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Valpo's Virtual Private Network will only encrypt your connections to other Valpo systems. In order to protect your other online activities, you may wish to subscribe to a paid public VPN service like NordVPN or ExpressVPN (there are many others). |
In This Article
Configuring Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
Full VPN Access on Windows PC or Linux
How to download and set up Google Authenticator (this must be done for first time users)
On your android or IOS device please select either the Play Store (android) or the App Store (IOS).
Go on the search bar and type in google authenticator it will look like an asterisk.
Once downloaded log into the authenticator using your Valpo email credentials.
Click on the plus sign on the bottom right and click on add QR code and scan the QR code from vpn.valpo.edu and you will get a 6-digit code.
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- Go to https://vpn.valpo.edu and select valpo from the drop-down box under "Domain." Then, click the NEXT button and log in with your ValpoNet credentials.
- After logging in from within the Virtual Office VPN page, click on your account initials in the upper right hand corner to bring up the menu. From here, select Downloads.
Select the "Windows.exe" NetExtender client if you are using a Windows 10 PC, or the 32-bit or 64-bit .tgz archive appropriate to your CPU architecture if you are using a Linux machine. Depending on your browser it will either prompt you to download the file to a location you can specify or automatically download it to a default save location.
Info title Compatibility Note DO NOT download the Secure Mobile Access Connect Agent (Windows.msi or Mac.dmg); they are not compatible with our VPN server.
- After the download process has completed, launch the installer, which will be called "NXSetupU.exe" in Windows 10. If you are installing on 64-bit Linux you will need to unzip NetExtender.x86_64 and launch the install executable contained in the archive.
- When you start the NetExtender application for the first time, you will need to enter vpn.valpo.edu in the Server field and valpo for the Domain field. (This information will be saved automatically for subsequent logins.)
- Authenticate with your ValpoNet credentials to connect to the VPN server. You will then be prompted to enter your one-time password (OTP) from either an automated e-mail or from your phone's authenticator app. If this is not yet set up, follow the steps for configuring Multifactor Authentication above.
- On Windows 10, a successful connection will be indicated by the Nx symbol in the system tray as shown below.
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- Open the App Store from the Launcher and sign in with your Apple ID, if necessary. Search for “sonicwall,” then download and install the free SonicWall Mobile Connect app.
- Once the app has downloaded, open it from Launchpad.
- Click the “Add connection” button, then add the following information and click "Save".
- Name: Valpo
- Server: vpn.valpo.edu (click "Next")
- Username: your ValpoNet username
- Password: your ValpoNet password
- Domain: valpo
- To connect, make sure the "Valpo" connection you just configured appears in the drop-down menu and click the "Connect" button
- Enter your multifactor authentication one-time passcode (OTP), either from your e-mail or the authenticator app you configured for Valpo's VPN. Follow the steps for configuring Multifactor Authentication above if you have not yet done this.
- You are now connected to the VPN. When you are finished with your session, click the "Disconnect" button.
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You can also try deleting the existing connection and creating a new one.
Note that SonicWall enforces a 15-minute inactivity timeout. If you notice frequent disconnects, it may be due to inactivity. Input from the keyboard or the mouse resets the inactivity clockA number of users have installed the NetExtender client for PC, only to be presented with a message notifying them that the installation is damaged and that is must be reinstalled. In the vast majority of these cases, reinstallation of the client will still not resolve the problem. In these scenarios, the simplest workaround is to instead install the SonicWall Mobile Connect app from the Microsoft Store and use the VPN feature that is built in to Windows 10. Follow the steps below to set the VPN up this way.
- Download the SonicWall Mobile Connect app from the Microsoft (linked above)
- Open the Start Menu and click on the Settings tab, then choose Network & Internet. Select the VPN tab from the left-hand side of the window.
- Click the plus sign next to the text "Add a VPN connection".
- Choose SonicWall Mobile Connect from the drop-down menu beneath "VPN provider". The "Connection name" can be anything you want, such as Valpo VPN. The "Server name or address" line must be vpn.valpo.edu
- The rest of the fields can be left blank or pre-filled. Click the Save button at the bottom of the screen.
6. You will need to return to this screen to initiate a VPN connection whenever you need to remote in to Valpo's campus network. Just like with the NetExtender client, you will need to use a one-time passcode (OTP) during sign-in when connecting.
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Note that you must use an authenticator app with SonicWall Mobile Connect! Sending a one-time passcode via e-mail is not supported by this app. |
If you no longer have access to the device (perhaps the device was stolen, broken, lost, etc.) or the authenticator app that was bound to the VPN server, log please use the following steps to regain VPN access:
- Log back in to vpn.valpo.edu
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- using your standard Valpo credentials.
- You will need to verify that you have access to your Valpo e-mail account by entering a OTP sent to that address for authentication.
- Now, go to the Settings screen, "Unbind" the app using the orange button under "One Time Password Settings", then repeat the Multifactor Authentication setup process.
- To avoid this scenario altogether, you can preemptively generate a backup code from the same Settings screen and store it somewhere safe, like a secure password manager.
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For additional assistance, contact the IT Help Desk. |
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