KI 0560 Connect to VPN from UiB PC with Windows 10

Describes how you connect to VPN using Cisco Secure Client from a UiB Windows PC. VPN is necessary to access UiB resources when you are outside the campus, for example, when working from home.

Before you can use VPN with Cisco Secure Client, you must have activated multi-factor authentication must be activated for your user account. As of 2023, most employees and students at UiB already have this activated.

FIRST TIME USE:

Make sure the Cisco Secure Client program is installed on your computer. You can do this by opening the Software Center and then clicking Installation Status. If the program is not installed, it should be available from the Applications tab. From there, you can search for it in the search box at the top right of the window.
If you do not find the program, neither under applications nor in the Installation status tab, please contact BRITA, and we will take a closer look at the case.
If it is installed, you can now close the Software Center.

Open the Start menu and type Cisco Secure Client (It is fine to type cisco, then the machine will find the program automatically)
Then click on the program to start it.

At the bottom right of the screen, a window with Cisco AnyConnect will now appear. Make sure that UiB VPN is selected in the address field. Then you can click Connect.

You will now be logged in. If you are already logged in to your Microsoft 365 (Work or School) account on this machine, it should happen automatically and almost invisibly.
If you are not logged in, a window will appear asking you to log in as usual and confirm with multi-factor authentication.
In a few seconds you will see the window with Cisco Secure Client disappear, and a padlock has been added to the icon.

To verify your connection to VPN and the UiB network, you can go to a website that shows your IP address, e.g. http://minip.no (external page). If your IP address starts with 129.177, you are connected to UiB's network using VPN. You will now have access to UiB resources.

CONNECT AND DISCONNECT VPN

Connect:

Cisco Secure Client will now start automatically when your computer starts. To connect, right-click on the Cisco Secure Client icon and select "Connect." Log in of you are prompted to do so.

Disconnect:

Disconnect from VPN when you do not need to access UiB's resources. All data traffic from your PC and onto the internet goes through UiB's VPN solution, and should not be used when you do not need it.

To disconnect, right-click the Cisco Secure Client icon and select "Disconnect."

NOTE:

As long as you are connected to a VPN, all network traffic will go through the VPN connection. If for some reason it is disconnected, you will also lose connection to your local network. You will then need to reconnect to the VPN or disconnect from the VPN to get the connection back.