EZProxy FAQ

1. What is EZproxy and why do I need to use it?
   EZproxy is the mechanism the Library uses to authenticate remote users (off-campus) to access restricted resources. Most of the links on the Libray's web site are freely available to all users, but some are restricted for various reasons. EZproxy is a program that resides on a computer in the Library.
   
2. What links on the Library's web page are restricted and why?
   Databases and electronic journals are restricted contractually to currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff by the online companies who provide the content. The reason is to prevent loss of sales to unaffilated customers (individuals and companies) who might otherwise forego their own electronic subscriptions and use a library's access instead.. Materials on e-reserve are restricted by the Library to comply with fair use provisions of copyright law. Access to many Virginia Tech electronic theses and dissertations are restricted by the authors themselves who wish to limit global Internet availability pending possible publicatoin elsewhere in the form of books and articles. These materials are indicated by a VT logo.
   
3. How does EZproxy work?
   The Library has a list of official Virginia Tech Internet addresses that are sent to database vendors and online publishers, who then screen access to their restricted resources by these addresses. Similarly, these addresses are loaded internally for those resources that the Library screens (e-reserve, theses and dissertations). Persons attempting to connect to a restricted site from a recognized Virginia Tech Internet address are admitted while those connecting from a non-recognized address are not admitted. In order for a person whose Internet address is outside the Virginia Tech domain to get connected to a restricted resource, he or she must login through EZproxy first. Once authenticated (checked against the PID database of user names and passwords), these users will look like they are connecting from a computer - the EZproxy address - on the Virginia Tech campus and will be granted access.
   
4. I can't get connected. Why?
   If you are at work, the most likely answer is that your workplace uses a firewall or another proxy server itself. This is a consequence of your workplace's network configuration. The message 'this page cannot be displayed' is probably an indication of a firewall issue. Please refer your local networking person to the trouble-shooting page at Useful Utilities to see if there is a workaround.
   
   If you are at home, be sure you have enabled cookies and JavaScript.
   
   To enable cookies:
   • In Internet Explorer 6 go to Tools > Internet Options > Privacy > then set the privacy slider to Medium or lower or select Advanced for additional cookie control.
   • In Internet Explorer 5 go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Internet > Custom Level > Cookies > Enable.
   • In Netscape 7 or Mozilla go to Edit > Preferences > Privacy & Security > Cookies > Enable all cookies.
   • In Netscape 4 go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Accept all cookies.
   • In Opera 7.go toTools > quick preferences > che"Enable Javascript" and "Enable cookies."
   • In Mozilla Firefox 1.go to: Tools > Options > Privacy: > click on "cookies" and check box to "Allow sites to set cookies"  and then select Web Features from left column and check box to "enable javascrip.t"   These are probably set on by default. Click OK to exit.
   To enable JavaScript:
   • In Internet Explorer 6 go on Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level.
   • In Netscape 7 or Mozilla go on Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Scripts & Plugins and select Enable JavaScript for Navigator.
   • In Netscape 4 go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Enable JavaScript.
     
5. How long will I stay authenticated?
   It's hard to say exactly. In principle, as long as you do not exit from your browser you should stay authenticated, but experience has shown that EZproxy authentication can be disrupted for a variety of reasons, so you may have to login more than once during your online session.
   
   Most of the Library's databases and electronic journals have time-out periods set, so when the default inactivity threshold has been reached, you will be disconnected - but probably still authenticated. A few sites provide prompts when disconnection is imminent. Clicking somewhere on the site from time-to-time will extend your session. A time-out can occur when reading a lengthy document on-line without any keyboard activity.
   
6. I can connect to most restricted resources but not to all of them. Why?
   If you can connect to *any* restricted resource, then you *should* be able to connect to all of them. There are two possible explanations:
   • There is a problem with the resource itself and no Virginia Tech user, whether on-campus or off-campus, can successfully connect. A call to the reference desk (540-231-9232) can confirm if there is a global access problem. Libray staff will have to contact the hosting service to see what has gone wrong and to obtain a 'fix' projection. When extended down time is verified, look for explanatory notes on the Library's home page.
   • On-campus users can successfully connect to a resource while off-campus users cannot. A call to the reference desk (540-231-9232) can confirm if there is an off-campus access problem. When this occurs, the problem is likely some change at the hosting site that has affected the library's EZproxy configuration setup. You may see a hostname error message (... to work, your EZproxy administrator must first authorize this within the ezproxy.cfg file."). Online publishers and database vendors often change domain names or move content without informing their customers.  Another problem you may encounter is MaxVirtualHosts error, which indicates a problem with the EZproxy configuration file. If error messages display, please contact the proxy manager at "proxy-manager at www.lib.vt.edu" who will make the necessary changes as soon as possible.
     
7. I can connect to a site and perform some functions but not all of them. Why?
   There are a few likely scenarios:

• The host site is using programming not supported by your browser's current configuration. This might be a consequence of using an old browser like Netscape 4.x or having JavaScript turned off.
• The host site requires pop-ups to be enabled and you have them disabled. In this case you will have to temporarily enable po-pups or enable them for this site.
• A PDF file will not open due to an interface problem with the IE browser and Adobe Acrobat version 4. If this occurs try opening the Adobe application, click on File > Preferences > General and then uncheck the Web Browser Integration box.
• You have tried to access an area of the site that is not available to Virginia Tech users. The error message may or may not reference this lack of entitlement.

8. Does EZproxy work with Blackboard?
   Yes, but only if the instructor has included links with EZproxy embedded as part of the address. Blackboard links to restricted library resources that work on-campus can be modified to work off-campus by adding an authentication string <http://ezproxy.lib.vt.edu:8080/login?url=> to the beginning of the address. Example: there is a link on a Blackboard page to an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education about Virginia Tech's using Power Macs to create a supercomputer. The link <http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v50/i11/11a03801.htm> works on-campus because the Library has a campus site license for this publication. Off-campus users will not be able to connect because they have not passed through the Library's authentication screening first. Blackboard authentication is not the same as Library authentication. Adding the base EZproxy string produces a URL that works for all users: http://ezproxy.lib.vt.edu:8080/login?url=http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v50/i11/11a03801.htm
   
9. Can I use AOL or Prodigy to connect to restricted library resources?
   Internet Service Providers that use proprietary versions of browsers such as AOL or Prodigy may not work well with EZproxy. The simplest solution here is to connect to the Internet as usual, minimize your AOL- or Prodigy-supplied browser, then open up a different browser (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, Safari, Mozilla) and use it instead.
   
10. Who do I contact with questions about EZproxy?
    The proxy manager (proxy-manager at www.lib.vt.edu) is ultimately responsible for resolving access issues, but you can also call the reference desk (540-231-9232), send emaill to the library's AskUs service, or chat on the Ask a Librarian LiveRef service (11 am - midnight, weekdays). Or contact Dave Beagle (540-231-9231).