VPN (Off-Campus Access)

What is it?

Yale VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a way to securely access a remote network. Yale VPN allows eligible individuals to access Yale resources from a non-Yale internet source as if they were directly connected to the campus network.

VPN is REQUIRED:

To access restricted services and resources on the University and Yale-New Haven Hospital (Y-NHH) network
If you need remote access to Yale systems or on-campus workstations (via Remote Desktop Protocol [RDP]).

Who can use it?

Your role @ Yale		VPN eligibility
	Faculty, Students, Staff & Employees		Eligible
	Admitted Students (after August 1)		Eligible
	Recent Graduates (through October 15)		Eligible
	Alumni and Affiliates		Ineligible *
	Yale University Systems		Ineligible *
	No Active Role (no active NetID [1])		Ineligible *
* - These roles are ineligible for VPN access. Please see the VPN Procedure [2] for more details. If you have any further questions or would like to request an exception as allowed by the procedure, please complete the VPN Access Request Form [3]. Eligibility and access for all users ends automatically after the user's affiliation with Yale ends.

Where to get help?

If you have any questions, contact the Help Desk at 203-432-9000 or email helpdesk@yale.edu [4] or contact your local support person [5].

Students

Central Campus: the Student Technology Collaborative [6] will provide the first line of support. They will attempt to resolve laptop problems and will report network failures or performance issues to ITS Data Network Operations (DNO). DNO will resolve such problems as soon as possible with the caveats that any simultaneous problems with the wired network will take precedence and we may need or want to perform extended testing before returning the network to service.

How much does it cost?

There is no charge for the VPN service, however, some specialized devices (specifically mobile devices) may require the purchase of additional software.

How to get it?

The latest VPN software with configuration and installation instructions can be downloaded from the Yale Software Library [7].

VPN clients available at Yale

VPN options
Cisco AnyConnect (preferred client for secure VPN connections)		The Cisco AnyConnect VPN client supports most versions of Windows as well as MAC OS X, versions 10.5 or later. AnyConnect web client and installer [8] (easiest method) Install and configure Cisco AnyConnect Client for your iPhone or iPad [9]
Cisco IPSec client (Required for Y-NHH systems)		The IPSec client is needed if you: Require access to Y-NHH applications Need to establish a VPN connection before Windows logon (e.g., mobile Managed Workstations) Need to launch a VPN session while using Terminal Services (ie, Remote Desktop) If you need to install the IPSec VPN client visit the ITS Software Library [7].
L2TP VPN connection		For situations where installation of a VPN client is not an option, the Yale VPN servers support an L2TP connection. L2TP connections [10] – Windows 7 Instructions for converting existing PPTP connections to L2TP [11] - Windows XP or Vista
Mobile devices		For handheld devices that cannot support the AnyConnect client, an L2TP connection replaces the older PPTP connection which is no longer available. For handheld devices, the older IPSec client may be also be an option. Visit the mobile technology How To page [12] for VPN configuration information

Associated Policies

While using VPN, your computer is part of the Yale network and you must observe all University IT and ITS Policies [13].

VPN provides excellent network security, but should only be used from an appropriately secured computing device.

Note: Your home router may be hiding your computer from the internet and protecting it from attack. Yale currently does not have this type of internet security in place on the Yale network. By connecting to VPN, you may be increasing your computer's risk of being attacked from the internet or from within the Yale network. Please make certain your system is secure [14] and kept up-to-date.

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