Goldsmiths Virtual Private Network (GVPN) User Guide (Version 2.0)

Transcription

1 Goldsmiths Virtual Private Network (GVPN) User Guide (Version 2.0) GVPN User Guide version January 2015

2 Contents Using GVPN to work away from the campus ( remotely )... 3 Checklist: what you need to do... 3 FirstTime: Check your Java installation... 3 Java for Macs... 3 Java for Windows PCs... 3 Connecting to the GVPN... 7 FirstTime: PC Users only Installing the Active X control... 7 Internet Explorer version 8 and above... 7 Internet Explorer versions 6 and FirstTime: After signing in successfully... 8 GVPN Home Page... 9 Web Bookmarks Files Terminal Services Connecting to your Windows PC desktop remotely Appendix Safely Ignore! System requirements for GVPN Web portal GVPN User Guide version January 2015

3 Using GVPN to work away from the campus ( remotely ) A Virtual Private Network (known as a VPN) allows you to use IT resources and securely access files stored oncampus over the Internet, so you can work from home or another location. As long as the files you wish to open are saved on accessible network drives (for instance, departmental shared drives or your personal U: drive or Home folder), and your home machine is connected to the Internet, you can access your files. The new VPN for staff at Goldsmiths is called GVPN. Depending on your usual access rights you can use the GVPN to access: Agresso, room bookings and other resources available on the campus network Network drives such as departmental and your personal Home folder Your desktop computer on campus - subject to terms of use. Checklist: what you need to do You only need to do some things the first time you access GVPN on a particular computer (if you use two computers at home, for instance, you ll need to do it for both of them). The headings for these are prefaced with FirstTime: - you can ignore these once you re set up successfully. FirstTime: Check your Java installation All you need to use the VPN is a PC or Mac which is connected to the Internet and an up-to-date web browser with a very common bit of additional free software called Java. This works in conjunction with your browser to create secure connections to the campus network. Java is usually already installed on your Mac or PC when you buy it and updated automatically by the system, but if you are not sure about this you can check your installation. Please check your Java installation before contacting the Help Desk should you run into problems with the VPN. This resolves many potential errors and will save you time and stress. Java for Macs On a Mac use the system-wide Software Update on the Apple Menu to check and follow the normal instructions for updating any Mac software. You can then skip the rest of this section. Java for Windows PCs On a PC visit and click the button as shown below. This link also guides you through the necessary steps if you need to update or install Java. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

4 1. Click Verify Java version to check for the latest version. 2. After verification completes, the screen tells you if there is a newer version of Java available. a. If there is a new version available, click Download Java Now to proceed. b. If you already have the latest version of Java, you can proceed directly to the section Connecting to the GVPN below. 3. The next screen asks you to agree to the terms of the end user license agreement. Click Agree and Start Free Download to continue. 4. A dialog box confirming the download opens. Click Run to start the Java downloader. 5. If other security warnings appear, click Run to clear them and open the program: GVPN User Guide version January 2015

5 6. The downloader now opens. Accept the default settings by clicking Install this. The download will begin. 7. When this completes the Java Setup dialog box opens: deselect Install the Ask Toolbar and make Ask my default search provider by clicking on the tick box to clear it, as shown below. 8. Click Next to begin installing Java. The Java Setup dialog box shows the progress of your installation. When installation is complete you are shown the success message: Click Close to close the dialog box. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

6 9. Close and then re-open your browser so the new settings can take effect. 10. Check that the installation was successful by going to You will see the following message displayed in your web browser. If the installation was successful it has been updated for all web browsers installed on your system. You now have everything you need to start using the new VPN. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

7 Connecting to the GVPN You can access the GVPN through your web browser from the login page where you will be asked to enter your normal ITS username and password and click Sign In. Notice the https prefix in the web address. This indicates that this is a secure connection. If you miss it out, you will automatically be redirected to the secure page. All members of staff should have access, but if you see a message telling you that you do not have GVPN access, please helpdesk@gold.ac.uk requesting the service and include your name and Campus username (but not your password). FirstTime: PC Users only Installing the Active X control If you use a Windows PC and your browser is Internet Explorer, after clicking Sign In for the first time you will be prompted to install a helper programme called an Active X control. If you use a different browser or are not a Windows user, you can skip this section. Internet Explorer version 8 and above If you are running the latest version of Internet Explorer (IE11 at present), you will be asked to install the Active X control from the yellow information bar at the top of the screen: Click on the yellow information bar near the top of the screen to show the options, and then click on Install This Add-On for All users on This Computer This installs the Active X control. Click Yes on any security dialog boxes that open. Note: you will need to respond quickly since the add-on install procedure will timeout if you do not start within 15 seconds! GVPN User Guide version January 2015

8 Internet Explorer versions 6 and 7 If you are running an earlier version of Internet Explorer, you will be prompted to allow the installation of the Active X control with a dialog box: 1. Click at the top of the screen, on the yellow information bar running across the top of the page. A menu will appear click on Run for all users. 2. The Internet Explorer Security Warning dialog box now opens. Click Run. FirstTime: After signing in successfully When you have signed in successfully (and possibly had to install the Active X control), the following screen appears: On this page you are offered the following four options. You only need to do the first two and those only the first time you sign in on a particular computer: Install the setup package Continue after installation on to the GVPN Login to the realms without Host Checker ignore this! Cancel and return to the login screen ignore this! GVPN User Guide version January 2015

9 GVPN Home Page Once you have signed in via the login page and you have installed the Active X and other controls to ensure full functionality, you are presented with a web page listing your remote access resources. You will come to this page directly in future once you have signed in. Some of the resources listed you can already access over the internet. These have been included to provide unified access when you are working remotely. See how the home page is laid out, with resources, files, and options divided into the following sections: Web Bookmarks Files Terminal Sessions If you click on a link and can t find your way back, click on the Home button in the top right hand corner to get back to here. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

10 Web Bookmarks Bookmarks allow you to easily navigate to Web pages and other networked resources. If you are able to access a service on campus, you should be able to access it from here using the same username and password for the service in question. Currently the following services can be accessed: Files File server bookmarks allow you to quickly browse to networked drives allowing you to view or delete, upload and download files. Your access permissions will be the same as when you use My Computer (PC) or Finder (Mac) on campus (i.e. determined by your username). The following drives are available by default: You can add other bookmarks to get to folders you need to access regularly by navigating to the folder and selecting Bookmark Current Folder. They appear at the end of the list. The button Windows Files on the right opens the folders in a separate window it works on a Mac too. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

11 Terminal Services Connecting to your Windows PC desktop remotely Terminal services enable you to connect directly to your Windows computer on campus. This is known as Remote Desktop. Before you can use the My Office Computer link you must submit a request to the help desk. Ensuring that you provide your Windows PC hostname. This is usually available on the login screen or by following the process below. Once IT IS have processed your request and added in your machine name and made some power adjustment settings, Clicking on My Office Computer will connect you to your desktop at work. Once connected to your Office computer you can use applications installed on your work computer and access data and files not saved on an accessible network drive. (Note that under the university s data security policy you should not save work on your desktop or local machine in case the computer becomes unavailable to you through damage or theft). Requesting access to your desktop at work This requires two things: Your computer on campus must be left switched on while you are not in the building (you cannot connect to a computer that is switched off). You do not have to be logged on it can be locked. You must obtain the hostname (see below) of your office computer before connecting. This only needs to be done once. This is a unique name that identifies each and every computer connected to the campus network. How do I find out the hostname of my campus computer? You can only do this on campus. 1. When logged in to the Campus domain, click the Start logo at the bottom left hand corner of your screen to open the Start menu. 2. Click into the Search programs and files text box: 3. In the Search programs and files text box, type: cmd and press Enter. A Command Prompt window will open 4. In the Command Prompt window type hostname and press Enter 5. The name of your machine will be displayed. See the example opposite. Make a note of this as you will need to submit this with your help desk ticket. Or if you want to set up the terminal services session yourself note it as you will need it for the following steps below. Adding a Terminal Services Session yourself. 1. Login to the GVPN home page as described earlier. 2. Browse down to the Terminal Sessions section. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

12 3. Click the Add a Terminal Session icon on the right-hand side of the bar: 4. The Add Terminal Services Session page opens: 5. You need to add the following information: a. Session Type Leave as Windows Terminal Services b. Bookmark Name enter how you want the session to appear in your bookmarks (e.g. My Work Machine ) c. Host enter the hostname that you noted down earlier d. Server Port enter the number Finally click on Add. The new bookmark is now added. GVPN User Guide version January 2015

13 Appendix Safely Ignore! If you see Java Secure Applications Manager or Junos Pulse under Client Applications Sessions, please ignore them. They are for future development as is the next entry for Virtual Desktops (which you should not see, but we mention it just in case you do). System requirements for GVPN Web portal Operating System: list of browsers and Java Environment Windows XP Professional SP3 32 bit: Internet Explorer 7.0, 8.0, and Firefox 10; Sun JRE 7 Windows Vista Enterprise SP2 32/64 bit: Internet Explorer 8.0, 9.0 and Firefox 10, 4.0; Sun JRE 7 Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 32/64 bit: Internet Explorer 8.0, 9.0 and Firefox 3.6, 4.0; Sun JRE 7 Mac OS X , 32/64 bit: Safari 5.0 Sun JRE 6 Mac OS X , 32/64 bit: Safari 5.0 Sun JRE 6 Mac OS X , 32/64 bit: Safari 4.0 Sun JRE 6 Linux: OpenSuse 11.4, 32 bit only: Firefox 3.6, 4.0; Sun JRE 7 Linux: Ubuntu LTS, 32 bit only: Firefox 3.6, 4.0; Sun JRE 7 Computer Hardware Recommendations CPU: Intel Dual2Core or Better. Memory: 2GB of available RAM. Colour Quality: For best results, use 32-bit. Min requirement Nvidia 8400GS 512MB 32-Bit DDR3 or equivalent. Ethernet/Broadband: 100 Mbit/s Ethernet & 2 Mbit/s broadband. Monitor Resolutions of 1280 x 800 pixels or better recommended. For RDP, resolutions must be same as your desktop or better. GVPN User Guide version January 2015