Beloit College VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a way of creating a secure connection between your computer and another network. LITS maintains the Beloit College VPN as a method for faculty and staff to access certain campus resources from off-site. Note that the Beloit College VPN is not the same as commercial VPN applications, which have additional security and privacy features. While connected to the college VPN, your computer will be able to access some of the same resources it could when connected to the campus network.
Contents:
Important Information Before Using the Beloit College VPN
When to Use the VPN
While off-campus, certain resources will be unavailable unless you have first connected to the Beloit College VPN. Connecting to the Beloit College VPN will enable your computer to access the following campus services:
Network shared drives, such as BCVault (includes BCShares, or the “M” drive, and Userhome, or the “H” drive)
Jenzabar (via remote desktop)
CCure Monitoring and Administration
Campus fax folders
Note that the VPN is for off-campus use only. It will not work if you are already connected to a Beloit College campus network.
Gaining Access to the VPN
Approval is required to gain access to the Beloit College VPN. Unapproved users will not be able to log in. If you have a business need to access any of the above services from off-campus, please contact LITS Support in advance to request access to the VPN.
Mobile Device Required for Multi-Factor Authentication
The Beloit College VPN requires multi-factor authentication security through the Duo Mobile app. Make sure you have a Duo Mobile-compatible device and that the app is installed, configured, and ready to use before attempting to connect to the VPN. Duo Mobile licenses will be sent by LITS to all authorized VPN users when they are added to the VPN group.
Usage and Security Warning
Use of the Beloit College VPN should be limited to situations in which it is required for conducting College business. The VPN does not route web traffic, so it will not provide any additional privacy or security when using a non-Beloit network connection from off campus or abroad. While public VPN services exist to help address privacy and security concerns when browsing the web, the college VPN is not designed for this purpose and should be used exclusively for accessing campus resources that are not available from off-site.
Disconnect When Not In Use
It’s important to remember to disconnect the VPN when not using the above resources from off-campus. While connected to the VPN, you may notice that network connectivity (including web browsing, file transfers, etc.) will be slower than normal, even while on a high-speed internet connection. To prevent connection speed issues or other problems, be sure to disconnect from the VPN after using it.
Installing the VPN Application
On MacOS
LITS supports FortiClient for VPN access on Mac. Follow these steps to install FortiClient VPN for Mac:
Go to the Applications folder or Dock and open the LITS Self Service app.
Browse to the Utilities section on the left navigation, then click Install under FortiClient on the right.
Wait for the app to install - the Install button will change to Done and then change to Reinstall when finished.
When prompted, click OK to allow FortiTray to add a network extension.
JAMF will add a pop-up note in Notification Center to let you know Background Items Added.
When prompted, click Allow to give FortiTray permission to add a VPN configuration.
JAMF will add a pop-up note in Notification Center to let you know Background Items Added.
Congratulations, the app is now installed and available in your Applications folder! You can now skip down to the section below on Connecting to the VPN.
On Windows
LITS supports FortiClient for VPN access on Windows. Follow these steps to install FortiClient VPN for Windows:
Click the Windows Start menu or Search and open the Company Portal app.
Locate the FortiClient application and click Install.
Wait for the app to install - the Install button will change to Done and then to Reinstall when finished.
Go to the Windows Start menu and launch the FortiClient application.
Click the checkbox to accept the software support agreement, then click I Accept.
Congratulations, the app is now installed and available in your Windows Start menu! You can now skip down to the section below on Connecting to the VPN.
Connecting to the VPN
Accessing the Beloit College VPN requires a campus Duo Mobile account for multi-factor authentication. If you do not have Duo Mobile, be sure to reach out to LITS Support to request Duo access before attempting to connect to the VPN.
Launch the FortiClient app.
In the VPN Name field, select Beloit College.
Don’t see Beloit College in your saved VPN connections? Then go up to the Create a VPN Connection section above to set it up.
Enter your Beloit College account credentials into the Username (do not include the @beloit.edu part of your email address) and Password fields, then click Connect.
Open the Duo Mobile app on your mobile device and tap Approve to confirm you are the person trying to log in to the Beloit College VPN.
If you miss the Duo push notification, you will need to go back to step 2 and start the process again.
Once FortiClient connects to the Beloit College VPN, you will receive a VPN Connected message in the upper right corner of the application window.
When you are done using the VPN to connect to campus resources, be sure to click the Disconnect button.
Idle VPN connections will time out after a period of inactivity, after which you will need to log in again.
Troubleshooting
Network Error Message
If you receive a message stating Network Error. Can not connect to the VPN Server. Check the following:
Verify you have an active internet connection; pull up a website in your browser to confirm your connection is working.
Make sure that you are not connected to a Beloit College network. The VPN will not work if you are already connected to a campus network.
Login Failed Error Message
If you receive a message stating Login failed. Permission denied. This means that either an invalid username and/or password was used, or that you do not have authorized access to use the Beloit College VPN. Check the following:
Try reconnecting. Be sure to use your Beloit College account credentials: your username (the first part of your email address, before the @ symbol), and your college password (the same one you log into your email or the Portal with).
Make sure your password is not expired and that your account is not locked out. Try logging into the Portal or your Beloit College email to verify that your account is active.
Verify that you have access to the VPN. Contact LITS Support to verify and/or request access to the VPN.
If you have never connected to the VPN before, your account may not have access.
If it has been a long time since your last access to the VPN, your account may have been automatically removed from the VPN Users group due to inactivity.
Additional Support
If you still have trouble connecting to the VPN or accessing college resources from off-site, please contact LITS Support by emailing LITS Support or calling (608) 363-4357.