TECH Hub - Students
SON-IT offers comprehensive support for our students.
All Duke University School of Nursing students are required to have their own laptop in full working condition, using a computer operating system currently supported by either Apple or Microsoft meeting or exceeding the following standard:
Duke Recommended Computer Specifications.
Most laptops purchased in the last few years meet the minimum specification. Some may be slower, which is usually a function of how much internal memory or disk space is available.
If your current computer does not meet recommended standards, the Duke Technology Center in the Bryan University Center sells computers configured specifically for Duke's environment.
After-Hours Support
SON-IT provides after-hours support for students. If any student cannot access their course material at any hour of the day, call in for support and we will work with you within an hour to help you get to your materials.
Phone: 919-684-9200
Technical Assistance with Educational Technology
Much of your online instruction depends on at least a broadband internet connection, similar to that provided locally by Spectrum, AT&T, Google Fiber, etc. While most recently manufactured home WiFi routers will support Duke University School of Nursing educational technology, you will find that the bandwidth needed is rarely available using public WiFi such as connectivity found in a hotel, restaurant or other shared location.
If you are not using at least a broadband connection, your online experience will be greatly diminished. Here are some helpful tips:
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Before beginning a Mediasite or Zoom session, test your connection to see if it is strong enough to support your work:
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Open a browser window and go to https://www.speedtest.net. Press the Go button and confirm that you have the following connection speeds:
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Ping: Not important for this test
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Download: At least 2 Mbps (Megabits per second)
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Upload: At least 2 Mbps
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If you do not have these speeds:
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Mediasite: your video will need time to buffer and download. Until it is completely downloaded, the video and audio will appear choppy.
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Zoom: you will not be able to effectively use the video portion of your connection. Turn off your video and mute your audio. If this doesn't fix the issue, you may need to use a phone to listen to the lecture.
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Contact the SON-IT Service Desk if you have issues.
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Here are some other tips if you notice your audio and video are not displaying normally. You'll need access to your network router:
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Move closer to your wireless router.
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Try connecting an Ethernet cable from your laptop to your wireless router.
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Are other devices actively using your WiFi at the same time? This will slow your connection. If you temporarily remove these devices, your connection speed should increase.
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This is particularly true if someone is using your WiFi for gaming, video streaming or other network-intensive streaming.
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If you are already using a direct Ethernet connection to the router, you will need to contact your internet service provider. Confirm that your service meets the School of Nursing required broadband internet connectivity.
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