At IU, what is Get Connected, and how do I use it?

On this page:

• About Get Connected
  • Who is required to run Get Connected
  • About the registration process
• System requirements
  • Windows computers
  • Macs
  • Other OS versions
• Running Get Connected
  • Using Get Connected
  • Running Get Connected before arriving on campus
  • If your computer cannot complete Get Connected
• Removing Get Connected
  • Undoing Get Connected's changes with Get Unconnected (Windows only)
  • Removing Get Connected from your computer

About Get Connected

At Indiana University, Get Connected is an application for Windows or Mac OS X that configures your computer to meet baseline IU security and network connectivity standards and registers it for full access to the IU network. These standards are meant to protect both IU network resources and your computer from hackers and viruses, worms, and other malicious software. Get Connected also installs important IU utilities such as the IU Printer Finder and shortcuts to important IU network resources.

For more about the changes that Get Connected makes to your computer, see About Get Connected.

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Who is required to run Get Connected

All IU students should run Get Connected each year to register their computers for access to the IU network. Old or unused network registrations may be periodically purged to enhance the network's security and integrity.

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About the registration process

Because Get Connected is designed to register all of your computer's network adapters at the same time, you will generally only need to complete Get Connected once each year.

Note: You may be required to complete Get Connected again if your computer loses its network registration as a result of a scheduled network registration purge or if your computer is found to be compromised by malicious users or software.

You can complete Get Connected in less than 10 minutes if your computer already meets baseline IU security and network connectivity standards. The Get Connected process can take substantially longer, however, if your computer does not meet these standards.

Note: If you use Windows, running Get Connected in off-campus mode before you arrive on campus can significantly reduce the time required to complete the Get Connected process; see below.

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System requirements

Windows computers

Windows computers must be running Windows 8, 7, Vista, or XP, and must meet the following standards in order to complete the Get Connected process:

• An administrator password must be set.
• No malicious software can be present.
• Active, up-to-date antivirus software must be installed.
• Active, up-to-date antispyware software must be installed (Windows Vista and higher).
• For Windows Vista and XP, the latest Windows service pack must be installed.
• All Windows updates flagged as critical or higher by Microsoft must be installed.
• Firewall software must be installed and active.
• The computer must not be behind Network Address Translation (NAT) or some other device that hides its IP address from the IU network.
• Windows must be configured to check for and install automatic updates daily.
• The computer's clock must be set correctly.

  For help, see Microsoft Support.

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Macs

Macs must have an Intel processor and must be running Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later.

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Other OS versions

Computers running OS versions not shown above must be manually registered; contact your campus Support Center for assistance.

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Running Get Connected

Using Get Connected

You can download and install Get Connected from the Get Connected site; follow the instructions there.

Note: Get Connected requires administrative rights to configure your computer; for more, see About your device's administrator account.

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Running Get Connected before arriving on campus

Get Connected for Windows features an off-campus mode. In off-campus mode, Get Connected will configure your computer to meet baseline IU networking and connectivity standards, but will not register your computer for network access. You will still need to run Get Connected again to register your computer for network access once you arrive on campus, but the process should be significantly faster.

The Mac version of Get Connected does not feature a separate off-campus mode; you can run it either while on campus or off.

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If your computer cannot complete Get Connected

If you encounter an issue with Get Connected that prevents your computer from completing the Get Connected process, you can request a manual registration from your campus Support Center. You will still be required to manually configure your computer to meet baseline IU network connectivity and security standards before it can be manually registered.

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Removing Get Connected

Undoing Get Connected's changes with Get Unconnected (Windows only)

If you leave IU, you can undo the changes that Get Connected makes to your Windows computer by running Get Unconnected. Running Get Unconnected will not affect your network registration. For more, see What is Get Unconnected, and what does it do?

Note: If you run Get Unconnected but still wish to access IU's network resources, you still need to keep your system secure, as stipulated in UIPO's IT-12: Security of Information Technology Resources.

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Removing Get Connected from your computer

To remove Get Connected from your computer after completing the Get Connected process, in Windows, use Add/Remove programs from the Control Panel. In Mac OS X, open the Downloads folder and drag the Get Connected icon to the Trash.

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