Introduction

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) virtual private network (VPN) provides secure remote access from one machine to restricted/private resources across a public network. Virginia Tech's SSL VPN service referred to as Remote Access VPN is a subscription based service that allows you to access Virginia Tech resources remotely across the globe. This service does not provide any end-to-end encryption to other services that are being accessed over VPN but does encrypt the traffic between your machine and the VPN device.

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Contents

• Related Links
• Eligibility Requirements
• Supported Platforms
• Network Requirements: Enable IPv6
• Network Password and 2-Factor Authentication
• Connection Options
• Instructions
  
  • Video of Instructions
  • Downloading and Installing Ivanti Secure Access in Mac OS
  • Connecting to VPN in Mac OS

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Related Links

• Downloading, Installing, and Connecting to Remote Access VPN in Windows
• Connecting to Remote Access VPN in Android or iOS
• Downloading, Installing, and Connecting to Remote Access VPN in Linux
• Remote Access VPN Frequently Asked Questions

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Eligibility Requirements

• All current Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and students are eligible to access Remote Access VPN.
• Remote Access VPN is a subscription based service and is provided as a bundled service with the Virginia Tech wireless network service or the Virginia Tech wired Ethernet service. You can verify your subscription by following the instructions at Registering Online for Wireless LAN Service.
• You may use either Virginia Tech provided devices or personally owned devices to connect to Remote Access VPN provided they meet the minimum system and password requirements. 
• You must have access to an administrator account on the computer. If you have a device owned by Virginia Tech and do not have that access, contact your Network Liaison or contact 4Help at http://4help.vt.edu by clicking Get Help.

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Supported Platforms

We do not support Mac OS version 12.6.6 and below.

See Ivanti Secure Access Desktop Client Supported Platforms Guide.

For security reasons, we ask users to upgrade their machines to the latest version and update them periodically to receive any patches for vulnerabilities. Network Infrastructure and Services (NI&S) is unable to support operating systems that are no longer supported by the operating system manufacturer. 

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Network Requirements: Enable IPv6

To access Virginia Tech Remote Access VPN service, you must enable both IPv4 and IPv6 stacks on your network adapter. IPv6 requirement is not dependent on your ISP's ability to provide you with an IPv6 address, this is because the VPN allocates you an IPv6 address and does need the IPv6 stack to be enabled on your network adapter. To enable IPv6, follow the instructions in the Authentication successful but following error is displayed: "Connection Error Failed to setup virtual adapter. (Error:1205). (restart your system and try again)." section of Remote Access VPN Frequently Asked Questions.

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Network Password and 2-Factor Authentication

Your Network Password is different from your regular VT Username Passphrase. For instructions to get or reset it, see the View, Change, or Reset Network Password section of Changing or Resetting My Password.

The Virginia Tech Remote Access VPN service requires using 2-factor authentication. For more information, see Using 2-Factor Authentication.

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Connection Options

Generally, b) - VT Traffic over SSL VPN is the recommended connection profile, since it provides access to all Virginia Tech resources and doesn't slow down internet traffic to services outside of Virginia Tech. For more information, see the What is the difference between two Ivanti Secure Access VPN Connection profiles? section of Remote Access VPN Frequently Asked Questions.

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Instructions

Video of Instructions

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Downloading and Installing Ivanti Secure Access in Mac OS

1. Verify that your computer is running Mac OS 12.6.6 Monterey or later. For instructions, see Find out which macOS your Mac is using.
2. Log on to your computer with an account that has administrator privileges.
3. Verify that you are registered to use the Remote Access VPN service. For instructions, see the To Verify Registration section of Registering Online for Wireless LAN Service.
4. If you have not already done so, enroll in 2-factor authentication by following the instructions at Using 2-Factor Authentication.
5. If Ivanti is currently installed, uninstall Ivanti.
   
   1. Exit Ivanti.
      
      1. If available, at the very top of the screen, in the Mac OS top menu bar, to the left of the time, click  Ivanti.
      2. Click Exit.
      3. If prompted that exiting may disable some connections, click OK.
   2. Start Finder.
   3. From the Go drop-down, click Applications.
   4. Right-click Ivanti Secure Access.
   5. Click Move to Trash.
   6. If you receive an error message that Ivanit is running, exit Ivanti by following these instructions from the beginning again.
   7. In the authentication window:
      
      1. In the Username: or Name: text box, type the name of a administrator computer account.
      2. In the Password: text box, type the password of that account.
      3. Click OK.
   8. When prompted to save configuration, click No.
   9. When prompted that Ivanti has been uninstalled, click OK.
6. To avoid confusion, delete all VPN connections.
   
   1. In the top-left corner of the screen, click the Apple.
   2. Click System Preferences....
   3. Click Network.
   4. In the left pane, for each VPN connection listed:
      
      1. Click the VPN connection.
      2. At the bottom of the left pane, click minus (-).
   5. Click Apply.
7. Download the Ivanti Secure Access installer by clicking the following link: vtVpnSetup.dmg.
8. When prompted, save the installer file to your computer.
9. After the download is complete, in Finder, double-click vtVpnSetup.dmg to launch the installer.
10. If prompted about opening an app from an unidentified developer:
    
    
    1. From the Apple drop-down, click System Preferences....
    2. Click Security & Privacy.
    3. Click General.
    4. Near the bottom of the window, click Open Anyway.
       
    5. If prompted about are you sure you want to open the app, click Open.
       
11. If prompted about an invalid certificate, click Continue.
12. Click Continue.
    
13. Click Install.
    
14. When prompted for authentication, either enter the username and password of an administrative computer account and click Install Software, or use Touch ID.
15. When the installation is complete, click Close. Ivanti will automatically start and minimize to the top menu bar.
16. If prompted about moving the installer to the trash, click Keep.
17. Follow the instructions below for Connecting to VPN in Mac OS
18. If you are experiencing any problems please review the Remote Access VPN Frequently Asked Questions before contacting 4Help by clicking Get Help at the top of this page.

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Connecting to VPN in Mac OS

1. The instructions below are for connecting to b) - VT Traffic over SSL VPN, and the procedure is the same for connecting to the other connection profile.
2. If you have not yet installed Ivanti, follow the instructions above at Downloading and Installing Ivanti Secure Access on Mac OS. 
3. If you do not know which connection profile to use, we recommend using b)- VT Traffic over SSL VPN. For more information, see the Which Connection Profile do I use? section of Remote Access VPN Frequently Asked Questions.
4. In the Mac OS top menu bar, click Ivanti Secure Access.
5. Click b) - VT Traffic over SSL VPN.
6. Click Connect.
   
7. Click Proceed
   
8. Type your credentials.
   
   1. In the PID text box, type your VT Username, which is the first part of your @vt.edu email address.
   2. In the Network Password: text box, type your network password.
   3. Click Connect.
9. Complete 2-factor authentication. 
   (If your second factor device is unavailable or broken, see Lost, Forgot, Broke, or Unavailable 2-Factor Device.)
   
   • To use push notification:
     
     1. In the text box, type: push
        (This will send a push notification to the first push-capable device that is enrolled in your Duo account. To send the push notification to a different device, add a number to the end. For example, "push2" or "push3".)
        
     2. Click Connect.
     3. When the push notification appears, accept the Duo push notification. 
        (If the push notification does not appear, see Duo Mobile App Errors, Problems, and Connection Issues / Duo Push Not Received.)
     4. When the connection is complete, the window will automatically close, and the Ivanti icon will have a green arrow.
   • To use SMS text message:
     
     1. In the text box, type: sms1
        (This will send an SMS to the first SMS-capable device that is enrolled in your Duo account. To send the SMS to a different device, add a number to the end. For example, "sms2" or "sms3".)
        
     2. Click Connect.
     3. You will see an error message saying: "Credentials were invalid. Please try again." This is normal.
     4. You will receive an SMS text message that starts with "SMS passcodes:" to your primary mobile phone. Open that text message. The text message will contain 10 different passcodes that are each 6-digits long.
     5. In the text box, type one of the passcodes from the SMS text message.
     6. Click Connect.
     7. When the connection is complete, the window will automatically close, and the Ivanti icon will have a green arrow.
   • To use a voice phone call:
     
     1. In the text box, type: phone
        (This will call the first voice-capable device that is enrolled in your Duo account. To have a different device called, add a number to the end. For example, "phone2" or "phone3".)
     2. Click Connect.
     3. The primary telephone number associated with your Duo account will ring. Answer the telephone.
     4. Press one of the number keys on the phone to confirm the authentication.
     5. When the connection is complete, the window will automatically close, and the Ivanti icon will have a green arrow.
   • To use a Yubikey:
     
     1. The Yubikey must be registered with Duo as AES. U2F tokens will not work. For instructions, see Enrolling a YubiKey as AES/OTP to Use in Any Browser.
     2. Click in the text box to place your cursor there.
     3. Tap your YubiKey. The passcode will be generated and submitted by the YubiKey for you.
     4. When the connection is complete, the window will automatically close, and the Ivanti icon will have a green arrow.
   • To use a 6-digit numeric passcode from the Duo mobile app:
     
     1. Start the Duo mobile app.
     2. In the Duo mobile app, tap the key.
     3. In the text box, type the 6-digit numeric passcode.
     4. Click Connect.
     5. When the connection is complete, the window will automatically close, and the Ivanti icon will have a green arrow.
   • To use a 6-digit numeric passcode from a D-100 token or a software token:
     
     1. Use the D-100 token or the smartphone application to generate a 6-digit numeric code.
     2. In the text box, type the 6-digit numeric passcode.
     3. Click Connect.
     4. When the connection is complete, the window will automatically close, and the Ivanti icon will have a green arrow.
10. If prompted about an upgrade to Ivanti:
    
    1. Click Upgrade.
    2. When prompted for authentication, either enter the username and password of an administrative computer account and click OK, or use Touch ID.
    3. Ivanti will download and install the upgraded version, restart, and you will be reconnected to the remote access VPN.
11. When you are finished using the remote access VPN, disconnect from it. To do this:
    
    1. In the Mac OS top menu bar, click Ivanti.
    2. Click b) - VT Traffic over SSL VPN.
    3. Click Disconnect.
       
12. If you are experiencing any problems please review the Remote Access VPN Frequently Asked Questions before contacting 4Help by clicking Get Help at the top of this page.

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