Network Update November 2022
Currently our Riverland website is down.
Our technical team is working on the issue.
This outage does not impact Brightspace or E-services.
We hope to resolve the situation soon.
PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR UPDATE DATED Nov. 10, 2022 (6 PM
Please use the links below to access frequently used websites.
How to contact Riverland
- Call 507-433-0600
Be patient, our phone lines may be busy.
Other Methods of Contact
- Admissions: admissions@riverland.edu
- Advising: advising@riverland.edu
- Technical Support: support@riverland.edu
Nov. 10, 2022 (6 PM)
Work is continuing to restore all services and we continue to make good progress.
Nonetheless, some services are still not available so please be patient. Services may come back online before we can announce they are working properly. Please continue to try to use the services you need, knowing there might be interruptions. To help us identify services that are still not working properly, please submit a ticket to support@riverland.edu.
Voicemail messages are not working properly. Callers may leave messages, but messages are not being stored in the recipient’s inbox. As an internal alternative, use Teams or email.
We have been working to improve printing stability.
Work will continue through the long weekend. We will post an update on Sunday evening.
Nov. 9, 2022 (6:30 p.m.)
Today, we added temporary staff to help expedite recovery.
Faculty are working with students to ensure learning outcomes are not affected by this incident.
We have improved connectivity at the Albert Lea campus.
Web server work continues to bring the website back online. Remember if your StarID has expired, you can change it at https://starid.minnstate.edu/
Nov. 8, 2022 (6:30 p.m.)
Work is continuing to restore all services and we continue to make good progress.
There were reports of intermittent network issues today, and we are working to improve stability. If you are experiencing trouble connecting, please submit a ticket to support@riverland.edu.
Remember if your StarID has expired, you can change it at http://starid.minnstate.edu.
Most Riverland devices have received a system update. If you haven’t brought your Riverland device to campus, please do that as soon as possible.
Nov. 7, 2022 (6:30 p.m.)
Thank you for your continued patience. The following services are now available:
- Local wired and WiFi networks (eduroam, Internet access)
- Perceptive Content
- ISRS
- Printing services (all campuses)
- Desktop versions of the Office 365 and OneDrive
- On campus file shares (drives)
TLR needs all devices to be on campus to check in on our networks and verify the health of all devices. This will happen automatically once the device joins the network on premise. Should your device be discovered to be unhealthy, you will be contacted. We anticipate your desktop will appear same/similar as the last time you logged in for a regular workday. If you discover files on your C:, H:, I: or OneDrive that you can no longer access, please reach out to TLR for assistance by submitting a ticket at support@riverland.edu. Please use all services you would use throughout your normal workday and provide feedback to TLR for services performing differently than expected.
Students, your StarID passwords will be expired over the next few days. You will receive an email notification 24 hours prior to your password expiration. Please go to https://starid.minnstate.edu/ to change your StarID password.
While on campus, you may be prompted to change your local device password. Please do so. For a period of time, you may be using two different passwords where you used to use just your StarID password
Good Cyber Hygiene Tips:
- Do not use the same password for multiple accounts.
- Change your passwords regularly.
- Implement multi-factor authentication wherever possible, including personal accounts.
- Use a phone Authenticator App as your second factor of authentication.
- Do not access restricted or highly restricted data from non-Riverland owned devices.
Nov. 6, 2022 (8:00 p.m.)
Technology and Learning Resources (TLR) has continued to make progress throughout the weekend. Many services have been restored at the Riverland campuses with more coming. We will continue to communicate with the community as more services become available.
Students and employees should expect the following on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022:
- Face-to-Face classes will be held as scheduled with limited technology available.
- Online and Hybrid classes continue to be available.
- Students should reach out to instructors for any special directions.
- Employees should report to their usual work locations.
- Zoom Classrooms are operational on all Riverland campuses.
- Most wireless Internet service is available on all Riverland campuses
- Use Microsoft Outlook Web Access at https://outlook.office365.com/mail/ to read and send email. You may now safely use your OneDrive.
- We are prioritizing restoring services such as ISRS, file sharing, print services, and remote VPN access.
- All Riverland devices must be brought to campus for a system update. Plan to login and work onsite for the day to allow the update to complete. This should be done in the next few days.
- Please continue to use riverland.edu as your primary source of information about the incident and our progress.
StarID Password
As a precautionary measure, we are expiring all StarID passwords early. Users will receive the usual StarID password expiration e-mail 24 hours before their password expires, directing you to starid.minnstate.edu to change your password.
If you reset your StarID password on or after Nov. 3, no password change is necessary.
The new password update may not work to login into campus computers or lab workstations for the next several days. In this case, your old password will continue to work. You may be using both passwords on campus during this time.
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022 (1:30 p.m.)
Work continues this weekend to restore services. We plan to communicate about Monday's operations during the latter part of Sunday (11/6/22) evening.
Friday, Nov. 4, 2022 (3:45 p.m.)
Q: What happened to the web site and internet at Riverland College?
A: Our college has experienced a significant incident on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 involving Riverland internet services. There are no internet services on any Riverland campuses. Riverland student housing has an independent internet service, which is operational, and phone services throughout Riverland are operational. Our Technology Team has been working with Minnesota State system office technology personnel, Microsoft and Dell to investigate and resolve the issue.
Q: How deep is the impact of this incident?
A: We understand you may be concerned that this incident may have an impact on you. We have been working to determine the impact and take action to secure our operations. We haven’t yet completed that work.
Q: How quickly will services be restored?
A: Our technology team, working with outside experts, will be working throughout the weekend replacing hardware and network components. We will share an update on Sunday. Check back to this website for updated information.
Q: How can faculty teach?
A: Zoom services work and are not affected, however, connecting to Zoom on the campuses is not possible, including Zoom Classrooms. Classes can be taught in-person but without the use of any technology. If you have access to the internet, all Microsoft products are operational. Personal hotspots and cellular data also can be used on campus for internet connectivity. Another option is to teach remotely via Zoom, as was often done during the pandemic. Faculty should communicate to their students their plans for how class will be held.
Q: What’s the best way to work from home if needed?
A: Use Microsoft Outlook Web Access at https://outlook.office365.com/mail/ to reach and send email, but avoid downloading files until further notice. Do not open your One Drive from home.
Q: I’m a Riverland employee and I need to enter my time sheet. How can I do that?
A: Employees can safely submit and approve timesheets at this link: https://eservices.minnstate.edu/etimesheet/
Q: What data is involved?
A: The scope of the data involved is still under investigation and we will provide more information when we have it.
Q: Should I update my personal passwords?
A: As we often remind employees and students, it’s always smart to practice good password hygiene by changing passwords often, not re-using passwords across platforms, and using two-step authentication where available (See below for information about your StarID)
Q: Should I reset my StarID password?
A: Please do not update your StarID password at this time, as it could overwhelm the College’s limited resources. The Technology team will require all Riverland employees and students update their StarID password in the near future, but it will be an organized roll-out and you will receive a communication when it’s time to do so.
Q: How can I keep up-to-date on the status of internet services and this incident?
A: Visit this page for any updates.