwords: The stronger, the better! We recommend using four unrelated words and adding some numbers and/or symbols. Easy to remember, hard to crack!
• Duo Multi-Factor Authentication: This is your digital superpower! Please ensure you have two methods for multi-factor authentication. We highly recommend using the iPhone/Android app and having the app on multiple devices (like your cell phone and your tablet). Another alternative for Duo is using a hardware key. If you'd like a hardware key or just get more information regarding hardware keys, contact the Help Desk to pick one up.
• AI Tools: Faculty and staff have access to Google Gemini and NotebookLM with your Hawaii.edu account. NotebookLM is a really cool tool.

Important Software & Hardware Reminders

End-of-Life Software: Plan Ahead!

It's crucial to be aware of software reaching its end-of-life, as this means no more security updates or support.

• Windows 10: Support ends October 14, 2025.
• Office 2016 and 2019: Support also ends October 14, 2025.
• Office 2021: Support ends October 13, 2026.
• Apple Hardware: Apple is phasing out support for Intel cpu based Macs. There are only a few left that will be supported by the new MacOS Tahoe (to be released later this year). Currently, only MacOS Ventura, Sonoma, and Sequoia are supported. You can check the hardware vintage and obsolete list here.

Moving to SentinelOne

To enhance our endpoint security, we will be removing Trellix and installing SentinelOne on all UH Hilo computers managed by ITS. This will happen as we perform routine maintenance or address support requests.

We're committed to providing you with the best possible technological resources and support. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Help Desk.

April 2025 Update

Duo, our multi factor authentication (MFA) solution. We highly recommend that everyone have multiple ways for Duo to contact you. The logical option is to have the Duo app ask for your approval through your mobile device. However, mobile devices run out of battery, fall in the most inconvenient places, or just no longer work. A backup method to contact you is necessary. A good option is to use a second phone number to receive a phone call for authentication. An even better option is to obtain a USB hardware key. A wealth of information regarding MFA can be found on the Hawaii.edu site. Please feel free to contact the Help Desk if you have any questions.

Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 after October 14, 2025 This means that Microsoft will no longer provide software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for the Windows 10 operating system. (Older Windows operating systems like Windows 8.1, Windows 7, etc. have long been out of support and should not be used.) Microsoft is encouraging everyone to move to Windows 11. Please check your computer if you can upgrade to Windows 11 by following the instructions on Microsoft's site. If you cannot upgrade to Windows 11, consider purchasing our recommended standard configuration Windows OS desktop or laptop to replace the aging computer.

December 2024 Update

Our Help Desk, Classroom A/V team, and Infrastructure team were extremely busy this past semester. As an ITS team, they have worked on 539 tickets, closing 471 tickets with 463 opened since July 1, 2024. This team of rock stars are making amazing progress as they continue to service your technical needs. Our Help Desk hours are Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm (excluding holidays) and we look forward to providing you amazing service.

Many have started using our new Chat Support feature. This is a great way to get in contact with a Help Desk person when you can't get to a phone to call someone. This chat feature gives us the ability to remote control the computer you are on and assist with troubleshooting and resolving the issue immediately. Feel free to give it a go. You can find our chat feature from our Help Desk page or directly at our live chat page. Please remember that you need to log in using your Hawaii.edu account to receive our services. Our live chat hours are Monday - Friday from 8:15am to 3:00pm (excluding holidays). If live chat isn't for you, we can still be contacted via email, phone, or by entering a Help Desk ticket.

There have been a lot of requests as to what computer should faculty and staff purchase. We have created a Windows OS standard and a MacOS standard. Our standards can be found on the Dell Premier site and the UH Hilo Bookstore. More information regarding our standards can be found on our FAQ site. We will start the replacement of many of our computer labs across campus with our Windows OS standard.

Did you know Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10? This means that Microsoft will no longer provide software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes for a computer that runs Windows 10. (Older Windows operating systems like Windows 8.1, Windows 7, etc. have long been out of support and should not be used.) Microsoft is encouraging everyone to move to Windows 11. Please check your computer if you can upgrade to Windows 11 by following the instructions on Microsoft's site. If you cannot upgrade to Windows 11, please consider purchasing our recommended standard configuration Windows OS desktop or laptop to replace the aging computer.

August 2024 Update

Your UH Hilo Information Technology Services (ITS) team has been diligently working to enhance our campus technology. Here are some of the key updates:

1. Classroom Technology Upgrades: Thanks to Reid, Moku, Kevin, and Cheyenne many rooms have been upgraded to meet our latest audio and video classroom standards.
2. Dormitory Wi-Fi Enhancements: Thanks to Daniel, Micah, and Reid, the dormitories have improved connectivity with the upgraded Wi-Fiequipment.
3. Continuous Maintenance: Blaine, Kristi, Kathy, Jeryd, Kayla, and Alek are updating hardware and software to add new features, address cybersecurity concerns, and improve system stability across our campus.
4. UH Hilo ITS website: Our website has been updated to communicate who we are and the services that we provide. We added a Help Desk live chat and remote connection tool to improve our opportunity to resolve the issue on first contact. Visit our Help Desk page to choose your favorite way to interact with our friendly team.

As we begin our new fiscal year (FY25), we often receive inquiries about computer specifications for faculty and staff. To streamline this process, the Help Desk team has created straightforward procedures for purchasing Dell and Apple products:

• UH Hilo Dell Premier Site: Purchase Dell workstations, laptops, monitors, and docking stations. If you need an account to purchase through Dell Premier, please submit a Help Desk ticket. Obtain a quote and follow appropriate procurement procedures.
• UH Hilo Bookstore: Purchase Apple Mac mini and MacBook Pro. The Bookstore accepts UH Hilo IDO as a payment method. You can browse to the Apple products by clicking on "TechHub", then "Department Tech" from the Hilo Bookstore home page.

When procured using the above methods, both Dell and Apple computers come with a 4-year pro support warranty, ensuring reliability and compatibility with the latest technologies. The goal is to maintain a 4-year lifecycle for workstations and laptops, at which point we recommend purchasing new equipment due to parts no longer being available.

We are committed to improving the use of technology and services for our students, faculty, staff, and the entire community. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.