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Remote Access to UHCL Computer Labs

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UHCL's Office of Information Technology (OIT) provides a Remote Access Dashboard to facilitate accessing computer lab workstations from home.

Remote Access Instructions

  1. Establish a VPN connection to the campus. VPN instructions for students.

  2. Once a VPN connection is established, use the Remote Access Dashboard to connect to one of the available computers

Teaching lab and open lab computers are organized in groups listed under "Computer Labs" on the left side of the dashboard. If a machine is already in use by someone or it is offline, that machine is automatically removed from the list of available computers, and automatically added back once available.

Connecting to a Windows Lab Computer

PC Users

  1. Click the associated "Connect" button which will allow you to download and open a preconfigured Remote Desktop Connection file by clicking "Download"

  2. Click RDP file saved and Click connect

  3. Enter your UHCL Credentials 

Students need to enter "PCLAB\" before their username, and faculty and staff need to enter "UHCL\" before their username.

PC users needing to share local devices, drives, etc. to transfer files between a personal PC and a remote lab PC: Sharing Local Devices Using Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) Instructions

Mac Users

  1. Download and install the Microsoft Remote Desktop app from the App Store

  2. Once a VPN connection is established, use the remote access dashboard to Connect to one of the available computers

  3. Click the RDP file downloaded

Students need to enter "PCLAB\" before their username, and faculty and staff need to enter "UHCL\" before their username.

Mac users needing to share local devices, drives, etc. to transfer files between a personal Mac and a remote lab PC: Sharing Local Devices From a Mac to Windows Using Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) Instructions.

Connecting to a Mac Lab Computer

Mac Users 

  1. Click the associated "Connect" button

  2. Click the additional "Connect" button in the pop-up window under "Connecting from MacOS." This will launch a Screen Sharing session that will prompt you for a username and password.

  3. This initial username and password is a common account to access the computer's VNC server:

    Username: uhclvnc
    Password: uhcl#2700

This will take you to the Mac's login screen, where you'll enter your normal UHCL credentials.

Windows Users

  1. Click the associated "Connect" button, then follow the directions under "Connection from Windows" which includes the download link to a free VNC Viewer

  2. In VNC Viewer, enter the name of the Mac from the Remote Access Server in the top search bar and connect. Example: sscb14-47367.uhcl.edu

Mac users may also use the VNC Viewer method if they prefer.

Instructions for users needing to transfer files between a personal Mac or PC and a remote lab Mac computer using the RealVNC Viewer. 

Mac users using Screen Sharing needing to transfer files to a lab Mac from their personal Mac, or vice versa,  are able to drag-and-drop between computers.

Note: Always remember to logout/sign out of the computer before closing your Remote Desktop, VNC, or Screen Sharing session. Be sure to also disconnect your Cisco Secure Client VPN connection once a campus connection is no longer needed.

Need Assistance?

Please contact the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

Phone: 281-283-2828

Email: supportcenter@uhcl.edu

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