OIT Client Services - Official Web Pages FAQs

If you are a faculty/staff member and need space for a class, research, student organization, or for UTA administration purposes, you can fill out the form online.

What is my username and password?

You will need a NetID and a working NetID password to access any of the web servers. NetID username/password is same username/password you use to access the network on campus, to check your UT Arlington e-mail, and to access the library databases. For more information, please visit our NetID page.

What web servers can I have an account on?

UTA has two main types of web servers - www.uta.edu running on Linux and www2.uta.edu and www3.uta.edu running on Windows. If you are starting a new site, you can request an account on the server of your choice.

How much space can I have?

100 Mb.

How do I put files online for students to access or download?

Save the document to which you want to give access in the web directory in which your faculty/staff web page resides. Create a hyperlink to the document from your web page just like you would create a link for another page. Make sure you use the correct file extension to ensure that the browser handles your file properly. In the following example code, we are linking to an Excel file called "file.xls" which is located in the same directory as the web page. The link to the file is displayed as "Homework" on the web page:

<a href="file.xls">Homework</a>

How do I set up a counter on my page?

If you are using Front Page, you can easily add a counter by following the instructions below:

While in Page Design view, click on Insert and select Web Component.
Select Hit Counter, select the style you want and click Finish.

If you are not using Front Page, send Help Desk an e-mail and we will try to provide a piece of code for you.

How can I password-protect my web pages?

Password protection is available on all of UTA's main web servers and it is best if done on the directory level. If you would like to set password protection on your page, send Help Desk an e-mail. Be sure to include the URL of the page and the name of the directory you would like to set password protection on.

Are there any webpage templates I can use?

Yes. HTML templates, as well as some UTA logos and images, are available on UT Arlington templates page.

What is HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the set of "markup" symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser. The markup tells the Web browser how to display a Web page's words and images for the user. HTML standards are officially proposed by the WWW Consortium.

What is the difference between .htm and .html?

There is no difference. Both indicate that the file is an HTML file. It makes sense to end an html file with .html extension, but since some operating systems could not operate on files with 4 letters in the suffix, they had to use just .htm as the suffix.

How do I make or improve web pages?

Here are some online tutorials:

www.htmlgoodies.com - Basic and advanced HTML
www.webach.com/barebones/ - Basic HTML
www.wired.com - WWW Design and JavaScript

Why did my NetID login stop working?

Your NetID password expires every 6 months. If your password expired you would no longer be able to access your web directories. To test whether your password has expired, try accessing your UT Arlington e-mail through the web at http://owa.uta.edu. If your password has indeed expired, you will be prompted to select a new one. If you cannot remember your password you can reset it online at http://www.uta.edu/resetpassword. For more information about your NetID logon, please visit our NetID pages.

Setting up Web Pages on WWW Server

How do I modify/access files on www.uta.edu?

You will need to connect to www.uta.edu using WebDAV protocol, also known in Windows as "Web Folders" or "My Network Places". The DAV protocol provides direct access to add, move, or delete Web files and folders. For detailed instructions on how to setup the connection to www.uta.edu, please read our WebDAV documentation.

How and where do I put my web files on www.uta.edu?

Since you will only have access to your web directory, that will be the only place where you can put files. For detailed instructions on how to connect to your web directory, please read our WebDAV documentation.

Can I use Microsoft FrontPage to access www.uta.edu?

You cannot use FrontPage to directly modify your pages on www.uta.edu, since www server does not have the FrontPage extensions installed. However, you can use FrontPage to establish a WebDAV connection to your page. For detailed instructions, please visit our FrontPage and WebDAV page.

Does it support ASP (active server pages)?

No. You will need to have your web files on a Windows server then.

Can I use CGI scripts on www.uta.edu?

Yes. All CGI scripts have to be located in the cgi-bin directory. If you would like to add a script, e-mail helpdesk@uta.edu the script with a brief description of what it does.

Can I include Macromedia Flash content in my web page?

Yes. Just upload your Flash files to your web directory. Remember, that visitors will need to have Flash browser plug-in installed in order to view your Flash content. The default extension for Flash files is swf.

Setting up Web Pages on Windows server

How do I modify existing pages on Windows server?

Since Windows server are Windows servers, they have Front Page extensions installed. You can use FrontPage to make changes directly to the website. There are several ways to do that and some of them are listed below:

Pull up your website in Internet Explorer. Click on File and select Edit with Microsoft Front Page.

Open MS FrontPage, click on File, select Open and type your complete web address in the FileName, for example http://www2.uta.edu/faculty/yourname. After the changes have been completed, just click the Save button and your site will be published automatically.

How and where do I put my files?

Since you will only have access to your web directory, that is the only place where you can put files. Since Windows server are Windows servers, they have Front Page extensions installed. You can use FrontPage to make changes directly to the website. There are several ways to do that and some of them are listed below:

Pull up your website in Internet Explorer. Click on File and select Edit with Microsoft Front Page.
Open MS FrontPage, click on File, select Open and type your complete web address in the FileName, for example http://www2.uta.edu/faculty/yourname. After the changes have been completed, just click the Save button and your site will be published automatically.

Can I use Microsoft FrontPage to access pages on Windows server?

Yes. You can use FrontPage to make changes directly to the website. There are several ways to do that and some of them are listed below:

Pull up your website in Internet Explorer. Click on File and select Edit with Microsoft Front Page.
Open MS FrontPage, click on File, select Open and type your complete web address in the FileName, for example http://www2.uta.edu/faculty/yourname. After the changes have been completed, just click the Save button and your site will be published automatically.

Does it support ASP (active server pages)?

Yes.

Can I use CGI scripts on Windows server?

No. You will need to have your web files on a Linux server then (www.uta.edu).

Can I include Macromedia Flash content in my web page?

Encryption

What is encryption?

Encryption is the conversion of data into a form that cannot be easily accessed by unauthorized people. In web terms encryption means using a secure way to transfer content from a web server to a web browser, usually done with a Secure Socket Layer.

Which pages should be encrypted and why?

According to the Texas State Web Sites Regulations, pages that ask for the following information should use encryption:

Social Security number

Payment information

Username and password

On which UTA servers is encryption available?

Both www.uta.edu and www2.uta.edu servers have encryption available. If your pages are hosted on a different web server (for example, departmental server), please contact the appropriate support personnel in your department.

How do I encrypt my page?

Make the links to your encrypted pages using https:// instead of http://. If your browser does not load the encrypted page properly, check to make sure all the references to the images on the page are also referred to by https:// instead of http://.
Web browsers may deny the https:// request or fail to load (crash) if some elements on the website are using http:// reference.

How do I know if a page is encrypted?

The web address of the page will start with https://. In addition to that, the browser window will have an indicator in the lower right hand corner indicating that the connection is secure.

I need encryption but my server does not have it

If you need to encrypt a page hosted on a departmental server with no encryption, you can do the following:

Move your page to one of our servers (www or www3). You can request a web account by filling out the online form.
Have your web server administrator contact us at helpdesk@uta.edu and request assistance installing encryption on that server.

Why is my browser behaving strangely under https?

Make sure all the elements on your page, including images, are using https:// reference instead of http://.

Can any browser view encrypted pages?

No. Only the browsers that support SSL can view the encrypted pages. These include but are not limited to Microsoft IE version 3.0 and above, Netscape Navigator, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox.

Do I need a server certificate?

Only if you are running your own server. All official UTA web servers already have proper certificates installed.

Policy and Support

What is the official UTA policy for web publishing?

Web pages are not monitored by the University and complete control and responsibility lies with the author and any editors. While a web page certainly should be given the right of free speech, it should as well show consideration for others in the community. State law prohibits the use of state-funded equipment in schools to be used for economic gain of the students, faculty or staff. For more information, please visit the policy pages below:

Web publishing policy
Internet Privacy policy
UT System Policy on Usage of Copyrighted Material

What kind of support can I get?

OIT will provide support in getting the initial account setup on the server and providing you with instructions on how to access it. This FAQ section was created so users could help themselves once the account is setup. Web page content creation and development is the responsibility of the creator, author, editors, and not the server administrators. Training for beginners can be obtained through Continuing Education Courses, CS Training Courses, or other learning resources. Any problems with account permissions or faulty software on the server should be reported to the Help Desk helpdesk@uta.edu. Be sure to include the URL (web address), error messages, and your your NetID and contact information.

Can I let somebody else put their page under my account?

No. That would mean that you share your NetID username and NetID password with them, which would be a violation of UTA computer usage policies.

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