FAQ

Find answers to our most common questions here:

Brock DB Information System (Brock Portal)

A CampusID is assigned to all new students at registration or to faculty and staff when hired. This is the first part of your Brock e-mail address and, along with your password, is used to logon to a number of services, portals and applications.

To activate your account, go to the Activate Account and Reset Password page.

You may also visit us directly at our Help Desk locations during open hours for assistance. Hours and locations are available on our Contact Us page.

If your password has expired or you would like to change it, you can change your password here.

New passwords must contain at least 3 different types of characters (i.e. lowercase, uppercase, numbers or special characters such as “!”, “@”, “#”, etc.) and be between 10 and 30 characters in length. Note that certain words are prohibited from being used in passwords – for example, abcdefg, badger, brock, iloveyou, letmein, password, whatever, qwerty and surgite. Former passwords, as well as iterations of prohibited words, will also not be accepted. Examples include Br0ck!, What3v3r and p@$$w0rd.

Learn more about passwords.

If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it from the Activate Account and Reset Password page.

Network/WiFi Related

Full instructions on how to connect most devices with your CampusID can be found on our Wireless page. If you are unable to connect, you may visit us directly at our Help Desk locations during open hours for assistance. Hours and locations are available on our Contact Us page.

If you are a guest at the university or do not have a CampusID, please come to the Help Desk.

Mobile devices may be connected to the wireless network, “BrockWiFi”, using your CampusID. Full instructions are available on our Wireless page. If you are unable to connect, you may visit us directly at our Help Desk locations during open hours for assistance. Hours and locations are available on our Contact Us page.

Guests may visit us directly at our Help Desk locations during open hours for assistance. Hours and locations are available on our Contact Us page.

Please consult the setup guides provided on our Residence Technology page for more information.

Fill out the Brock Guest WiFi form to request a username and password for your upcoming event which will allow your non-Brock guests to log into the BROCKEVENTS SSID.

Online learning/Working remotely

For best results, high-speed broadband internet access (Cable, DSL, LTE) with a minimum bandwidth of 15 Mbps is recommended. At this speed, it would take approximately 2 minutes to download a one-hour video recorded at high quality.

If you are unsure of your connection speed, perform an internet speed test at brocku.ca/speedtest.

See below for more information about bandwidth requirements for the best experience using Brock University offered services for online learning.

MICROSOFT TEAMS

ScenariosRecommended minimum bandwidth
Peer-to-peer audio calling30 Kbps
Peer-to-peer audio calling and screen sharing130 Kbps
Peer-to-peer SD quality video calling 360p at 30fps500 Kbps
Peer-to-peer HD quality video calling with resolution of HD 720p at 30fps1.2 Mbps
Peer-to-peer HD quality video calling with resolution of HD 1080p at 30fps1.5 Mbps
Group video calling1 Mbps
HD group video calling (540p videos on 1080p screen)2 Mbps

LIFESIZE

ResolutionRecommended
minimum bandwidthminimum bandwidth
HD quality video calling with resolution of HD 720p at 30fps600 Kbps
HD quality video calling with resolution of HD 1080p at 30fps1.2 Mbps
HD quality video calling with resolution of UHD 4K3 Mbps

VIRTUAL LABS

Workload typeRecommended minimum bandwidth
Light1.5 Mbps
Medium3 Mbps
Heavy5 Mbps
Power15 Mbps

These recommendations are based on the guidelines in Remote Desktop workloads.

1. Run an Internet speed test

Verify that you’re getting the speeds that you should be. Run an internet speed test at brocku.ca/speedtest and compare the results to the advertised speeds of the internet package you’re subscribing to. If your connection seems slower than normal, use some of the following tips to try to resolve the problem.

2. Reboot your computer

Applications and data can linger in the background and in memory, taking up resources that may make your computer or internet connection seem slower than normal. Restarting is always a good first step.

3. Reboot your modem, router

Modems and routers also run software that can crash or become unresponsive. Try restarting your modem and/or router if your connection seems slower than normal.

4. Get closer to router/access point

Building materials and other wireless devices can cause interference which can degrade wireless signals. If possible, relocate to an area that has a strong wireless signal.

5. Use a wired connection

Wired Ethernet connections have lower latency and are less prone to interference. If possible, use a wired connection.

6. Close other applications that may be using bandwidth

Internet packages are rated by maximum download and upload speeds. Each application that connects to the Internet will take from this bandwidth. Music/video streaming, File sharing applications, and online gaming can have particularly high bandwidth utilization. Close applications when not in use, or if additional bandwidth is required. Consider upgrading your internet package if there is insufficient bandwidth.

7. Be aware of other users and devices on the network that may also be utilizing bandwidth

Internet packages are rated by maximum download and upload speeds. All users and devices on your home network will take from this bandwidth. Ask other users on the network to close applications when not in use, or if additional bandwidth is required. Consider upgrading your internet package if there is insufficient bandwidth for all users on the network.

8. Run video conferencing applications on the local computer rather than in a Remote Desktop window

Remote Desktop or similar technologies can add significant delay to connections, run latency sensitive applications such as video conferencing on the local computer rather than within the remote session.

9. Disconnect from VPN

VPN can add significant delay to connections by encrypting and tunneling all connectivity through the VPN provider. Run latency sensitive applications such as video conferencing on a local connection.

10. Contact your Internet Service Provider

If you’re not getting the speeds advertised by your ISP, contact them about it. There may be a problem with your connection that can’t be solved by one of the previous suggestions.

11. Contact Information Technology Services

If you’re having trouble with a Brock University provided service, contact the ITS Help Desk – we’d be happy to assist.

Office 365 and Email

Installation help can be found on the Office 365 page. You may also visit us directly at our Help Desk locations during open hours for assistance. Hours and locations are available on our Contact Us page.

Information on how to setup email can be found on our Office 365 Mail page. You may also visit us directly at our Help Desk locations during open hours for assistance. Hours and locations are available on our Contact Us page.

Application and System Related

Students, faculty, and staff are eligible to install O365 at no cost. See our Office 365 page for details.

Students can purchase SPSS and many other software solutions at the Campus Store. Please contact them directly for details, availability, and pricing.

Students, faculty, and staff are eligible to install O365 at no cost. See our Office 365 page for details.

Faculty and staff can purchase SPSS and other software solutions from ITS. Please visit our Software Purchasing, Distribution, and Licensing page for more information.

Other Questions

Brock students may apply for part-time lab advisor positions. Preference is given to applicants who have knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and other popular software packages used in the computer labs. A friendly, courteous, and helpful attitude and good communication skills are required.

Student hiring takes place annually in the beginning of March for the following term although applications are accepted at any time. Watch the careerZONE job posting board for available positions.

For full and part-time careers at Brock, job postings are available on the Human Resources Career Opportunities page.