Nexus Troubleshooting Tips

Many computing services offered by the University of Waterloo rely on the Nexus Active Directory services for authentication. Services such as the Central Authentication Service (CAS), wireless services (Eduroam) and many corporate applications (see list below) use Nexus accounts when authentication (username and password) is required.

The following services use Nexus authentication:

Eduroam (wireless)
uw-unsecured (wireless)
802.1x (wired public access point)
LEARN
WaterlooWorks

Quest
myHRinfo
myPENSIONinfo
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
any web page or service that displays a CAS login page

What is my Nexus username and password?

Your Nexus username and password is the same as your Waterloo Identity and Access Management (WatIAM) username and password. When you update your password in WatIAM your Nexus password will also be updated. Remember to change any saved passwords on your various mobile and computing devices.

Additional trouble-shooting information

Some people may experience problems with the "saved" or "cached" passwords on their computer. Passwords may be saved in the Windows Credential Manager or by the browser. Some Windows users may need to modify or delete these passwords.

Windows Credential Manager

See Clearing Cache/Saved Windows Credentials.

Browser saved passwords

Internet Explorer 11

Open the Start menu and select Control Panel then Internet Options
Select the General tab and click the Delete... button located in the Browsing History area
Click to check the selection box next to Passwords and then click Delete
Close Internet Explorer

Google Chrome

Open Chrome
Press and hold Ctrl+Shift+Delete keys simultaneously
The Clear Browsing Data dialog box opens
Click to select the Clear Saved Passwords box
Click the Obliterate the Following... drop-down menu and select the The Beginning of Time option
Click Clear Browsing Data
Close Google Chrome

Mozilla Firefox

Open a Run dialog by holding your Windows+R keys simultaneously
Type Firefox --preferences and press Enter
Click the Security icon on the Options dialog box
Click the Saved Passwords... button and a list of saved passwords will be displayed
Click the Remove All button and then click Close
1. This returns you to Options > Click OK to close the dialog box

Other applications

Other applications/connections may also contain saved password information and you will need to update your username and password.

These applications and mappings may display an 'unable to connect error' and if prompted, you should update the username and password.

Windows drive mappings

If you have used the Map Network Drive feature in Windows to map "uwaterloo.ca" drives, we recommend hovering the mouse over the mapped drive, and clicking the secondary mouse button (usually the right-click), and then choosing Disconnect
You now need to create a new Map Network Drive connection with your current "NEXUS\username" and password

Nexus issues with SharePoint

Not on a Nexus managed workstation

When using SharePoint on a Nexus authenticated workstation you will not be prompted to log in. On a non-Nexus workstation you must log in as "NEXUS\username". The Nexus\ prefix is required, and note the slash is the back slash key found above the "Enter" key (and not the forward slash used in typing web addresses).

Multiple Password Prompts

Follow the Internet Options tips in the Share troubleshooting tips article.

Connect to Outlook (for connecting to SharePoint Calendars, Tasklists and other SharePoint features)

Outlook should ask you to update your “saved” credentials. If Outlook doesn't provide an option to “Save” the new password you may have to delete your connection and recreate it.

Connect to Excel

If you have used the Connect to Excel or Exported data from SharePoint to Excel, you will be prompted to update your credentials. Remember to use your Nexus\username.

I don’t use Internet Explorer as my browser

If you use any other browser (FireFox, Chrome, Safari) then you may need to log in to SharePoint using "NEXUS\username" format (see "Not on a Nexus managed workstation" section above).

Adding new users to SharePoint sites

You must add people as "NEXUS\username". Do not use friendly-names (e.g., jack.jones) for the username. The built-in SharePoint directory lookup is a handy tool for finding the Nexus username (book icon on the right side of the users add window) or you can use the authenticated WatIAM search.