Hardware
Are you equipped to study at UNE?
Whether you are on-campus or an off-campus student, you must have access to a computer (laptop or desktop) that is able to access to the internet. Below is information on the minimum technical requirements, a browser check and a internet speed test. Please contact IT Support if you have any questions.
Research students are able to request UNE computing equipment; see Standard Equipment Requests – (HDR).
Minimum specifications
Operating System
Your computer must be able to run macOS 14 (or higher) or Windows 11. Older operating systems are not supported and, though you may be able to access the resources you need, are a security risk.
Other operating systems (such as ChromeOS and Linux distros) are not supported by UNE and are incompatible with our online exam platform. You will need access to a device with macOS 14 or Windows 11 in order to sit your online exams. For more information, see Examinations.
To update Mac computers: Apple > System Settings > General > Software Update.
To update Windows computers: Start button > Settings > Windows Update
Note: Windows S mode does not allow installs from all sources other than the Windows Store. This may cause issues when installing software that may be essential for study, or support software such as TeamViewer. ProctorU is also not supported using S mode, so for any exams, S mode must be disabled.
For more information (including how to disable S mode), see Switching out of S mode in Windows.
Device Specifications
If you are completing an online exam, your device will need to meet the ProctorU minimum specification requirements. Please see the ProctorU requirements page here. Minimum recommended specifications are:
CPU: 4 cores
RAM: 8GB (16GB recommended)
Display: Inbuilt or external with a HD resolution (1920x1080 or 1080p)
Webcam: inbuilt or external with a 480p resolution (720 recommended)
Peripherals
- Headphones or speakers (required to listen to lecture and other media provided in units, a USB style headset has proven to provide superior audio quality to the jack style headset when used for online teaching software)
- Headset, including microphone (highly recommended for participation in virtual classrooms)
- Webcam with minimum 1280 x 720 resolution (required for online supervised exams, participation in virtual classrooms and/or media presentations)
Recommended Software
- Microsoft Office (instructions)
- Anti-virus software is required (if you haven't one already, see Anti-Virus)
Browsers
It is recommended that you have multiple browsers installed for troubleshooting potential issues. Supported browsers are:
- Chrome (download Chrome)
- Firefox (download Firefox)
- Microsoft Edge (pre-installed on Windows)
- Safari for Mac (pre-installed on MacOS)
Other common browsers are permitted but not supported.
Check your browser's compatibility
UNE's browser test will check your browser to make sure that all relevant settings are set to allow make full use of our electronic resources. it will take a few seconds to display the results.
Check your internet speed
Run the bandwidth check at Speed Test
A decent network connection is highly recommended when studying online with UNE, as lectures and tutorials are streamed from the web. You are also encouraged to participate in live tutorials, which do have demands on bandwidth.
A connection/download speed of 1.5Mbps minimum is required for study at UNE. This will give you a decent connection to the internet and should cause little delay with downloads of large files (such as electronic readings or podcasts).
Video streaming or high-quality audio streams (including live tutorials and online exams) require at least 3Mbps.
