New Student Resources

Congrats! You are on your way to William & Mary. Here are some of the technology-related things you should know to help you prepare for your new adventure.

Before coming to campus:

Set Up Your Account

Have you activated your William & Mary account yet? If not, activate your WMuserid now. You will need to create a secure, personalized password.

While you are there, you can set up a recovery email address in case you ever forget your password.

Get more information about Account Activation and Password Security.

Enroll in Duo Two-Factor Authentication

Duo is William & Mary's new two-factor authentication service. It uses your W&M credentials plus a secondary authentication method (like a cell phone) to confirm your identity, thus providing an additional level of security to help protect against increasingly sophisticated security threats.

Beginning in the Fall 2019 semester, students will be required to use Duo to access most W&M systems. Prepare for Duo by enrolling now at 2f.wm.edu. Even after enrolling, you will not start using Duo until it becomes required. However, if you wish to start using Duo now, you can opt-in to do so!

Instructions for enrolling in Duo

Activate Email

Once you pay your enrollment deposit, you'll be able to activate your WMApps email account (powered by Google). There is also a suite of Google apps that you can access with that account.

Make sure to check your email frequently for important updates. Find a link to WMApps on myWM.

PLEASE NOTE: although you will create a separate password for WMApps now, in late May, WMApps will move to our Central Authentication Service (CAS). At that point, you will start using your WMuserid and password to log in and your WMApps password will no longer be needed.

Bring a Laptop

A laptop is essential for student life at William & Mary, and there is a laptop requirement at the university. You can choose to purchase your laptop through the W&M Bookstore with the Student Notebook Program.

If you prefer to bring your own, we recommend the following minimum configurations:

Intel i5 processor or higher
256GB hard drive or higher
8GB of RAM or higher

Certain programs, such as ones in the Mason School of Business, might have more advanced requirements (including both undergraduate and graduate programs).

Also, bring an Ethernet cable for a faster and more secure connection. This is especially useful during high-traffic times like Registration.

Get Software (Like Microsoft Office - for FREE!)

There is no need to pay retail prices for software with our selection of discounted software. And Microsoft Office 365 is completely free during your time at W&M!

TV Specs & Streaming Cable TV

William & Mary has a digital cable system with a lineup of 116 channels. Only televisions that are Clear QAM/ATCS compliant will work on the digital system. Most televisions made after 2007 meet this requirement. An external tuner can be purchased separately to use with those televisions that aren't Clear QAM/ATSC compliant.

Not bringing a TV? There is no need to miss out on your favorite shows. With Campus Contour from Cox, you can stream cable TV to your computer, phone, or tablet.

myWM (Access to Banner, Blackboard, and Email)

Take some time to browse through myWM. It is a good page to set as your homepage for your web browser.

Looking for Banner or Blackboard? Access these services through myWM. You can also access your WMApps email there.

When you arrive on campus:

Authenticate your Devices

Once you arrive on campus, you will need to authenticate your devices to the William & Mary network. For computers, tablets, and phones, you will just need to open a web browser, after which you will be routed to the authentication page. Follow the prompts to log in with your W&M credentials.

Connect to Wireless/Wired Networks

With an Ethernet cord, you can plug into the wired network through any network jack. This is recommended for any desktop or laptop computer, as the wired network is generally faster.

For Wi-Fi, use the eduroam network for a fast and secure wireless connection. Eduroam also provides secure Wi-Fi access while traveling to other participating eduroam institutions. Connect to eduroam at connect.wm.edu.

Have a visitor coming to campus? Learn how you can provide wireless access for guests.

Game Consoles

To authenticate game consoles to the wired or wireless network, you will need to authenticate your device. To do that:

Find the physical address (MAC address) of the device. We recommend visiting the manufacturer's website of your device for instructions on finding its physical address.
Log in to connect.wm.edu/devices using your WMuserid and Password.
Follow the prompts to complete the device authentication process.
Once complete, wait a few minutes before trying to connect the device to the W&M network. It could take up to five minutes.

Stay Secure

Be aware of phishing and ransomware that may come through you email inbox. If anything does happen, the first thing you should do is reset your password.

For your own personal security, you can choose to receive campus alerts on your computer via Alertus.

Check-out more of our security tips.

Other things you'll need eventually:

Printing at a Computer Lab

Didn't bring a printer? That's fine. W&M has multiple printing locations across campus; however, there is a per page printing charge.

If you're on campus and looking for a public computer, check out the Computer Lab Status application. It will let you know where computers are currently available.

Digital Cable TV Services

Check-out the digital cable TV channel listing.

You can also stream cable TV on your computer, phone or tablet while you are on the W&M campus with the Campus Contour app from Cox.

Specialized Software

Check out our list of licensed software, which includes programs in chemistry, math, statistics, and web editing.

Computer Service Agreement

The Computer Service Agreement spells out support options and includes a list of off-campus service providers.

Guest Wireless Access