Computer Services: Proxy Servers

Current BU Law School students, faculty and staff can use a proxy server to access selected licensed electronic resources from off campus. Separate proxy servers control access to different groups of electronic titles for the Law School, Medical Center, and Charles River Campus communities.

Proxy servers allow off campus computers to appear as if they were on campus when accessing these specific licensed resources.

What Is the Proxy Server?

Some web sites have content that is licensed and therefore not free to the public. The Law Library has subscribed to several legal resources to provide access to Law School students, faculty and staff. Boston University has licensing agreements for many other resources for the entire campus, including the Law School community. These resources are easily reached through the library's web site. Using law school computers in computer labs or offices will automatically allow you to connect using these links. The proxy server allows computers off campus computers and laptops connected to the wireless network to function in the same way.

Requirements for Proxy Access

  1. An Internet connection (use university dial up services, or your own Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as AOL, Comcast Cable or DSL)
  2. Browser configured to use the BU Law proxy server
  3. A BU login name and a Kerberos password

You only need to configure your browser once. If you use more than one browser, do the configuration process once for each of them. After you are set up, you will not have to reconfigure in order to connect to an electronic resource.

Using the Proxy Server

When you connect to the Internet and open your browser, it will automatically connect to the proxy server. You don't have to do anything!

The database lists in the Research section of the library's web site have been annotated to indicate whether resources are unrestricted, available only in the law tower, or available in the law tower + remotely by proxy. Select the resource you want. The browser will check to see if it is available through the proxy server.

If it is, you will be asked to "authenticate" yourself - which means entering your ACS account and Kerberos password. These are then verified in a university database to be sure you are affiliated with the law school. You will then get a confirmation page that allows you to view the web site.

What to do when things go wrong

Common errors and problems encountered when using the campus proxy servers (Information provided by BU's IT Dept.)

Questions 

How do proxy servers work and various other questions. (Information provided by BU's IT Dept.)

Remember:
Only current BU School of Law students, faculty and staff can use the law school proxy server! If you are a current member of the BU community but are not affiliated with the Law School, you must use either the Charles River Campus proxy server or the Medical Center proxy server. Due to licensing restrictions, we are unable to provide remote access to law electronic resources to BU alumni or the general public.