Computing Information for Visitors

Whether your visit is for a few days, or for months, our NSF NCAR IT (NRIT for short) staff are here to help. Please work with your host and visitor coordinator for connecting with NRIT.

Our System Administrators manage an "internal network" of workstations and servers, and also an "external" guest wireless network. Regardless of how you access it, keep in mind that the NSF NCAR and UCAR networks as a whole depend on the security of your individual machine. We ask that you keep a few security tips in mind as you work with us:

  1. We will never ask for login passwords or sensitive private information by email. Recently, spam email has been crafted to appear as if it comes from a known individual, even NRIT staff. Ignore and delete such emails and don't click on any of the links they contain.
  2. Use Chrome or Firefox with the uBlock Origin add-on. uBlock Origin blocks a lot of malware, including that which appear in "banner ads".
  3. Report anything that looks unexpected or suspicious to NRIT staff. We'd rather have false alarms than have malware go undetected.
  4. Use Antivirus software and keep any application that uses the Internet patched and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I bring my own computer?
    • Yes! We supply a plug in set up for each visitor which includes a monitor, mouse, keyboard, and USB C hub. Visitors use our UCAR Visitor Wifi Network. If you have any technical needs when you arrive, you can work with the lab visitor coordinator to address those.
  • Do I get an account for UCAR or an email?
    • Only UCAR employees get an account to use UCAR systems and email. The email you use when setting up your visit will be your primary email for contact while visiting UCAR.
  • The project I want to work on requires access to the supercomputer, how do I set that up?
    • If you need supercomputer access, please discuss this with your host when setting up your visit. Your host will work with the lab visitor coordination to make sure supercomputer access is noted for you.

For more information or questions/concerns about this page, please contact the ACOM Administrative Team.