Emerson VPN

Emerson's VPN, or Virtual Private Network, provides staff, faculty, and students with secure off-campus access to IP-restricted services such as Bin, Banner 9 Admin Pages, Argos, and Avaya Softphone. This does not facilitate remotely logging in to your campus computer, which is disallowed under most conditions.

Please note that the Emerson VPN is available for Mac, Windows, Android, and iOS. It is not currently available for Chrome OS.

We do not have a policy that requires that you connect to the VPN to access services that are available from the Internet, such as Workday, Canvas, or Gmail.

This guide will walk you through how to install, configure, and connect to the Emerson VPN with your computer or mobile device. If you require the VPN for international travel, please review that guide.

Already have the VPN set up and want to check if it's working? The box below will tell you if you're successfully connected—if it doesn't load, you're not on the VPN!

Windows and MacOS

1. In a web browser, visit https://vpn.emerson.edu.

2. Log into Duo with your Emerson account.

Note: For security reasons, we do not allow SMS/text for the VPN. If you only use SMS/text for Duo, after you log in with your username and password, when it prompts for your two-factor device, click cancel or don't respond to the request, click Other options, click Manage devices at the bottom, answer the SMS/text two-factor request, and click Add a Device on the right. Then choose Duo Mobile and follow the prompts. When done, return to your phone and follow these steps.

3. Download the GlobalProtect client for your operating systems (Windows or Mac). Run the installer and follow all prompts.

Mac users: You will likely get an error message that says System Extension Blocked. The installation will finish, but to use the software you need to do the following:

In the Apple menu, select System Preferences and open the Security & Privacy pane.

Click Allow next to the message System software from developer "Palo Alto Networks" was blocked from loading. (You may need to wait a moment before this message shows up. Restarting your computer may also be required for it to show up.)               

4. On Windows: go to the bottom right corner and click the small carrot to see applications in your system tray, and find the one that looks like a gray globe. Click the globe and enter vpn.emerson.edu as the portal address.

On Mac: go to the top right menu bar and find the gray globe. Click it and enter vpn.emerson.edu as the portal address.

5. Your default browser will launch and send you to Duo. Log in with your email, password, and multi-factor. When prompted, click Trust Browser.

6. When you complete the first log in, a second browser tab/window will launch and request that you log in a second time, which you should go ahead and do. When prompted, click Trust Browser.

By clicking Trust Browser, you ensure you won't have to log in twice in the future.

7. Your browser will present a prompt saying it is trying to open GlobalProtect. Click Allow or Open, and if your browser allows, check the box next to Always Allow to automatically connect VPN in the future.

If you do not get a prompt, make sure to click the "click here" hyperlink, or it will keep spinning and never connect.

Disconnecting

When you're done using resources that require you to use Emerson's VPN, it is a good idea to disconnect. Here's how:

1. Click the GlobalProtect globe icon in your Menu Bar/System Tray.
2. Click Disconnect.

When you are disconnected, the globe icon will lose its shield, and the pop-out window will say Not Connected.

Connecting to the VPN with your mobile device

Using the VPN on your iOS or Android device is relatively straightforward, and does not require you to download any apps. See the instructions below for:

• iOS
• Android

iOS

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to General > VPN > Add VPN Configuration...
3. Tap on Type, and select IPSec.
4. Tap Back. The CISCO logo will be at the top of the Add Configuration screen.
5. Enter the information here. Leave Certificate as "Off" and Proxy as "Off."
6. Tap Done.
7. Back on the VPN screen, toggle the Status switch on.
8. Check your phone for a Duo request and accept it.
9. You are connected. A VPN icon will appear in your device's status bar. All of your traffic will now go through Emerson's VPN.
10. When you're done using services that require Emerson's VPN, return to Settings > General > VPN, and toggle the Status switch back off.

Now that you've configured the VPN on your iOS device, to reconnect you only need to:

1. Go to Settings > General > VPN.
2. Toggle the Status switch on.
3. Check your phone for a Duo request and accept it.

Android

1. Open Settings.
2. Under Wireless & Networks, select More... > VPN.
3. Press the + sign to add a new VPN connection. Enter the information here.
4. Tap Save.
5. Now to connect for the first time. In Settings, under Wireless & Networks, select More... > VPN > Emerson VPN.
6. Enter the following:
   • Username: your Emerson username
   • Password: your Emerson password
7. Check the box next to Save account information.
8. Tap Connect.
9. Check your phone for a Duo request and accept it. If a second request comes through, accept it again.
10. You are connected. A key icon will appear in your device's status bar. All of your traffic will now go through Emerson's VPN.
11. When you're done using services that require Emerson's VPN, you should disconnect. To do this, return to Settings > Wireless & Networks > More... > VPN > Emerson VPN, and tap Disconnect.

Now that you've configured the VPN on your Android device, to reconnect you only need to:

1. Go to Settings > Wireless & Networks > More... > VPN.
2. Tap Emerson VPN.
3. Check your phone for a Duo request and accept it. If a second request comes through, accept it again.