About This Chapter...

The heart of our job in Get Connected `96 is working with users on site, in their rooms. Keep in mind that FAS Computer Services is based on the model of customer service. When we're in a student's room, we aren't just students; we represent our employer and the University as a whole. The road to being proud of being a UA starts with the attitude and demeanor each one of us brings every day, be it to the Help Desk or in a user's room.


This chapter is designed to give you some background information on how in-room assistances work - what you should do, what you shouldn't do, and what to expect. Please read and learn this chapter; it is crucial information for Get Connected `96 and for the rest of your service as a House or Dormitory UA.

Section I: The UAppoint System

Section II: The Tools of the Trade

1. The UA Toolkits and Cables
2. Useful Software
3. Reference Materials
4. Using the Radios

In many ways, being a UA is like being a doctor - lots of people are counting on us for help, but we don't have much time to see them, and it's hard to work all the "patients" in! This year, FAS Computer Services is rolling out the new UAppointment scheduling system. UAppoint (short for UA Appointment system, of course) is user-friendly and accessible via the World Wide Web, and was designed specifically for the demanding needs of the College.

For detailed information on our new UAppoint system, please see Appendix A.

There's nothing as embarassing as getting all the way out to a user's room, and then realizing you're missing something you need. For your benefit, we've put together a set of everything you should need, from a working Ethernet cable to a toolkit to electronic disk images that fit any imaginable need.


This section will describe the tools available to you in depth: what they are, how to use them, and how to get the most of the resources available to you to make your job just a little easier.

You should always have the following items with you during in-room assistances:

• UA Toolkit
• A working Ethernet cable
• An Ethernet jack-splitter
• Copies of the FAS Computer Services DOS/Windows 3.x and Macintosh Installer diskettes, as well as the Win95 Network Access diskette
• A set of tool disks
• The Quick Reference Card
• A printed copy of the task report for your assistances from UAppoint

One suggestion at the start: many UAs have found it helpful to get some sort of inexpensive tote bag to carry your gear in. While we can't reimburse you for this expense, you'll find it saves you the headache of always having to look around for your tools.

Every UA has access to a toolkit to use during in-room assistances. House UAs are assigned their toolkits during Training Camp. Volunteers and Science Center UAs will be loaned toolkits for Get Connected periods. These toolkits are expensive to replace; UAs must return their toolkits with all its parts at the end of their employment or be charged for replacement costs.


The UA toolkit contains many useful items essential to a successful in-room assistance:

• Screwdrivers with flat heads, No. 1 and No. 2 Phillips heads, and T-5 heads
• An anti-static grounding strap
• A tube to hold loose parts
• Tweezers
• A "grabber" for loose or dropped items
• Nut drivers


You must always wear your anti-static wrist strap whenever you are working inside a user's computer! To use it, place it around one wrist and attach the alligator clip to the chassis or power supply of the computer. This keeps static charges from za pping a user's Ethernet card - or worse, their computer.


You should also be careful to store any screws or parts you remove from a user's computer in the parts tube. Tiny screws easily roll off of tables and into cracks and crevices in dorm rooms. Make sure that everything that comes out of a computer goes back in. Count your screws!


UAs should also carry a working Ethernet cable with them to all in-room assistances. Users are often confused by the differences between phone and Ethernet cabling, or might not even have a defective cable; in any case, you should have a cable to test their connection.


Finally, you should have an Ethernet splitter with you. Users often forget to pick one up from the Help Desk, and you can save them a trip later if you can give them one. Don't be frivolous; they cost FAS Computer Services $7.00 each.

It's also important to have the right software with you. At a bare minimum, you should have the FAS Computer Services Installers for Mac, DOS/Windows 3.x, and Windows 95. You can pick these up from SC B-13 at any time. Carry a couple of each in case one gets lost or damaged.


This year, there is an additional resource for UAs: the Disk Image library. Maintained by the Advanced Support Team, this is a collection of useful software that might come in handy on occasion. All of the files are self-extracting archives, so you can create your own set of tools.


The library includes disk images of the installer disks for many popular Ethernet devices, both supported and unsupported. The popular 3Com, Asante, and Farallon disks are included, as are images of Megahertz, Intel, SMC, and Xircom disks. This can be invaluable when a user doesn't have their original diskettes. There is also a PC Ethernet Tools disk that contains the 3Com Configuration program for popular EtherLink cards, as well as programs that check card services and search a user's system for the Ethernet address of their 3Com card.


The library also includes emergency boot disk images for Macs, Windows 95, and various flavors of DOS. If a user's hard disk crashes and they can't boot their system, you can create a boot disk that matches their OS version. (For DOS users, keep in mind that you need to use the exact matching version if you need to do anti-virus or repair work; a DOS 6.2 boot disk won't be that much use to a DOS 6.22 user, for example. While you can boot the system from any version of DOS, you have to have a matching version in case you need to run CHKDSK or FDISK, for example.) There are also images of anti-virus programs and other utilities.


The library is maintained at the Advanced Support Team at the Advanced Support Team home page. Keep in mind that these disks should not be given out to users; they are for staff use only.


To make a floppy disk from a PC Disk Image, select the appropriate hyperlink(s) from the page, and save the self-extracting file to a directory on your hard disk. When the file(s) are saved, open a DOS prompt and go to that directory. Then type filename A:, where filename is the name of the image file. You will be prompted by the program to see if you really want to overwrite the disk in drive A:; press Y to create the tool disk.


For Mac images, simply select the link, and either save the file to disk or execute it from the browser. In either case, the file will extract - follow the instructions on the screen.


If you have any suggestions for additions to the library, please let the Advanced Support Team know! We want this to be a resource that is always available to help you out in the field, but we can only do that if we know what you need.

You should also keep your Quick Reference Card in your wallet or toolbag at all times. On the front, it has a checklist of common problems you should always check if you are stuck. Make sure that you go through all these items before contacting Advanced Support; in fact, they should be the first thing you check.


On the back, you will find useful phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and Web sites. These can come in handy in the field when you just can't remember where something is located. It also contains the contact information for the Advanced Support Team, so yo u should always have that close by.


You may also find it useful to carry this manual with you in your toolbag. The Troubleshooting sections of each chapter contain very useful information; it's there, so you should use it whenever you need it.

During Get Connected periods, UAs use a handheld radio system to stay in touch in the field. These radios must be checked out and returned to SC B-13.


Each channel/frequency can really only support one conversation. If the channel is being used, try using the phone. It's impolite to "step on" or interrupt another person while he/she is talking. There are other departments on this frequency, so be courteous -- and keep your language clean -- at all times.


When trying to contact someone on the radio, always say the person you're calling first, followed by who you are. It's also common radio convention to repeat the person you're calling twice. For example: "Advanced Support, Advanced Support, this is Jim."


Speak slowly and carefully so the other party can understand you. Also, please refrain from extraneous traffic.


When the other party finishes speaking, always pause slightly before starting your response, otherwise the other party may not hear the beginning of your response.

Section III: During The Connection

Keep in mind that when you're in the room, you're working on someone else's computer. For some of them, it may be another toy their dad or mom bought them, and they may have a devil-may-care attitude. For others, it may be the most expensive single item they have ever owned. In either case, and every case in between, our job is to get their computer working with minimal interference.


At the same time, make the user feel comfortable. Don't patronize them about what kind of computer they have, or how slow it is - this will only make them feel more nervous about what you're doing. Be friendly and considerate at all times. As UAs, we each do dozens of connections each year; but for each user, this may be the first and only time someone is poking around on and in their machine. Remember that your demeanor counts as much as your ability; both reflect a great deal on you and your fellow UAs.


Be a professional at all times. In sum, just put yourself in their shoes, and you'll do just fine.


You may want to call the user before going to their dorm to make sure he or she is in. This will also make sure they're ready for you when you get there. The user may have written down their appointment, but they may not have - so make sure they're in before you make the trek.


Be sure to get a copy of the task report from UAppoint before leaving, and be at least familiar with it. It's essential to know their Ethernet address and jack number to diagnose their problem, for instance; without that information, you can't be sure that their whole problem isn't just an incorrect entry in NetConnect.


As a general rule, you should never work on someone's computer unless he or she is present. If they've had to step out for a moment, you can begin work or continue it only if they've left a note or told their roommate that it's OK to do so. In any case, it's preferable that the user be there at all times during the connection.


You should also make sure the computer is working fine before doing anything to it. Just boot it once to be sure; that protects you and FAS Computer Services from being accused of "breaking" a computer! If the computer isn't operational, don't install their card; tell them to reschedule when everything's working.


Be careful with their system! The computer must be off and unplugged before you open the case. And don't forget to use your grounding wrist strap at all times when inside the computer.


When it comes time to leave, make sure everything is working fine. Check that all network services are available, from TCP/IP to whatever other protocols have been installed. A good check of TCP/IP is to try both opening a telnet session and launching Netscape before leaving. On a few machines, for example, everything works fine - except Netscape crashes when an image is loaded onto the screen! (For the record, this is often caused by problems with video drivers.) The point is, go the extra mile to make sure the user won't need to wait for still another appointment to get everything working.


If you're connecting a user in your House, be sure to leave them your card or point yourself out in your House's Facebook. That way, when they need to contact User Services again, they'll know exactly whom to call! If you're connecting a first-year student, give them one of our special Get Connected `96 cards.

Section IV: Calling for Backup

As a User Assistant, you are the first, and hopefully last, employee of FAS Computer Services that a user will need to meet in order to get his or her computer working. Unfortunately, reality isn't always that easy. In a few cases, there may be something wrong with their jack or the patch connection in the basement. And sometimes, you may just not be able to figure out what's keeping a connection from working. Don't worry about it - we're all human, and it's just a part of the constant learning process of being a UA!


If you run into problems, your first line of support should be to the Advanced Support Team. Our job is to back you up in the field: to help with difficult connections and problems of all sorts.


In the past, contacting Advanced Support has been a trying experience for UAs and users alike - the user's information was e-mailed to the Team, and they were then scheduled for a second appointment. Unfortunately, this often meant even greater delays in getting help to those users.


This year, a member of the Advanced Support Team will be on-call every day of the week, carrying a pager in order to be always available for UAs in the field. Feel free to page Advanced Support at any time, although the pager will be turned off when we go to bed! The pager number is 789-6364; if you have access to e-mail from another computer in the user's suite, you can send an e-mail page to advteam-page@fas.harvard.edu.


Here are the policies for contacting Advanced Support:

• Always try all the steps on the Quick Reference Card first.
• Do not leave a user's room with an unresolved problem and then e-mail Advanced Support later! Try to take care of any problems immediately. That way, users don't feel as though they are getting brushed off, and the chances that the user will be forgotten or overlooked are lessened.
• Whenever you need the Team's assistance, page Advanced Support and wait at least 15 minutes for a call-back.
• Be prepared to describe the problem to the Advanced Suppport Team member and walk through some troubleshooting steps over the phone.
• If there is no response from Advanced Support within 15 minutes of paging them, let the user know we'll be in touch and e-mail advteam@fas with a report of the problem. Be sure to update the task status in UAppoint as well.
• Users should not contact Advanced Support directly. Don't give out the advteam or advteam-page addresses; don't give them our home phone numbers.


If you think you did serious damage to someone's computer, don't panic. Advanced Support has been known to revive crashed hard drives and scrambled BIOSes in the past. Just be sure to call us. Don't try to hide anything from users; they can tell if you're trying to hide something, and they get very nervous. Be honest. They're usually rather understanding if you are straightforward with them.

Other rules for In-Room assistances:
• Copies of your training materials (just in case!)
• Wear your Get Connected! t-shirt to identify yourself
• Wear your nametag to identify yourself
• Wear a smile!

When working in and around the Yard dormitories, remember - you're not a resident. When you're done, leave the building promptly. And don't let others into the building without checking their ID. It's not up to you to forsake the security of the people who live there.


Be on time! Be prompt for the hours which you say you will work. If you're late, it only makes everyone else late after you. If you have an unavoidable last-minute problem, call Advanced Support, so we can try to get someone to fill in for your assistance appointments.


Don't spend too much time working on a roommate's computer that you weren't scheduled for. If it's a quick question or two, fine. It's unfair to be late for your next appointment if you were helping someone who hadn't scheduled an appointment.


Get feedback from the people you help. If they're unhappy with the service they're getting, find out why, and let someone know who can do something about it. Rick Osterberg (osterber@fas) and David Sobel (sobel@fas) are good people to speak with.


Above all, be happy and have fun. Your attitude will reflect on the people you help.