Technology

VPN at Illinois State University

Last modified 2/20/2024

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection with the campus network is required in order to access restricted, electronic resources at Illinois State University, such as network drives, or certain iPeople functions. Illinois State University provides two options for connecting to campus via VPN. 

See Do I Need a VPN? for more information on when to use VPN. 

Who Can Access VPN at Illinois State University 

Current Faculty, Staff, and Students needing to utilize an ISU resource from an off-campus location.

Cisco Secure Client VPN Client 

The Cisco Secure Client VPN client is an application that may be used to establish a VPN connection with the campus network. The application must be downloaded and installed on a computer. Once installed you may use the Cisco Secure Client application to establish a VPN connection with the campus network. You may then access restricted resources that require a VPN connection. 

VPN Authentication

When using the VPN it will require a MFA (Multi-factor Authentication) request approval. Multi-factor Authentication is used as additional security verification when logging into Microsoft 365 applications (such as Outlook, Word, Teams, etc.); iPeople and Campus Solutions (including the Student and Faculty Centers) from off-campus. MFA is also required when logging into the university VPN service. Illinois State University is taking extra steps to make sure you are who you say you are when you sign into your account. This extra verification, also known as two-step verification, is done through a combination of your user name, your password, and a mobile device or phone. Follow this link to set up your MFA if you still need to. MFA Info/Setup

 

VPN Profile 

As an alternative to using a traditional VPN client, macOS and iOS users may opt instead to download a VPN profile. A VPN profile integrates into the operating system on your computer or device, but otherwise works the same as the Cisco VPN client. 

Important

You may not connect to ISU Oracle or SQL database resources directly via software such as; Microsoft Access, Oracle SQL Developer, Microsoft SQL Management Studio, etc.; using the macOS or iOS VPN profile. If you need to access those databases directly, you will need to use the Cisco Secure Client VPN Client (see Cisco Secure Client VPN Client) 

Known Errors Related to VPN: 

 Additional VPN Related Information  

How to Get Help

 




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