Accounts, Email and Remote Access to the Internet
- Types of UMS ITS Accounts
- Obtaining a UMS Account
- Activating a New UMS Account
- Using Electronic Mail
- Connecting to the Internet
- Managing your UMS Account
What sorts of accounts are available?
The standard UMS account: The standard UMS account provides the combination of a UMS Username and password for the purpose of connecting to and using electronic services provided by UMS and its institutions, such as modem pools, MaineStreet, and email access.
An account holder is assigned a UMS Username that identifies the user. It is used with a password to connect to and use electronic services. The UMS Username is usually name-based, often firstname.lastname. The email address associated with this is firstname.lastname@maine.edu.
Students and employees receive important university-related information at this address, and should regularly check mail on their UMS accounts or forward the mail to another email address that is checked regularly. Visit the UMS account management page to forward mail to another email address, change the password, check how much modem time has been used, and find direct web-based access to UMS account email.
The special purpose account: Several types of special purpose accounts are available to employees, including administrative and mainframe (CMS) research accounts, on a need basis. For more information, please contact operations@maine.edu or call 207-581-3552
Obtaining a UMS Account
Applicants and Students: Each applicant and current student at any University of Maine System institution (or any person taking courses through a UMS ITS Center or ITV Site) is assigned a UMS account. The account will remain valid as long as the student is registered. Applicant accounts will be removed if the applicant is denied admission or chooses not to attend a UMS university.
Faculty and Staff: Each employee of the University of Maine System (any campus, the System office or other University organization) is assigned a UMS account. If an employee has more than one UMS account, one must be designated the "primary" account, used for signing into MaineStreet and for receiving important email.
Activating a New UMS Account
The "account activation" process must be completed and a UMS Username and password obtained before an account can be used.
Applicants and Students: Applicants receive a letter from the Admissions Office of the university to which they applied acknowledging receipt of their application and assigning them a seven-digit MaineStreet ID and an account activation key.
Using a web browser on an Internet connected computer, applicants and students must visit the activation web page: http://www.maine.edu/useraccount.html to activate the account and to set a personal password for the account. This process requires both the MaineStreet ID and the account activation key.
Faculty and Staff: New faculty and staff are assigned an EMPLID and an account activation key. Using a web browser on an Internet connected computer, faculty and staff must visit the activation page: http://www.maine.edu/useraccount.html to activate the account and to set a personal password for the account. this process requires the EMPLID and the account activation key.
Using Electronic Mail
A UMS account carries with it an email address that ends in "@maine.edu". Important university-related information is sent to this address. Employees and students are responsible for checking mail at this address or for having mail forwarded elsewhere.
Email is checked using a "mail client." A mail client program runs on the Internet and acts as an agent between the recipient and the mail server machine. The UMS ITS mail server machine is called mail.maine.edu. This machine handles both incoming (POP and IMAP) and outgoing (SMTP) mail services.
If you use UMS email but use a different (non-university) service to connect to the Internet (for example a commercial Internet Service Provider [ISP]), then you must use a server provided by your ISP for your outgoing mail. You will still use the UMS ITS server for incoming (POP or IMAP) mail.
For detailed information on how to set up an email client program to access mail sent to your UMS account, please refer to the ITS Online Help list.
If you have more than one email account, you may wish to forward your UMS account email to another account. To forward your UMS mail to a different account, go to http://mail.maine.edu, and click the link labeled "Change your UMS Account Mail Forwarding." Once the mail forwarding has been activated, new mail coming to your UMS account will be automatically forwarded to the address you have specified. Mail received prior to setting the forwarding address will remain at your UMS email address.
Connecting to the Internet Using your UMS Account
All standard UMS accounts carry with them the ability to use the UMS ITS modem pools to connect to the Internet. UMS ITS provides detailed instructions on how to set up a Windows or Macintosh microcomputer to use dialup access.
For online information about connecting a Macintosh to the Internet via modem, refer to the Macintosh documentation. For Windows machines, see the Windows document. For more general information on dialup connections please see the IT Online Help list.
Managing your UMS Account
Passwords
When a new UMS account is activated, a UMS Username is assigned and a unique password is created by the user. The UMS Username generally takes the form of firstname.lastname and becomes part of the UMS email address.
It is important to protect your password. Anyone who knows both your UMS Username and your password can use your account, read your private email, and otherwise misbehave in your name. Therefore, it is in your interest to keep your account secure, which means keeping your password secret.
UMS ITS recommends that users change their passwords regularly. This is enforced for mainframe accounts--the mainframe (CMS) password expires every 150 days.
UMS email account users are not required to change their passwords, but UMS ITS strongly recommends that the password be changed regularly. To do this, using a web browser and an Internet connected computer, go to http://www.maine.edu/useraccount.html.
When selecting a new password, avoid common words and names closely associated with you (your last name would be a very bad choice). Make the password at least six characters long, and use a mix of letters and numbers.
Modem Use Reports and Time Limits
The UMS ITS modem pools are available for use by anyone with a UMS account. Each account can use any UMS ITS modem pool for 50 hours of total connect time per month without charge.
An account holder can check his/her total for the current month (and past months) plus see a detailed report on each connection by using a web browser (Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc.) to view a personal dialup use report. To view your report, enter your UMS Username and password when requested. This report is also accessible using the standard account management web page at http://www.maine.edu/useraccount.html.
If an account has exceeded the monthly allocation of 50 hours on UMS ITS modem pools, the account will no longer be allowed to dialup until the user has made an arrangement for extended hours with his/her campus. Contact your campus computing support staff for how to do this at your university. There is a charge for hours beyond the basic 50 (currently $.30/hour). When a new month begins, another 50 free hours are available, unless there is an outstanding bill.
Email Quotas
UMS accounts store incoming email on the mail server machine (mail.maine.edu) as it arrives. UMS ITS expects account users to run an email program like Eudora or Pegasus on a regular basis to read and delete mail from the server. If mail is not deleted, it can accumulate until the account holder's space on the server is full. UMS ITS sends warning letters when the user's space quota is 90% full. If the quota is exceeded, no more mail for that account is accepted. Note that documents attached to email are stored with the messages and contribute to filling the space.
A user can see what letters are stored on the mail server by using the web-based mail interface: https://mail.maine.edu/imp. This interface provides a simple mail tool that can be used to read and send email using a web browser. Letters can be opened by clicking on their subject lines. Clicking the "delete" button for a letter will "mark" it for deletion. In the list of letters, the button labeled "expunge" will remove all letters marked for deletion.
If You Need Assistance
Staff at your campus computing center can assist you. In addition, UMS ITS consultants provide help for UMS account holders: phone (207) 561-3587 or send e-mail to support@lists.maine.edu.