VPN - JHU

INTRO

Several JHU IT-based resources require your computer to be connected to the JHU network for access. For example, JHU-located share drives and certain JHU websites/services. If you're outside of JHU, for instance, at home or at a hotel, you are not on the JHU network, and therefore, cannot access the JHU Network-only resources.

Enter the VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a way to access resources of another network, for example, your business's network, without physically residing on that network. You can connect to a VPN from home/mobile, and it will look to your computer and to the business server as if you were on the business network, even if physically, you're not.

JHU hosts its own VPN. The JHU VPN will allow JHU users' home/mobile/etc. computers who are outside of the JHU network to connect to JHU as if they were physically on campus.

Connecting to the JHU VPN

STEP 1: Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication

JHU now requires Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) to access some of its services... including the JHU VPN.

(Some further details from JHU's IT group regarding what MFA is all about can be found here. Additionally, WSE IT has put together a document discussing MFA here as well.)

You will need to visit the JHU Multi-factor Setup Instructions page to enroll your JHED ID to have it work in conjunction with what JHU calls its myIT Login Code.

Once there, please watch the videos on that page, appropriate to your operating system (currently, Windows, MacOS.)

That page and its videos will show you how to enroll your JHED ID with a myIT Login Code. The videos are very helpful in explaining the process. You are encouraged to watch them all the way through.

As part of the MFA setup process, you will end up having to choose an Authenticator program to install on your computer. Note: We have found that for Windows users, the WinAuth program seems to work well for authenticating your MyIT code. Detailed WinAuth instructions can be found here.

Please install your Authenticator program before continuing.

You will need your myIT Login Code in order to access the JHU VPN in the next step.

NOTE: If you have any issues with setting up Multi-factor authentication, you should contact JHU IT's support helpdesk by phone at 410-516-HELP.

STEP 2: Installing the JHU VPN Client Program, JH Pulse Secure

Please visit the JHU VPN FAQ page.

Once there, click through each FAQ entry.

You'll see that the first two FAQ entries define VPN and discuss the myIT login code (from Multi-factor Authentication.)

The third FAQ entry on that page, How do I connect to the VPN with a Windows, Mac or Linux computer?, provides a link with videos on how to download and install the VPN client called JH Pulse Secure that will be used to connect to the VPN.

On that page, Step 1 once again discusses Multi-factor authentication setup. Since you've already done that, you want to start with that page's Step 2 that contains videos for showing how to download and install the VPN client software, JH Pulse Secure for your operating system (Windows/MacOS.) Please watch these videos carefully.

Additionally, links to PDFs of step-by-step instructions for doing the VPN client installs are located on that page too for Windows and Mac

NOTE: If you have any issues with installing the JH Pulse Secure client on your computer, you should contact JHU IT's support helpdesk by phone at 410-516-HELP.

Step 3: Connecting to the JHU VPN with JH Pulse Secure

Once again, please visit JHU's page on Step by Step Setup Instructions for Connecting with the Pulse Secure VPN

Visit Step 3 of that page for getting connected to the JHU VPN using JH Pulse Secure. You'll see videos there for your operating system. Please watch the videos carefully.

Additionally, links to the same PDFs mentioned earlier contain step-by-step instructions for making the VPN connections with the JH Pulse Secure client software. Again these PDF instructions are available for both Windows and Mac

NOTE: If you have any issues regarding connecting to the JHU VPN with JH Pulse Secure, you should contact JHU IT's support helpdesk by phone at 410-516-HELP.