Do you have to download the Pulse Secure client?

Yes you do have to download the Pulse Secure client, unless you are using Windows 8 which has a client built in.

See 'How to connect to the University VPN' under 'Related articles' for more information.

Is there a Linux Network Connect client?

See the related article "How to connect to the University VPN".

VPN not working properly on Windows 10?

Details supplied by Pulse Secure about this issue are as follows:

Your PC is running Windows 10 Redstone 3 (version 1709) or higher.
With Pulse client connected, the end user may see resource access and slowness issues via VPN.
Issue seems to affect  Intel ® Wireless-AC 9560 on particular hardware like DELL 5530 and HP Zbooks 15

Workaround:

A temporary solution has been provided and can be found at this location: https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Secure_Article/KB43833

If you're still having issues and need more support, please, contact the Service Desk using the 'Ask for Information' or 'Log an Incident' options on this page.

Can you map your home directory over the VPN using Windows?

Yes, it is possible to map to your home directory from your home device using the VPN.

Firstly, identify the path of your M: drive home directory when logged onto a University PC by doing the following:

• Open My Computer.
• Right-Click M: drive and select Properties.
• Click the DFS tab on the window that appears. Ensure that you can view the full row of text in the Path column (stretch the Path column if need be). * Make a note of ALL of the Path text, including slashes, that starts either file1.ds.leeds.ac.uk or file2.ds.leeds.ac.uk.

(IT staff will not see the DFS tab - they should contact the IT Helpdesk to confirm their home directory path)

From your home PC, connect to the VPN, then do the following to access your home directory:

• Open My Computer.
• Click Map Network Drive (this may reside under the Tools drop down menu on older versions of Windows).
• Make a note of the drive letter that Windows has selected.
• In the Folder field, type the FULL path you noted for your home directory, including slashes e.g. \\file1.ds.leeds.ac.uk\HMR_staff_001$\username
• Click Finish.

Does the VPN work with virtualisation technologies, such as Parallels, VirtualBox?

The VPN is supported for host operating systems (i.e. the OS that starts when you power on the computer). We do not provide any support for connections from a guest operating systems (i.e. the computer). We do not provide any support for connections from a guest operating systems (i.e. the virtual OS that is started after running VMWare, Parallels or VirtualBox).

You are a Central Admin user and cannot connect, it always says 'Invalid Username or Password', what is going on?

This is because Central Admin users are not in the appropriate AD (Active Directory) Group for authenticating onto the VPN. If you require access to your network drives and restricted University of Leeds websites and apps, please use the Virtual Windows Desktop (KB0014379).

The 'Acceleration' icon on your Pulse client says that it is not accelerating, is your client working properly?

The application acceleration function is an additional service that the University has not purchased. Your client will always show the 'Not accelerating' message.

I cannot always access resources on ScienceDirect.com when using the VPN, why is this?

The resources on ScienceDirect.com do not always stay located in the same place and appear to move dynamically. it is very hard to ensure that users on the VPN have access to these dynamic resources. A solution is to connect to the library website whilst using the VPN and access ScienceDirect.com via the library website rather than directly.

I cannot connect using Windows 8 and get an error message suggesting a socket is not connected or you get Error 868 - Is there anything I can do?

We have investigated these type of issues with our support partners without success, although there is advice/discussion on Microsoft Technet which may prove helpful.