The University’s central Virtual Private Network (VPN) service was upgraded on 26 April. The update delivered improved security and user features.
Please note: Some colleges and academic departments provide a local VPN service which may be used as an alternative to the centrally provided VPN service. Local VPN services have not been affected by this upgrade.
What has changed?
The key change for everyone using the service has been:
- You now log in using your SSO username and password, instead of your Remote Access login. (You will still need to use your Remote Access login for eduroam Wi-Fi access.)
- You can now access your local computer network (for printers and file storage) while using the VPN
Other changes that might have impacted you are:
- Needing to download the Cisco AnyConnect Client to connect to the VPN on at least one of your devices (this has mainly affected Mac and Linux users)
- No longer being able to use unsupported operating systems (such as Windows 7 or XP) to access the University network
What do I need to do?
If you are unable to access the University’s central VPN following the upgrade this is likely to be for one of these reasons:
- you are trying to access it through software other than the Cisco AnyConnect Client
- your Cisco Client is not up-to-date
- you are not using a supported operating system
In the first two cases you need to download the up-to-date Cisco AnyConnect Client. How you do this will depend on what device you are using. View the guidance on the IT Help website. Do not download the software directly from the Cisco website. If you are using an out-of-date operating system, please speak to your local IT support for advice (if in a college or academic department).
Help
For more information, please see the VPN project webpage and the IT Help website, or contact your local IT support (if in a college or academic department) or the central IT Service Desk.
