Connecting to the VPN

A VPN (virtual private network) is a service that allows a remote user to create a secure tunnel into the IAS network over a non-IAS Internet service provider. Once authenticated the user is then able to gain access to IAS-restricted resources.

VPN is especially useful for IAS Faculty, Members, and Staff that may be accessing the campus network using a commercial Internet Service Provider (such as AT&T, AOL, etc.) and wish to gain access to IAS-only resources (such as file servers and restricted web pages). When you authenticate to the VPN server, your computer is assigned a second IP address from the pool of IAS-specific IP addresses. Once you have this second IP address, it is as if you are using the network from a computer on campus (rather than coming in from a commercial ISP network).

Connecting via Software

When using equipment that you own, you will need to install the VPN software on your computer. Once installed, you can connect to IAS and access restricted resources as if you were on campus. For instructions on installing the VPN software, please see the OpenVPN Installation Guide.