Common Problems with Off-Campus Access
and Other Frequently Asked Questions

From off-campus, when you use the library web site to access subscribed services, you will be prompted to enter in your Patriots username and password (see below). After signing in, you should have full access to the range of our subscriptions.

The following list addresses common problems with accessing library resources from off-campus. Please contact the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or library@mail.uttyler.edu if you need additional assistance resolving off-campus access issues.

General Guidelines for Off-Campus Access

ID/Password Problems and Other Login Problems

Problems Related to Specific ISPs or Software

Problems with Locating or Viewing Fulltext Articles

Other Problems

General Guidelines for Successful Off-Campus Access

  • Check the login instructions; make sure you are using the correct ID and password. See this section and this section for more information.
  • Most online databases work best with either Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox. For best results, you will want to use the most current version of either of these two browsers.
  • In order to view PDF files, your computer must have the current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader or another PDF viewer; Adobe Acrobat is recommended. See this section for more information.
  • Cookies must be enabled. See this section for more information.
  • In general, your security settings should be no higher than Medium. See this section for more information.
  • Pop-up blockers, firewalls, and security software such as Norton Internet Security, Symantec Desktop Firewall, Norton Personal Firewall, etc. can prevent successful access to online resources. See this section for more information.
  • Turn off any "web accelerators." See this section and this section for more information.
  • You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser. See this section for more information.
  • We recommend that most off-campus users plan to conduct their research from home or from other personal off-campus PCs, rather than relying on using an Internet connection at their place of work. Depending on the network settings, Internet access policies, and network security policies at your place of work, in some cases it may not be possible for you to access library resources from your workplace. See this section and this section for more information.

I don't know what to use for my off-campus ID and password.

Use your Patriots username and password. (This is the same log-in info you use for Blackboard and your Patriots email account.) 

All students, faculty, and staff have a Patriots Account. If you've never activated your account, please visit the Patriot Account Activation page.

If you've already created a Patriots Account and need assistance with your account, please contact Campus Computer Support at itsupport@patriots.uttyler.edu. Make sure you include the following information in your email:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Student ID(s) or EID

I am prompted to log in, but I receive the error message, “That username or password was incorrect. Please try again.”

Please read the following information about login errors. Some areas apply to all users, and others are relevant either to students or faculty/staff only.

All Users:

  • Verify that you are entering your password in the correct format. Your username and password are case-sensitive, so be sure CAPS LOCK is off!
  • Off-campus access is restricted to students enrolled at UT Tyler in the current semester, and to faculty and staff who are employed by UT Tyler during the current semester. If you are not enrolled or employed during the current semester, you will not have off-campus access privileges and your username and password will be rejected if you try to log in from off-campus.
  • If your Patriots username includes a number (such as smith3, harris5, etc.), be sure to include that number in your off-campus username.
  • If you continue to get this error message, email Campus Computing to have them reset your password. Include the following information in your email: full name, date of birth, student ID (for employees, include your EID number). 
  • If you need further assistance, please contact the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or library@mail.uttyler.edu.

Students:

  • If you are a UT Tyler student but are not enrolled in the current semester, you will not have off-campus access privileges at this time, even if you plan to enroll in a future semester. For example, if you typically take Spring Semester and Fall Semester courses but do not enroll in Intersession, Summer I, or Summer II, your access will be turned off at the end of the Spring Semester and will resume on the first class day of the Fall Semester.

I am prompted to log in, but after I sign in I get an error message that says something about contacting an EZProxy administrator, and then I can't get into the database I selected.

This error message indicates that there is a temporary, technical problem with off-campus access to the database you selected. Please report this error to the library by contacting the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or library@mail.uttyler.edu. We will need to know exactly which database or journal you were trying to access, in order to resolve the problem.

Off-campus access to the resource in question will typically be restored within 4 business days. In the meantime, you can receive full access to the resource from an on-campus computer; if it is not possible for you to come on-campus to use the resource, contact the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or library@mail.uttyler.edu for additional assistance.

I am prompted to log in, but receive an error about “enabling cookies.”

Cookies MUST be enabled in your browser, in order for you to access our resources successfully.

If you are accessing our resources using a personal computer, you can change your cookie settings in Internet Explorer using the following method:

  • Go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Privacy and adjust the setting to Medium.
  • Then click OK.
  • Then click OK again to close the Internet Options editor.

If you are at work, then you should talk to your help desk or network administrator about changing the security settings on your computer.

I am prompted to log in, but receive a JavaScript error.

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser, in order for you to access our resources successfully. Instructions for checking or modifying your Java settings are given below.

  • In Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, go to Tools --> Internet Options --> Advanced. Scroll down and check the box under Java (Sun).
  • In Firefox, go to Tools --> Options --> and make sure both Enable Java and Enable JavaScript are checked.

I am able to access the databases from off-campus, but sometimes I am prompted for a second login ID and password or receive an error message when I am using a certain database or when I try to access a specific journal.

If you are able to get into and use the databases successfully but are then prompted for a different login:

  • We may not have access to a particular journal, in the particular database that you are using. It is likely that we have online access to that title in another database, or we may receive the journal as a print subscription. You can check the availability for any journal title using the Find a Journal or Periodical list.
  • The other possibility is that we are experiencing technical problems with a specific database. Please contact the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or or library@mail.uttyler.edu to report the problem. In order to resolve the problem, we will need to know exactly which database you were in and exactly which article or journal you were attempting to access when you received the second login prompt or error message.

I am able to access most of the databases successfully, but I experience problems when I try to access an EBSCO database.

The most commonly-reported error messages specific to the EBSCO databases are:

  • “We have detected a change to your IP address for the current session and we are unable to locate a valid EBSCO cookie. As a result we are unable to identify you as a legitimate user. Please log in again.”
  • I get a blank page anytime I try to log into an EBSCO database from off-campus.
  • I get a “Page cannot be found” error message anytime I try to log into an EBSCO database from off-campus.

This is typically a cookie error. Cookies MUST be enabled in your browser, in order for you to access our resources successfully.

If you are accessing our resources using a personal computer, you can change your cookie settings in Internet Explorer using the following method:

  • Go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Privacy and adjust the setting to Medium.
  • Then click on the Edit button (under “Web Sites” in the Privacy tab).
  • In the Address of Web Site box, type ebscohost.com and click Allow.
  • In the Address of Web Site box, type epnet.com and click Allow.
  • Then click OK.
  • Then click OK again to close the Internet Options editor.

If you are at work, then you should talk to your help desk or network administrator about changing the security settings on your computer.

I am never prompted to log in, and instead I get a “Page cannot be found”/"Document contains no data"/404 Error page for every resource that I try to access.

Your local network may be rejecting traffic from the proxy server, which helps off-campus users to connect to databases and online journals.

If you are accessing our resources using a personal computer, there are several actions you can take:

  • If you are using a pop-up blocker, temporarily disable it, and then try accessing our resources again. Newer versions of some browsers block pop-up windows, and may block them by default. If your browser has the option of allowing pop-ups from some websites, add ezproxy.uttyler.edu to the list of allowable sites (exceptions).
    • In Internet Explorer 7.0 or higher, go to Tools --> Pop-up Blocker.
    • In Firefox, go to Tools --> Options --> Web Features. At this point you can either uncheck the box next to Block Popup Windows to competely turn off pop-up blocking, or click on the Allowed Sites button to enter ezproxy.uttyler.edu as an exception.
    • Keep in mind that even if you don't have pop-up blocking software, many IE and Firefox toolbars such as Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, AOL Toolbar, etc. automatically block pop-ups. If you are using this type of toolbar, be sure to disable pop-up blocking while you are using our site, or edit the configuration settings to allow ezproxy.uttyler.edu.
  • Try clearing your browser cache. After clearing the cache, close out your browser, reopen it and try logging in again.
    • In Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, click on Tools --> Internet Options --> Delete Files --> Delete All Offline Content --> OK. Also click the Delete Cookies button. This will clear temporary files and cookies from IE.
    • In Firefox, click on Tools --> Options --> Clear All (next to "Clear All Information Stored While Browsing") --> Clear All Information.
  • Make sure your browser will accept cookies. For detailed instructions, see the section addressing the following issue: I am prompted to log in, but receive an error about "enabling cookies."
  • In some cases, this error message can be resolved simply by hitting the REFRESH button in your browser after you are directed to the "Page Not Found" screen.
  • If you are using a firewall, you may need to make an exception for:
    • ezproxy.uttyler.edu
    • port 2048
  • If you use Windows XP: Windows XP comes with its own firewall, and Microsoft recommends that you activate this feature to secure your computer. Read these instructions to open up port 2048.
  • If you use ZoneAlarm: please see the software's documentation for instructions on opening up port 2048.
  • If none of the above solutions resolves the problem, and you are using a personal/home computer (not at a place of work), we suggest contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ensure that their network configuration allows you to access port 2048. If your ISP blocks access to port 2048, you will be unable to access our online resources.

If you are at a place of work with a local area network, then you should talk to your help desk or network administrator about how your network is configured. See the next question below: I am able to access the databases from home, but am not able to access them from my work computer.

I am able to access the databases from home, but am not able to access them from my work computer.

We recommend that most off-campus users plan to conduct their research from home or from other personal off-campus PCs, rather than relying on using an Internet connection at their place of work. Depending on the network settings, Internet access policies, and network security policies at your place of work, in some cases it may not be possible for you to access library resources from your workplace.

If you are at a place of work with a local area network and are unable to access the library's resources, then you should talk to your help desk or network administrator about how your network is configured.

  • Most corporations, government entities, and school districts have firewalls in place; sometimes, these firewalls may block access to our proxy server.
  • In addition, some companies' network security policies will not permit access to online services via port 2048. Your computer must be able to access port 2048, in order for you to gain access to our online resources.
  • Also, it is not unusual for companies to block employees' access to secure websites (such as online banking sites). A good site for testing SSL connections is this page from Microsoft. If you can see this page, then SSL connections are not blocked; if you are unable to view this page, then your computer or workplace is blocking SSL connections.

Please be aware that your employer's IT security policies may prohibit the network administrator (help desk) at your workplace from making adjustments to your computer's security settings, or may prohibit network access via port 2048. If modifying your PC's settings is not technically possible or is prohibited at your place of work, then you will need to access the library's databases from your home computer or another location besides your place of work.

I am a University Pines resident and am having trouble logging into the databases on my wireless connection..

Rooms at University Pines do not have built-in wireless connections. If you are connecting to the internet using a wireless router, make sure that the connection is through your own router and not another resident's router. If this does not solve the problem, your only other option is to connect your computer by ethernet cable directly to the ethernet jack in the wall.

I am using AOL/CompuServ/Earthlink/Juno/MSN/NetZero/Prodigy/RoadRunner/Yahoo!DSL software to access the Internet and am having technical problems with logging into or using the databases.

If you use AOL or any other ISP that uses its own proprietary software to connect you to the Internet, you may experience problems accessing or displaying information in our databases.

The simplest way to resolve this issue is to connect to the Internet, minimize the AOL/Prodigy/Yahoo!DSL (or other ISP software) window, open Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, and then use Internet Explorer or Firefox to connect to the library’s resources.

In addition, if the software you are using to connect to the Internet has any kind of high-speed "accelerator" or "booster" option, temporarily disabling the accelerator should allow you to access the library's resources.

I am using Google Web Accelerator and am having technical problems with logging into or using the databases.

If you have activated Google's Web Accelerator service and are having technical problems using the library's online databases, try turning off the Accelerator and see if that resolves the problem. Click here for instructions for turning the Google Web Accelerator on or off. Note that it is not necessary to uninstall the Accelerator; you are only turning it off temporarily.

I am using Juno SpeedBand or NetZero HiSpeed to access the Internet and am having technical problems with logging into or using the databases.

If you are using Juno SpeedBand or NetZero HiSpeed to access the Internet, or any other ISP that has any kind of "accelerator" integrated into its connection software, you will need to temporarily disable HiSpeed in order to access our resources.

On most computers using Juno SpeedBand or NetZero HiSpeed, there will be an icon in the system tray in the lower right-hand corner of the screen which contains an option to disable SpeedBand/HiSpeed. Disabling SpeedBand/HiSpeed will typically enable you to log in and access our online databases.

If disabling HiSpeed/SpeedBand does not work, try the following workaround:

  • Open Internet Explorer.
  • Go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Connections.
  • Scroll through the Dial-up settings until you locate NetZero or Juno.
  • Click on NetZero, and then click on Settings.
  • Under Proxy Server, click Advanced.
  • In Exceptions, scroll to the end of the list, and then type ;ezproxy.uttyler.edu
  • Note that it is NOT necessary to have an asterisk (*) in front of the EZ Proxy entry in the Exceptions list, even though all other examples may show the asterisk.
  • Keep clicking on OK until all the windows are closed and you are back in Internet Explorer.

I am using Opera to access the Internet and am having technical problems with logging into or using the databases.

The Opera browser is not compatible with EZ Proxy. You will need to use Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Firefox to access the library's resources.

I seem to be able to access everything except the full text of one journal.

We may not have access to a particular journal, in the particular database that you are using. It is likely that we have online access to that title in another database, or we may receive the journal as a print subscription. You can check the availability for any journal title using the Find a Journal or Periodical list.

If the Find a Journal or Periodical resource shows that we should have access to the title and date range that you need, but you are still unable to access the full-text, please report the problem to the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or or library@mail.uttyler.edu.

I found the journal I need, but the listing in Periodicals – Online & Print says something about an “embargo” and I can’t get to the fulltext.

Some publishers do not allow immediate online access to the most current issues of a particular journal. The most common embargo periods are 1 year, 6 months, or 3 months.

In the example below, several online databases have a 1-year embargo on the Journal of Advanced Nursing, so the most recent 12 months would not be available fulltext in those databases. However, there is no embargo in Blackwell Synergy, or in EBSCOhost EJS, so the most recent 12 months would be available in either of those sources. The current year's issues might also be available in the library in print; check the library catalog for availability.

Example of a journal with an embargo

The journal title I need is not listed in Find a Journal or Periodical.

If the journal is not listed in Find a Journal or Periodical, then we will need to order a photocopy of the article for you from another library. Please submit a materials request through ILLiad, our interlibrary loan system.

The journal title I need is listed in Find a Journal or Periodical, but I can’t find the date or volume that I need.

If we don’t have the date coverage that you need for a particular journal, then we will need to order a photocopy of the article for you from another library. Please submit a materials request through ILLiad, our interlibrary loan system.

I get email alerts from journals and can’t use the links to access articles.

The system that we use for off-campus access uses specially-encoded links. You can add a prefix to the links that you get through email, and that should allow you to access them from off-campus. The prefix is:

http://ezproxy.uttyler.edu:2048/login?url=

You will need to paste this URL prefix in front of the link you are trying to access.

For example:

http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=6893715&db=aph

becomes

http://ezproxy.uttyler.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=6893715&db=aph

You would need to copy/paste this entire link into the address bar of your browser, in order to successfully access the article or journal.

I went to the website for a database or journal that I know the library subscribes to (such as www.jstor.org) but am not able to do a search or retrieve any articles.

In order to successfully access the library’s fulltext resources, you need to use the links provided on the Find an Article (Databases) page, or the Find a Journal or Periodical page. By logging in from off-campus and using these specially-configured links, the vendor’s website will recognize you as being part of the UT Tyler community. The vendor will not “recognize” you if you try to log into the resource directly from an off-campus computer.

When I go to a journal I’ve bookmarked in my browser, the publisher asks me for a password and won’t let me in. I am never prompted to enter my off-campus login.

The system that we use for off-campus access uses specially-encoded links. Your bookmarks probably do not have the right encoding to enable off-campus access. To fix this, edit your bookmarks and paste this prefix in front of each URL that requires authentication via the off-campus login:

http://ezproxy.uttyler.edu:2048/login?url=

From then on, when you choose that bookmark, it will pass you first to our proxy server where you can enter your off-campus login, and then pass you on to the publisher's site.

I found the fulltext article that I needed, but when I tried to download it, all I got was a blank page with a tiny X inside a square; the article never loaded on-screen. Or, I got an error message saying, "Error loading document" and was never able to view the full-text.

This typically happens when you are using a computer that either does not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, or when you are using a version of Adobe that is out-of-date. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing and printing PDF files. The current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader is available for free from Adobe.

In order to successfully view PDF documents in most of our databases, you will generally need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 6.0 or higher. If you are not sure what version you are using, open Adobe, click on HELP, and then click on ABOUT ADOBE READER. If you are currently using version 5.0 or lower, we recommend that you download and install the latest version to avoid potential problems with downloading or viewing PDF documents.

I found the fulltext article that I needed, but when I tried to print it, all I got was a blank page.

This typically happens when you are trying to print a PDF document, and used the File --> Print option (from the top menu bar) to print the article. If you are printing a PDF document, you must use the print button on the Adobe toolbar (located directly above the article itself) to successfully print the document.

I can search the databases and access articles from off-campus, but sometimes images don’t display correctly, or other parts of the database look strange.

Some of our databases require that you have JavaScript enabled. Activating JavaScript in your browser should solve this problem. Instructions for checking or modifying your Java settings are given below.

  • In Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, go to Tools --> Internet Options --> Advanced. Scroll down and check the box under Java (Sun).
  • In Firefox, go to Tools --> Options --> and make sure both Enable Java and Enable JavaScript are checked.

I can’t log in to Blackboard.

For assistance with Blackboard, view the FAQ or contact the Blackboard Administrator in Campus Computing Services at itsupport@patriots.uttyler.edu. If you do not remember your password, you will need to go to the Campus Computing Center in BUS 101 to reset your account. Library staff cannot look up forgotten passwords or reset your password.

I can’t log in to my student email account.

For assistance with student email, view the FAQ or contact Campus Computing Services at itsupport@patriots.uttyler.edu. If you do not remember your password, you will need to go to the Campus Computing Center in BUS 101 to reset your account. Library staff cannot look up forgotten passwords or reset your password.

I have another problem not listed here.

Please contact the Reference Desk at 903-566-7343 or or library@mail.uttyler.edu for assistance.
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