Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA)
Client Help Instructions
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ITD Helpdesk
Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Safari, and Opera are
all supported* by OWA. Unfortunately you will not get the full
benefit nor will you be able to access all the features OWA can provide. Basic
is the default client for non-IE browsers.
*Even though OWA supports a wide range of web
browsers, not every supported web browser was included in the OWA
help instructions.
Connecting to Outlook Web Access
- When prompted, type in your
BNL Domain Username and
Password
in the fields provided.
If you're a Window's user, enter the same password
you use when you log into your office computer.
-
Picture of Login Screen
(Firefox, Mozilla Suite, Safari, and Opera)
Experiencing Problems - If you have problems or if you think your account maybe
locked, please contact the
ITD Helpdesk at
631-344-5522 for assistance.
The Basic Client is available
to all users and will be the version used unless you meet
the Premium requirements. If you are using a dial-up Internet
connection, we recommend using the Basic client. Basic provides
fewer features than the premium client but offers faster
performance. Some advanced functions (such as setting up forwarding)
are not available with basic mode, but reading and sending email
will work.
What is Considered Activity?
- Interaction between the client
and the server is considered as activity. For example, if
a user opens, sends, or saves an item,
switches folders or modules, or refreshes the
view or the Web browser window, this is considered as activity.
- Composing a message or
entering text in the following OWA items appointments, calendar, meeting
requests, posts, contacts,
tasks, rules, etc., is not considered activity.
Public or Shared & Private
Computer (Session Time-out Intervals)
For security reasons, your Outlook Web Access (OWA) session will
"time out" after a certain period of inactivity, returning you to
the initial OWA login page. If your session times out, you will need
to re-enter your username and password to continue.
The time-out interval is based on how you connect to OWA:
- Public or Shared Computer (Default Option) -
Select this option if you use Outlook Web
Access on a public computer or
over the internet through a standard web connection. Your OWA
session will time out after 30 minutes of inactivity.
- Private Computer -
This option is intended to benefit OWA users who use
personal computers in their office or in their home.
You may also select this option if you're the only person who is
using this computer or if you want a longer period of inactivity
before logging you off. Your OWA session will time
out after 12 hours of inactivity. Warning: By
selecting this option you acknowledge that the computer complies
with BNL's security policy. Users MUST close their browser
session after they are finished with OWA.
High 128-bit Encryption Browser
To ensure information is kept confidential and the transmission
of that information is secure over the Internet, browsers must be
able to support 128-bit encryption. Encryption is the process of
converting data into a secure format for transmission. Encryption
scrambles data that is sent between your browser and the secured
website. Your browser must be capable of decrypting or unscrambling
the data. To do this, you will need a 128-bit capable browser.
Browsers with 128-bit encryption provide the best protection when
transmitting confidential data over the Internet.
- FireFox -
Click here
to download the latest version for Windows\Linux\Mac.
General Information
General Information
In OWA, you can send and receive messages and
attachments, create folders and organize messages within
the folders, view calendar appointments and contacts,
look up names in the Global Address List (GAL),
and set up the Out of Office Assistant. Some
features in the Outlook desktop client are not available in OWA,
such as signature files,
spellchecking, and
personal distribution lists. Also, OWA opens the
Inbox folder by default, and you cannot change this.
Please Note: OWA is a secure site that requires a browser
that supports 128-bit encryption. You must use a Web
browser
that supports frames and
JavaScript.
You must also have cookies enabled. For more
information, see the Knowledge Base document
What are
cookies? For best results, use
Internet Explorer 6.0 or later for Windows with
ActiveX
enabled. Many features of OWA depend upon ActiveX,
which is available only in Internet Explorer 5.0 and
later for Windows.
Glossary of Terms
- Signature Files - A signature is a brief text message about yourself
that you can have your mail program append at the
end of your e-mail message. A signature usually
consists of your full name, your address, a
preferred email address, and brief information about
your your group or division.
- Personal Distribution Lists -
A
distribution list, also known as a
mailing list, is a collection of email
addresses. You can use distribution
lists to send an email message to
several people at one time.
- JavaScript -
JavaScript is a scripting language
developed by Netscape to enable Web authors to
design interactive sites. Although it shares many of
the features and structures of the full Java
language, it was developed independently. Javascript
can interact with HTML source code, enabling Web
authors to spice up their sites with dynamic
content. JavaScript is endorsed by a number of
software companies and is an open language that
anyone can use without purchasing a license. It is
supported by recent browsers from Netscape and
Microsoft, though Internet Explorer supports only a
subset, which Microsoft calls Jscript.
- Cookies
- A cookie is a small bit
of information that a Web server can store
temporarily within your browser. A common use of
cookies is to store information entered into a form
so it does not need to be reentered on subsequent
visits.
More...
- ActiveX -
This is a technology from Microsoft
that links desktop applications to the World Wide
Web. Using ActiveX tools, software developers create
interactive Web content for their applications. For
example, Word and Excel documents can be viewed
directly in a browser if ActiveX is enabled. The
downside of ActiveX is that it's almost impossible
to have the latest version; Microsoft releases a new
version almost every day.
- 128-bit
Encryption - To ensure information is kept
confidential and the transmission of that
information is secure over the Internet, browsers
must be able to support 128-bit encryption.
Encryption is the process of converting data into a
secure format for transmission. Encryption scrambles
data that is sent between your browser and the
secured website. Your browser must be capable of
decrypting or unscrambling the data. To do this, you
will need a 128-bit capable browser. Browsers with
128-bit encryption provide the best protection when
transmitting confidential data over the Internet.
If you have a question that is not addressed in these
pages, please send an email to itdhelp@bnl.gov.
Last Modified: January 12, 2009
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