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Using the University's Computer Network Outside the University

The computer network of the University of Tartu is designed for its students and members of staff. Therefore, in the interests of network users and the security of information transfer, we need to be able to identify the users or the users' computers.

This page contains instructions on how to use the University’s computer network resources (server and computer network services, information systems) from home, public internet access points and when abroad:



Accessing your e-mail account

There are several options for accessing your e-mail account outside the University’s computer network:


  • You can use a regular web browser to read e-mail messages sent to your University e-mail account by going to https://mailhost.ut.ee. Enter your University network username and password on the login page. This web environment is in Estonian and allows you to read, delete and send e-mail messages, attach files to outgoing messages, sort messages into folders etc.
  • Another alternative for accessing your e-mail account is the text user interface based Unix version of Pine. In order to use the Pine e-mail client, log in to any University server via SSH client. See the SSH guide and the Pine guide.
  • The third and most favoured option is using an e-mail client program that you already have in your computer, e.g. Netscape Messenger, Mozilla Thunderbird.


Parameters you need to know when configuring your e-mail client

We recommend using the following parameters when configuring the e-mail client to access your inbox in the University server:

Server type: IMAP

Selecting the IMAP protocol means that your e-mail messages will be stored on the server hard drive, not in your computer. The server regularly makes backup copies of the files stored on it. Should anything happen to your computer, your correspondence will be easy to retrieve from the server with the help of the administrator.

Server name: mailhost.ut.ee

Port: 993

Port 143 does not work outside the network.
NB! Secure SSL connection must be enabled.
The recommended IMAP server folder name is Mail

Outgoing mail server (SMTP) name: mailhost.ut.ee
NB! Connection cannot be established outside the network unless SSL connection is used.



Accessing your home directory and the department's shared folder. File sharing.

You must have the SSH Secure Shell client program installed in your computer in order to access your home directory and your department's shared folder. The program is compatible with Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP.

The University of Tartu has a registered site licence for using SSH Secure Shell. The program can be downloaded from the University’s FTP server ftp://ftp.ut.ee/pub/unix/security/ssh/. The file SSHSecureShellClient-3.2.3.exe (or later) available in the server is compatible with all versions of Windows.

SSH Secure Shell enables you to use the Pine e-mail client and transfer files through the Secure File Transfer Client (SFTP), which allow you to access both your home directory and your department's shared folder.

To access your home directory, run the Secure File Transfer Client. Next select Quick connection from the File menu. The Connect to Remote Host window opens. Enter the name of a University central server (servername.ut.ee) in the Host name field, and your University network username in the User name field. Click Connect. You will be prompted for your password. Enter your University network password and click OK. Now you can see the files in your home directory.

To access the department shared folder log on to the University central server by following the procedure described above. Next press Ctrl+G or select Go to Folder from the Operation menu. In the pop-up window, enter /export/osakonnad/osakonnanimi (osakonnanimi – the department shared folder name) and click OK. The folder list is displayed. Depending on your user rights, you can move files from the department shared folder to your computer and vice versa.

Another SSH client program you can use is PUTTY. PUTTY is an applet (size 324KB) that doesn't require installation – simply save it on your desktop. The guide for configuring Putty can be found here. PUTTY does not allow moving files.



Accessing the Tartu University Library databases

The Tartu University Library E-databases (http://www.utlib.ee/ee) can be accessed from outside the network only by using the University proxy, and from a computer the IP of which can be matched to a valid name in the name servers. To configure the Internet Explorer proxy manually, open the Tools menu and select Internet Options > Connections > LAN settings. In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window check the Use a proxy server for your LAN checkbox. Enter cache.ut.ee in the Address field and 3128 in the Port field and click OK.

After you have configured the proxy manually and want to view the E-databases you will be prompted for a valid University computer network username and password. Upon entering the username and password you can access the databases.

Since the username and password are sent to the server unencrypted when using the University’s proxy, we recommend changing the password when you have finished using the proxy.



Points to remember before going abroad

In order to protect the network from malicious attacks, some restrictions have been set on the use of University’s computer network resources outside the University.


  • Telnet cannot be used to run Shell outside the University.
  • Laptop users should note that when using University’s proxy outside the University you will be prompted for the University computer network username and password.

You can try to access the network without using proxy. Open Netscape. Open the Edit menu and select Preferences > Advanced > Proxies. In the Preferences window select the Direct connection to the Internet radio button, because cache.ut.ee does not connect to the internet with default settings. If connecting to network still fails, consult the local network administrator.

  • Before going abroad you might want to think about forwarding e-mail messages sent to your University network address to another e-mail account, or configuring your e-mail account to send auto reply messages.


Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions on how to use the University’s computer network services outside the University.

Why can't I access the web with my desktop computer/laptop?
Your browser's proxy settings are probably wrong. See the Netscape configuration guide.

Why doesn't my e-mail client deliver the e-mail message?
The SMTP server name might be wrong and/or secure connection might not be enabled (the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) checkbox is unchecked) in your mail client settings. See the Netscape configuration guide or Parameters you need to know when configuring your e-mail client.

Why can't I use telnet to log in to the server?
Telnet is an insecure network protocol, therefore untrustworthy or usable only in computer's DNS tables that are not properly registered. We recommend using the SSH client program SSH Secure Shell or Putty to log in to the server.

How safe is it to use the internet in public internet access points or internet cafés?
Not very safe. For example, if you have visited web pages where you have entered your username or passwords, these passwords may be saved, the visited web sites may be remembered in browser history etc. Depending on the web browser settings, your internet session in a public internet access point or internet café may be open to the next user.

If possible, do not use Internet Explorer as your web browser in a public internet access point or internet café, especially when visiting websites that require entering usernames, passwords or other personal information. If the latest security patches have not been installed in the computers, some security holes are open.

What else should I take into account?
When using a foreign language keyboard you might encounter problems with entering your password, because keyboard layout can be different and in some cases you need to press Shift to enter a number. Be extra careful when changing your password while using a foreign language keyboard!