About the Libraries' New Remote Access Login

The libraries are offering a new remote access service that allows users to login with their NetId/password and does not require any browser configuration.

What's the Difference? Accepting Cookies Accepting Certificates Becoming 'Disassociated' from the Proxy Server

Already Configured? Removing the Old Proxy Setup Changing Old Bookmarks How Does it All Work? Firewalls - Ports to Open

What's the Difference?

OLD REMOTE ACCESS LOGIN

CURRENT REMOTE ACCESS LOGIN

Requires that a user make some changes to their web browser configuration. Does not require any browser configuration changes. Requires user to use either Netscape or Internet Explorer as their web browser. No restrictions on which web browser can be used. User logs in with their library barcode and library PIN. User logs in with their Rutgers NetID. Does not require that the user's computer be set to accept cookies. [Although an individual resource may require the acceptance of cookies.] Requires that the user's computer be set to accept accept cookies when using the Libraries' resources. Does not ask the user to accept any certificates. May require the user to accept a security security certificate. Recognizes the user as an authorized user for the duration of the session. The user may become 'disassociated' from the Libraries' proxy server during a session and may have to go back to the login to be recognized as an authorized user.

Accepting Cookies

In order for the new proxy server to keep track of users that have already logged in, it will send a cookie to your browser that you will need to accept. This is a session based cookie only and does not in any way store any information about sites you have visited.

Accepting Certificates

Since the new proxy service is asking for your NetId/password we are required to use security protocols (SSL). Therefore when logging in a certificate will be presented to your web browser that needs to be accepted. We have purchased a certificate that should be recoginized by most browsers so in most cases you will not see the certificate dialog.

Becoming 'Disassociated' from the Proxy Server

If you do any of the following during a session you may become unassociated with the Libraries' proxy server and will no longer be recognized as an authorized Rutgers' user;

• type a URL in the location window that does not mention our new proxy server
• do a web search and wind up on a non RU Libraries web page that has a link to one of the restricted resouces.
• go to another University's web site and follow their link to one of the restricted resources (like ScienceDirect)
• Go directly to http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu as your homepage.

In any of the above instances you should return to the library web page, select the NOT LOGGED IN link to either login or get reassociated with the proxy, then choose the resource you were trying to get to from our web page.

For more information see the Libraries Frequently Asked Questions page.

Already Configured to Use the Libraries' Resources Remotely?

If you have already configured your browser to access restricted library resources remotely don't worry, the 'old' method will continue to work until August 22^nd 2005.

However, if you would like to switch to the new login you will need to 'unconfigure' your browser by removing the old proxy setup.

Removing the Old Proxy Setup

The only way to try the new proxy server is to make sure that you have unconfigured the old one. Since we will be running both proxy services until August 22^nd 2005 the easiest way to do this is to leave the Automatic Configuration URL in place, but deselect the choice.

To do this:

In Netscape choose:
EDIT > PREFERENCES > ADVANCED > PROXIES
then Click on the "Direct connection to the Internet" radio button

In Internet Explorer choose:
TOOLS > INTERNET OPTIONS > CONNECTIONS > LAN SETTINGS
Uncheck the Automatic Configuration URL check box.
(also do it for any DialUp Settings you have it entered in)

Changing old Bookmarks

If you have any old bookmarks that reference restricted library resources they will need to be changed. Essentially old bookmarks would have used a URL like:

while a new one will have to use:

Want to Know More About How This All Works?

Both the current (browser configuration) and new (NetID) remote access services utilize a proxy server. A proxy server is a combination of hardware and software that acts as an intermediary between your web browser (e.g., Netscape or Internet Explorer) and the server on which the Libraries' resources reside. It recognizes and allows authorized users to access these restricted resources.

Current proxy:

• Authenticates a user by their library barcode and library PIN
• Requires a web browser to be configured to use an Automatic configuration script
    (http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/pac/rulib.pac).
• This file contains URL host and domain pattern matches for our restricted resources.
• Once a user downloads this file, anytime they go to a URL that matches one of the patterns the web browser knows to use our proxy server instead of going to the resource directly.

New Proxy server (EZProxy)

• Authenticates using the Rutgers NetID/password.
• Allows RUL only user without NetID/password to use their library barcode/PIN.
• Delivers a certificate that may need to be accepted.
• Does not require any browser configuration.
  This proxy works as a rewriting proxy which means that once you have logged in, the proxy server will look at the web page it has retrieved and rewrite any URL that is related to one of restricted resources before passing the page back to your web browser. It is this act of rewriting the URLs that keeps you associated with the proxy server.

So a page that normally contains :

will return the link as:

where the proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu portion of the URL is what tells the web browser to use the proxy server. Since this is the only way the web browser knows to use the proxy server it is very important that you always see it in the URL string or you will be denied access to restricted resources.

Firewalls - Ports to open

Since the new proxy server runs on the standard web server port (port 80) it should be able to be used through any firewall that allows access to standard web servers.