FastStart is designed to teach you how to use the various technologies available at the UW-Madison College of Engineering from the very beginning. Follow these steps and you should be well on your way.   Step 1. Access a computer Buying a Computer -- You can buy a computer with the help of our recommended configurations Using our Computer Labs You can use our computer labs, some of which are open 24/7 Step 2. Get a CAE account If you have any affiliation to the College of Engineering you can get a CAE account. For example all Faculty, Staff, Grad Students, and Undergrad's who are taking an engineering class are eligible. You need to get a CAE account to log in and use the available resources. You will need a UW ID to continue with the process. If you don't have one, you can contact your payroll specialist. Step 3. Getting network access You need network access if you plan to use the internet, read email, or use many of the other tools. If you plan on computing in one of our labs, this will be taken care of for you so you can skip this step. If you're going using your own machine, things a bit more complicated.

• If you plan to connect via wireless on campus, see FastStart Wireless Access.
• For wired on campus, see FastStart Wired Access.
• For an off-campus connection, see Off-Campus Users.

Step 4. Email Now that you're connected, reading and sending email is probably your top priority. CAE offers a variety of tools for email, starting with CAE WebEmail. You can get further instructions about webmail on our CAE WebEmail FAQ page. Complete instructions about the use of your CAE mail account, including how to set up Eudora and all the other major mail applications, can be found on our page. Step 5. CAE Applications In addition to email, your new account and connection opens the world of CAE applications to you. A complete list of applications can be found on the Software page. If you are on a lab computer, you can simply add these applications through Start > CAE Applications > Add Applications to Start Menu. If you are not in a lab, you have a few options. You can run these applications outside our lab one of three ways:

• Connect to a lab machine remotely via Remote Desktop or Virtual Network Computing.
If you are on campus you can install the Novell Client 32 and access applications via the instructions on the Accessing Network Applications with NAL page.If you are on campus you can install the Novell Client 32 and access applications via the instructions on the Accessing Network Applications with NAL page.
• Locally install Tethered Software.

Step 6. Additional Info We strongly recommend you follow our Basic Security Practices to keep your data safe from malicious users and programs. You should also be aware of the guidelines for Appropriate Usage of computing resources at UW-Madison. Once connected, you not only open your machine to all the things you want on the internet but also to everything you don't want, like viruses and spyware. The college has a firewall that offers some protection, but it is your responsibility to keep your machine safe through the following measures:

• Keep your operating system up to date with the latest security patches. If you have a windows machine, simply go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ in an Internet Explorer window.

• Regularly run a virus scan program, such as Norton Anti-virus, which is free through DoIT's Security Page.

• Have some kind of local firewall (a program that protects your computer from unwanted outside interference) turned on. Both the Microsoft one and private ones such as Symantec's work well.

Step 7. Getting Help Computing Services in the College, a list of the different service providers in the college, is a good place to start. You'll also notice the contact information for the CAE Helpdesk listed on the bottom of this website. The Helpdesk is knowledgeable about the use of any of the CAE resources, from email to MATLAB. Back to top