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: Setting Up Multi-Factor Authentication

JHU now requires Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to access some of its services... including the JHU VPN. JHU is now using Microsoft Azure for providing JHU's Multi Factor Authentication service.

(Besides this page we're providing you, WSE IT has put together a document discussing MFA here as well.)

You will need to visit the Azure MFA Resource Center's Enrollment Page to enroll.

That page and its video will show you how to enroll your JHED ID with the Azure MFA. The video is very helpful in explaining the process. You are encouraged to watch it 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. JHU suggests you use the Microsoft Authenticator App which you can download according to instructions from the enrollment process video

Please install your Authenticator program before continuing.

If you want to change your authenticator method or manage your MFA, please first visit the main Azure MFA page and then click on Manage Azure MFA.

You will need your MFA configured 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.

Changing your default JHU VPN authentication Method

By default, the new JHU VPN (hosted by Microsoft Azure) seems to make texting your phone the way to provide you a code to use to connect to the VPN. Some users might want to change this to using an authenticator app (e.g., WinAuth or similar) instead, as it was before JHU moved to using Azure.

To change your default authentication method, simply log into https://aka.ms/mfasetup Once logged in, you'll see a list of your authentication options, and you can change the default option to using a Hardware Token (Authenticator App) instead of the Phone (text) option.