VPN at Lafayette

ITS offers VPN (Virtual Private Network) access to the campus network to all college employees and students. VPN software provides a secure connection between your remote computer and the network and allows your computer to function as if it were actually on campus.

It does not directly connect you to your College-provided computer, nor allow you to access files saved to your computer’s hard drive when you are working remotely, VPN allows you to access your shared network drives and some applications that can only be run when connected to the campus network. In addition, VPN is required to access Managed Software Center for ITS managed Windows and Mac computers for faculty and staff.

All Lafayette employees and students must adhere to the Remote Access VPN Policy when using this service.

VPN for computers

Palo Alto Networks’ GlobalProtect is Lafayette’s recommended software for connecting to the campus VPN service from your desktop or laptop computer. If you require access to any of the on-campus computing resources that are not available over the public Internet, connecting via GlobalProtect will allow you to access those services.

GlobalProtect Installation Instructions

Windows Installation

  1. Go to https://globalprotect.lafayette.edu
  2. Sign in with your Lafayette NetID and two-step login
  3. Click “Download Windows 32 bit GlobalProtect agent” or “Download Windows 64 bit GlobalProtect agent” depending on your PC.  All ITS managed computers for faculty and staff have Windows 64 bit
  4. Follow the installation prompts on your computer
  5. Once installed, GlobalProtect opens automatically and adds an icon to your taskbar. Click the icon to open the user interface. In the “portal address” field, type “globalprotect.lafayette.edu”
    GlobalProtect UI showing Portal Address
  6. Click [Connect]
  7. You will be prompted to log in with your NetID and two-step login
  8. You will see a confirmation screen indicating that you’ve connected successfully
    GlobalProtect UI Showing "Connected"

To Disconnect: Click the GlobalProtect icon in the taskbar and click [Disconnect].

macOS Installation

  1. Go to https://globalprotect.lafayette.edu
  2. Sign in with your Lafayette NetID and two-step login
  3. Click “Download Mac 32/64 bit GlobalProtect agent“
  4. Follow the installation prompts on your computer, all installation settings can be left on their defaults.
  5. If the dialog below appears, Do Not Click OK.  Click on “Open Security Preferences” instead.
    macOS System Extension Blocked Dialog
  6. Click the “Allow” button at the bottom of the “Security & Privacy” preferences window to allow the Palo Alto Extension.  If there is a locked padlock icon in the bottom left corner of the window, click on it first to enter your credentials to enable the “Allow” button.
    macOS Security and Privacy Preference Pane
  7. Once installed, GlobalProtect opens automatically and adds an icon to your menu bar. Click the icon to open the user interface. In the “portal address” field, type “globalprotect.lafayette.edu”
    GlobalProtect UI with Portal Address
  8. Click [Connect]
  9. You will be prompted to log in with your NetID and two-step login
  10. You will see a confirmation screen indicating that you’ve connected successfully
    GlobalProtect UI Showing "Connected"

To Disconnect: Click the GlobalProtect icon in the menu bar and click [Disconnect].

Linux Installation

To connect to the VPN from a Linux machine, please contact the Help Desk at help@lafayette.edu or (610) 330-5501.

Accessing Network Shares

Network shares are only connected automatically when connected to the Lafayette network during the login process.

If you need to connect your computer to the Lafayette file shares remotely, please visit Accessing Lafayette file shares.

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