Working from Home / Remotely
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Swinerton Cisco VPN - Best Practices
BTech BTech Alerts & Notifications - Check this page for the latest information on emergencies and system outages. All times are Pacific. Connecting to the VPN (Windows OS): Windows OS - Connecting to the VPN : BTech Support Connecting to the VPN (MacOS): MacOS - Connecting to the VPN : BTech Support Swinerton's VPN service is available to access needed, internal resources that aren't otherwise reachable outside of the network. You can find best practices for its use, application availability, and other useful information about this on SwinNet, here... How To Work Remote Swinerton's Business Technology Group supports a variety of collaboration and video conferencing tools/services to ensure employees can work off-site and out-of-office. Please reference this page should you need tools to work remote. Click and jump to information on this page pertaining to: Using Virtual Private Network (VPN) Applications accessibility when working remote Available conferencing/collaboration tools & when to use them Tools, use cases, details & guides General tips for attending online meetings Microsoft Teams for online meetings If you have questions or encounter technical issues, please contact Swinerton Support – Service Desk: Swinerton Support TechSupport@swinerton.com 866.647.5200 Please reference this Best Practices document for great tips when working remote. Using Virtual Private Network (VPN) For security reasons, certain resources like Z:Drive, are only available when you are on Swinerton's network. VPN enables you to access these resources. Please follow these instructions to launch your VPN client. There are, however, two considerations: VPN impacts performance, so it should only be used when needed. Use VPN whenever you are on a Wi-Fi network you do not trust. (Hint: Your home Wi-Fi may not be trustworthy). If you have the option to connect via ethernet, please consider that option instead of Wi-Fi. You should also never connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network. Read this blog post on how to improve the security of your home WiFi network. Applications Accessibility When Working Remote Note: If you have not completed Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) registration, you will need to do so to gain access to Swinerton's network. Please follow these instructions to enable the MFA cyber security protection feature. Access same as in office? VPN required? MFA required? Autodesk Desktop (Cad Revit) N Y N BIM360 Y N N Certify Y N N CMiC Forms N Y N CMiC Field & ADF N N N Cosential Y N N Docusign Y N N ExakTime Connect Y N N FMW N Y N Labor Chart Y N N Network Drives (Z drive etc) N Y N One Drive Y N N OST Quick Bid Y N N Outlook Y N N Power BI Y N N Rental Result Y N N Sage Estimating N Y N Sharefile Y N N Skype Y N N Swinerton Support Y N N SwinNet Y N Y Teams Y N N Textura Y N N Workday N N Y Available Conferencing/Collaboration Tools & When To Use Them Conference Types Hardware Skype Teams GoToMeeting Other Individual-User Video Conferencing Laptops use built-in video cameras Works on laptops Works on laptops Works on laptops Unknown Small Office Conferencing (Division Office & Jobsite) Polycom Trio/TV display Works on Polycom/TV N/A Works on Polycom/TV Unknown BTech Support Model Hardware purchased & supported by BTech Skype fully supported by BTech Teams fully supported by BTech GoTo (basic) license management by BTech Possible support by BTech Division office and jobsite users, please reference these to use the Polycom hardware: How to use Polycom Trio 8800 (quick start guide) How to use Polycom Trio 8800 (full guide) Tools, Use Cases, Details & Guides Remote User Conferencing Tool Use Case & Details Guides Teams BTech managed and supported User initiates calls/meetings Good for internal & external collaboration 250 participants (maximum) How to use Microsoft Teams (you may be prompted for credentials) Including: Schedule a Teams meeting using Outlook Installing Microsoft Teams App Skype BTech managed and supported User initiates calls/meetings Good for internal and external collaboration Limited to 250 participants All Skype How Tos (you may be prompted for credentials) Including: Skype for Business: Quick Start Guide Skype for Business: Start a Call Skype for Business: Answer a call Skype for Business: Check your voice mail Skype for Business: Start a conference call Skype for Business: Set up a Business meeting in Outlook Skype for Business Share your screen in Skype for Business GoToMeeting/ GoToWebinar BTech managed and supported Help ticket procures user license Good for external collaboration GoToMeeting: 26 participants maximum GoToWebinar: 1,000 participants maximum How to use GoToMeeting (you may be prompted for credentials): Schedule a meeting Use GoToMeeting on iPad/ iPhone Other Solutions There are many other cloud-based solutions. Employees should use company-supported or client-requested solutions before looking to other solutions. If you have questions, please contact Swinerton Support – Service Desk (contact information below). Please use one of the “BTech managed and supported” options above such as Teams, Skype, and GoTo. General Tips For Attending Online Meetings Use a headset with noise-cancelling earphones and microphone whenever possible. Even earbuds are preferable to speakers. Use an external speakerphone when a headset is not workable. Your laptop speaker and microphones are of poor audio quality. Ensure your webcam is pointed at your face. If you are using your laptop camera, be sure your laptop is open and webcam cover is open. If you are using external monitors, it is preferable to use an external webcam mounted to one of your monitors. Check your lighting. It is best to have lighting in front of you and minimal lighting behind you. Check the preview mode of your conferencing tool to verify people will be able to clearly see your face. If you are not in a private area, use the “blur” function available in most video conferencing tools to blur out your background. See BTech's Service Catalog for available headsets, speakerphones, and webcams. Microsoft Teams For Online Meetings BTech fully supports Microsoft Teams as Swinerton's preferred online meeting application. Available to all Swinerton employees (no administrative permissions are required to install). Conference and collaborate with Swinerton users and externals through the application or through Chrome web browser. Note: Desktop application offers a better user experience and more functionality. Start with this step-by-step guide. More articles on how to use Teams can be found in the Solutions area of the Service Desk.
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Cisco AnyConnect - VPN client installation procedure
If you do not have the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client installed on your machine then these steps can be followed to install it. Otherwise, please follow these instructions to access the software installed on your computer. These steps require elevated privileges, so if you do not have administrative access on your computer then please contact an IT admin for assistance. Connecting to Swinerton SSL VPN / AnyConnect Portal 1. Navigate to https://webvpn.swinerton.com (https://192.225.59.5) 2. Click Download to save the installation package Installing the Cisco AnyConnect client 3. Locate and open the downloaded install package 4. Click Next on the “Welcome to the AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client Wizard” screen 5. Agree to the Software License Agreement and click Next 6. Click Install to begin installation 7. You must have elevated privileges to install Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. When prompted, choose Yes to proceed with installation 8. You have successfully installed the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client and can begin using it. Click Finish to exit the Setup Wizard. Connecting to the Cisco AnyConnect VPN 9. Launch the Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client from the Start Menu or Systray Taskbar 10. Type ‘webvpn.swinerton.com’ or ‘192.225.59.5’ and click Connect 11. Enter ‘Username’ and ‘Password’ and click OK. 12. Upon successful authentication, you will see connected status
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How to Connect to the VPN using the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client (Windows)
BTech BTech Alerts & Notifications - Check this page for the latest information on emergencies and system outages. All times are Pacific. Installing the VPN: Installing software via Software Center : BTech Support Connecting to the VPN (MacOS): MacOS - Connecting to the VPN : BTech Support VPN Best Practices: Swinerton Cisco VPN - Best Practices : BTech Support Cisco AnyConnect Overview The Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client allows you to connect to the Swinerton network when working remotely to access certain company resources, like the Z-Drive. Please note that our VPN only protects data transmitted between you and the Swinerton network; it does not protect any data exchanged between you the internet, so good security practices are still required. Example: Using the VPN while at a Starbucks to access the Z-Drive is secure while using it at the same location to access your bank is not. Follow the instructions below to connect to (and disconnect from) the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client. Steps to Perform Connecting to the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client Make sure you have a strong, active internet connection before starting (try browsing the web). In the Start menu search bar, type "cisco anyconnect" to find the AnyConnect client (or find it in the list of apps under C for Cisco or in your pinned apps list) and open it. If you do not have the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client installed, please check for it in Software Center by following these instructions; if you encounter any issues, please contact theSwinerton BTech Service Desk. The Cisco AnyConnect program window should then open above your system tray. Make sure the network shows as "Swinerton Corporate" Click Connect If you do not see the Swinerton Corporate option, enter "webvpn.swinerton.com" in the network field and click Connect. It may install updates to the program and require your credentials to install them. If the client is able to reach the Swinerton servers it will show a login box. Enter your full Swinerton email address and then your password on the next scree After you enter your email address and password correctly, you will be prompted to complete multifactor authentication (MFA); this process will happen upon each login attempt as it is part of our security policy and cannot be changed Once MFA is complete, the client will connect and a notification will appear informing you it was successful. Disconnecting from the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client Find the Cisco AnyConnect icon with a lock on it in your system tray near the system clock Right-click on the icon and select Disconnect or left-click to open the program Click the Disconnect.
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I lost my Swinerton entry in the VPN client
The VPN client will NOT work from a Division Office, or a Jobsite with a Swinerton VPN Kit. If you are connected to SI_Users or SI_Jobsites you won't be able to get on the VPN, and shouldn't need to! If you start the VPN client but don't see anything in the drop-down menu, follow the steps below to get the "Swinerton Corporate" VPN connection back. If there is anything in the connection field, delete it, then enter "webvpn.swinerton.com", without the quotes. If the client is able to contact Swinerton servers, then you will then be prompted to enter your Swinerton username and password. The default "Partners" group should already be selected. If all goes well, you should then get a notification that the client has connected.
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Access email remotely
You can access your email from any location and on any computer through Outlook’s Webmail interface via web browser. You will be able to send email, edit your calendar appointments, access your tasks list, and even set an Out of Office message. NOTE: Your signature will not carry over from your computer’s Outlook to Outlook Webmail – but you can re-create your signature in Outlook Webmail through the Options menu. Just look for one of your Sent messages for the existing signature. Step 1: Type https://outlook.office.com into the browser address bar (or click the link to open) Step 2: It will take you to the login screen. Enter the same username and password you would use to log in to your computer. Click Sign In.
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Cisco Anyconnect VPN MFA
Step #1) Initiate a Cisco Anyconnect VPN connection to the corporate network by selecting the Swinerton Corporate VPN profile Step #2) A login window will be presented requiring that you sign in by typing your full Swinerton account credentials (username + password). Example: sam.james@swinerton.com or sjames@swinerton.com Step #3) Once you have entered your credentials, a verification window will be displayed. There will be four identity verification options: Approve a request on my Microsoft Authenticator app Text +X XXXXXXXXXX Call +X XXXXXXXXXX Note: If you're using the Microsoft Authenticator app, proceed to follow the normal process for account authentication If you select Text option; a text message will be sent to your mobile phone containing a verification code. This verification code must be entered in the subsequent pop-up window. An example of the text option can be seen in the image below If you select Call option; you will receive a phone call on your mobile phone and the call must be entered so that you can be authenticated. Step #4) If your account credentials are accepted, your VPN connection will be established, and a confirmation window will be presented. For convenience, select the box next to the Don't show this again option and click Yes. Step #5) To verify if the Anyconnect VPN connection has been established successfully, click on the Cisco Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client icon and verify that there is a green mark placed on top of the lock. It should read: Connect to Swinerton Corporate.
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Connecting to VPN after name/email/domain change.
Sign onto your laptop using your current (pre-change) account or via your PIN. Sign into the VPN with new account. Lock screen by pressing the Windows Key followed by the letter, L. Sign back on using your pre-change account or PIN.