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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 are 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 (with NetID)

 

Ineligible *


* - These roles are ineligible for VPN access. Please see the VPN Procedure for more details (coming soon). If you have any further questions or would like to request an exception as allowed by the procedure, contact the Help Desk at 203-432-9000 or email helpdesk@yale.edu or contact your local support provider. 

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 or contact your local support person.

Students

  • Central Campus: the Student Technology Collaborative 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.   

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. 

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.

L2TP VPN connection

 

For situations where installation of a VPN client is not an option, the Yale VPN servers support an L2TP connection. 

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.

Associated Policies

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

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 and kept up-to-date.