Campus Support Center

Introduction

Arkansas Tech University supports the connection of a Virtual Private Network, or "VPN", on Microsoft Windows using the Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPN client. A VPN allows a user at a remote location to securely connect to campus and access the same network resources and services they'd have access to normally while on campus. A VPN may also be used in circumstances where an on-campus user may need to be connected to a network with higher security. Reasons to connect to and use the VPN connectivity may include, but are

• Student access to RemoteApp or Computer Science resources
• Staff and faculty access to Remote Desktop connectivity to office computers

The GlobalProtect VPN client is freely available to faculty, staff, and students and can be obtained by following the instructions below.

Installation

Installation of the GlobalProtect VPN client for Windows is easy and will only take a few minutes. You will need Internet access and will need to be on a computer account with administrator privileges.

1. Open a web browser and go to https://vpn.atu.edu
   
   
2. You will be presented with a sign-in page. Sign-in with your OneTech username and password as shown in figure 1 below.
   
   

   
   

   
   

   Figure 1: The GlobalProtect download login page.

    

   
   

3. Once signed in, you will be presented with three options for download. The first option is for Windows 32-bit, the second option is for Windows 64-bit, and the third option is for Mac. Pick from the first two options based on whether your Windows installation is 64-bit or 32-bit as displayed in figure 2 right below.
   
   

   
   

   Figure 2: The GlobalProtect download page which provides client install files for Windows and Mac OSX.
   

    

   
   
4. Once the download is complete, find it in your downloads and run it. The following screenshot (figure 3) is from Google Chrome which allows easy access to recently downloaded files.
   
   

   
   

   Figure 3: Pictured here is the Windows 64-bit client install downloaded using Google Chrome. 

    

   
   
5. Running the file will start the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect setup wizard as illustrated in figure 4 right below. Please note that during installation you may be prompted with a Windows popup confirming that you have administrative permissions on the device and wish to continue with installation. Click Next to continue.
   
   

   
   

   Figure 4: The GlobalProtect setup wizard.  Click Next.

    

   
   
6. During installation, you will be given the option of where to install the VPN client. The default installation location should be used unless there is a need to install the software on another hard drive. Please note that during installation you may be prompted with a Windows popup confirming that you have administrative permissions on the device and wish to continue with installation. Now click Next as demonstrated in figure 5 right below.
   
   

   
   

   Figure 5: The setup wizard allows the user to choose the installation location on the computer. In most cases, the default location should be used. 

    

   
   
7. Click Next to confirm and start the installation as shown in figure 6 right below.
   
   

   
   

   Figure 6: Once the installation location is chosen, the setup wizard is ready to install. 

    

   
   
8. Once the installation wizard is complete, click Close as shown in figure 7 below.
   
   

   
   

   Figure 7: The installation wizard is complete. 

    

The Windows GlobalProtect VPN client is now installed.  For instructions on how to connect to the VPN, please visit the How do I connect to the ATU GlobalProtect VPN on Windows? article.