Simmons College Library Proxy

The Libraries' Proxy Server
Remote Access to Simmons Library Electronic Resources

No setup required!

Many of the Simmons Library Electronic Resource providers limit access to their resources by domain, meaning only patrons using a computer located on the Simmons campus can access the resources. So that Simmons patrons may use these resources using off-campus computers (such as from home), Simmons Library have set up a proxy server. The Simmons Library Proxy Server is a computer that authorizes remote users against a database of current Simmons affiliates, and then serves as a "proxy" between your machine and the resource server.

What are the requirements for off-campus access to electronic resources?
Which browsers can I use?
I use AOL or Compuserv. Can I use the electronic resources?
How do I know I've connected to the proxy server?
What is my name and password to use Library Resources once I have set up my Proxy? Do I have to re-enter it a lot?
Can I use the proxy server from behind a firewall or with another proxy?
How do I turn off the proxy settings I entered last year?
What happens when I leave Simmons or graduate?
How does a Proxy Server Work?
I need help troubleshooting a problem.

What are the requirements for off-campus access to electronic resources?

A computer with Internet access

How do I use the proxy server if I'm an AOL or Compuserv user?

The built-in AOL and Compuserv browsers handle "cookies" in a special way. Cookies are files stored on your computer that uniquely identify it to web servers. (Think of them as a temporary security pass issued by a guard when you visit a downtown office building.) When an AOL or Compuserv browser connects to the Libraries proxy server, it can't create the cookie correctly and the proxy server forgets who you are immediately.

AOL and Compuserv users should download IE or Firefox instead. Connect to the Internet as usual, then open Netscape and use it to connect to our electronic resources.

How do I know I've connected to the proxy server?

If you connect to Simmons Library electronic resources from off-campus, you should see this screen:

What do I use for login name and ID number?

Once you have configured your proxy server, your Name is the last name on your Simmons ID (Shark) card, and ID is the seven-digit number on your picture Simmons ID card. Note: your Name is not necessarily the same as your email user name.

Do I have to re-enter my name and ID# every time I go to a different database or electronic journal site?

No. You only have to enter your name and Simmons ID once per session. That is, once each time you turn on your Netscape or IE. If you exit your browser or turn off your computer, you will have to re-enter your name and ID when prompted. The session may also time out after a long period of inactivity.

Can I use the proxy server from behind a firewall?

A firewall can block certain types of inbound or outbound network traffic, usually referred to by port number. However, our proxy server now connects via port 80 which is the standard port for web browsing. If you can connect to most web pages from behind your firewall, you should be able to connect to resources through our proxy server.

I already use a proxy server to connect to the Internet. Can I use this proxy too?

Absolutely. Since you don't need to make changes to your computer configuration, there should be no conflicts between your proxied connection to the internet and our proxied connection to electronic resources.

How do I turn off the proxy settings I set up last year?

Library patrons who connected to our electronic resources in the past will likely have configuration settings in their browsers that may be removed. However, the removal of these settings is necessary only in very rare cases. If you do need to turn off the proxy settings, follow the same directions you used to set them up, but delete the Simmons URL http://library.simmons.edu:8080/proxy.pac from your Internet Explorer connection options and your Netscape advanced preferences. Leave the entry blank. For assistance, call the Help Desk at 617.521.2222 or email: library@simmons.edu

What happens to my remote access when I leave Simmons?

Your login name and password for accessing Library resources from off-site through the proxy server will remain active until the end of the month following your departure from Simmons. After this time, graduates can register for an alumni card that allows you to check out books and use the electronic resources from within the Libraries. We cannot provide off-site access to electronic resources to alumni at this time.

How Does A Proxy Server Work?

A normal web transaction takes place between the web browser on your computer and a web server somewhere else. The browser contacts the web server via the Internet and requests a particular document or other piece of data. The location of the web server and the data requested is expressed in a web address or URL (Universal Resource Locator). For example, the page you are reading resides at the URL http://library.simmons.edu/screens/wamproxy.html. The web server that stores the page is located at library.simmons.edu. Located in the screens directory is a file called wamproxy.html.

Many of our resource providers limit access to their web sites by "domain restriction." When accessing resources from within the Simmons domain - that is, from on-campus - the resource provider's web server will see you as part of the Simmons community, and will allow you to connect and use their resources. If your computer is physically located somewhere other than the Simmons campus, the resource provider's web server will see that you are not part of the Simmons domain, and will deny access to their resources.

A proxy server solves this problem by relaying ("proxying") requests between a web browser and a restricted domain. Once the web browser has been told which proxy server to use, that machine serves as a "go between", forwarding transactions between the browser and the actual Web sites from which documents are being requested. In past years, Simmons Library patrons would have to specify the location of our proxy server by changing its default configuration. While usually satisfactory, this setup was bothersome and difficult to troubleshoot when it didn't work correctly.

In the fall of 2002, the Libraries launched a new method of connecting remote users to our proxy server. Using a proxy rewrite method, we are able to point your browser to our proxy server without altering its configuration. Instead, we have changed the URLs in all the hyperlinks that point you to our electronic resources. Now, instead of pointing your browser to http://web.lexis-nexis.com, for example, we direct it to http://0-web.lexis-nexis.com.library.simmons.edu. This way, your browser knows to go first to library.simmons.edu and the proxy server at that address knows that you request access to web.lexis-nexis.com via a standard web port.

By filtering all requests through a proxy server located on the Simmons Network, you gain access to all resources that are "domain restricted". The resource provider's web server sees only the forwarded request from the proxy server, located on the Simmons Network, and thus allows the connection. To ensure that only authorized library patrons are granted access to restricted resources, users of the Proxy Server are matched against their records in the Libraries patron database before they are allowed to use the proxy service.