access.caltech Account Information

What is an access.caltech Account?

An access.caltech account is a username and password associated with your real name and your Caltech UID number, granting you authorized access to IMSS computing services. You have access to most of our services as soon as your account is created, but some require you to sign up for them specifically. There is no charge for most IMSS services for eligible Caltech users.

Briefly, your access.caltech account is the key to the following services, and more:

  • access.caltech
    • Update your personal information
    • Access Registrar's Information System (REGIS)
    • Access UID Billing & Payment (CASHNet)
    • Register your vehicle
    • Change your password
    • Configure your password challenge questions so you can reset your account password
  • Account Management (Utils)
    • Adjust your account's email forwarding and spam handling settings.
    • Note: If you choose not to use the email features of your  account, we ask that you set up email forwarding to an account where you do read your messages so IMSS system administrators can easily contact you about this account.
  • Benefits Annual Enrollment
  • Data Warehouse
  • Email
  • Exchange Calendaring and Scheduling
  • My Personal Information
  • Parking
  • Registrar's Information System (REGIS)
  • Techmart e-Procurement
  • Time Keeping (Kronos)
  • To learn more about how to use your IMSS account with Windows systems, please refer to the Windows Services page.
  • Remote Access to the Caltech network
    • VPN (requires signup)
    • Wireless on-campus network access
  • Windows services
  • Web Hosting
  • Library public computers
  • Software Site Licensing software.caltech.edu

In slightly more detail, your access.caltech account allows you authorized access to:

Email

Your access.caltech account's email address is yourusername@its.caltech.edu or yourusername@caltech.edu (both work).

You can use a web browser to access your IMSS email, via the URL https://webmail.caltech.edu

You may also check your email using mail clients like Pine or Mutt, or on your own office or personal computer by using IMAP email client software like Eudora, Outlook, or Netscape Mail. Detailed configuration instructions are available on our Email Services page, but the basic settings are: imap-server.its.caltech.edu and smtp-server.its.caltech.edu

You can forward email sent to your IMSS account by following these instructions. If you never intend to read email sent to your account, please contact us at http://help.caltech.edu (request type IMSS-->Email & Calendar-->Forward Email to Another Account) so we can make arrangements to contact you for administrative purposes.

Data Storage

You have a 1GB data storage disk quota on the IMSS systems. Additional storage may be purchased in 1GB increments. Please click here for details about purchasing additional storage.

You may connect to the Windows services, click here for details

  • To access IMSS Windows Cluster resources, enter your username in the form of "username@its" with your password. Click here for details.

Web Hosting

You can publish web pages, click here for more info.

On-Campus Network Connectivity

Campus Network Services

Campus Network Services webpage

To register a name other than the default name for your computer, submit a request at http://help.caltech.edu (request type IMSS-->Network, Wireless & Remote Access-->Host and Address Requests).

Undergraduate Student Houses

The undergraduate house residences have either 100Base-T or 10Base-T ports (one or two per room). Configure your computer with the IP address and other network information for your port. If your network port is missing its configuration sticker, contact your student house rep: Student House Rep Contacts or Student House Network Services.

Remote Access to the Caltech Network and the Internet

IMSS VPN Service

If you live off-campus, choose not to use the IMSS dialup service or the for-pay Charter-Caltech cable modem service, and need to access Caltech-only restricted resources on the Caltech network, you can use any Internet Service Provider and the IMSS VPN service. Many users choose a non-Caltech DSL ISP and IMSS VPN for their home computers: IMSS VPN webpage.

Software Site Licensing Service

Symantec Anti-Virus, Microsoft Office, and other software packages are included, most at no charge. IMSS strongly recommends installing Symantec Anti-Virus on every computer connected to the Caltech network, and it is free for most Caltech users: IMSS Software Licensing

Many Other Services

Announcements and information may be found at our home page: http://.imss.caltech.edu/