UiBhelp's public knowledge cards

KI 0678 Connect to VPN from private Mac

How to download, install and connect to VPN with Cisco AnyConnect from your private Mac. 
Before you can use Cisco AnyConnect VPN, you must have activated multi-factor authentication for your user account.

First time use:
  1. Make sure the computer on which you are installing Cisco AnyConnect is connected to the Internet.
  2. Open a web browser, e.g. Safari, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome, and go to https://vpn3.uib.no (it is important to type https).
     

       
  3. Log in with your UiB username and password. 
     
  4. With multi-factor authentication, you must approve the login on you mobile phone.
      
      
  5. Click Download for macOS. If you are asked to open or save, you can select Open or Run.
     

    (Depending on the settings of your computer, you may be asked for permission to download from the website. Click allow to allow downloading from this site.)
  6. Click the downloaded file to open and run it.
  7. In the folder that opens, click anyconnect-macos-4.8.03052-core-vpn-webdeploy-k9.pkg
  8. Click Continue.
  9. Click agree if you agree, and then continue.

  10. Then click install. During installation you may be prompted to allow the installer to make changes to your computer.
  11. After entering the password, click Install software.

  12. Wait for the installation to complete, then click close.
  13. Select Move to bin, as you no longer need the installation files.
  14. Go to launchpad and type cisco, then click Cisco AnyConnect Mobility Client.
  15. Select or type vpn3.uib.no in the drop-down field and click connect.
  16. 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.
  17. Your Mac is now connecting to VPN, and in a few seconds you will see the window with Cisco AnyConnect disappearing and that the icon has been given a padlock.
  18. You are now connected on to UiB's network with VPN. The next time you start Cisco Anyconnect, you do not need to enter vpn3.uib.no, but  you can select UiB VPN. If you want to use the UiB SAFE service, select UiB SAFE.

NOTE: Be aware that Cisco AnyConnect adds three new entries to Network Preferences on MacOs Big Sur. Two of them show running, one shows connected and in Network preferences and in a general VPN status bar, which can cause VPN not to work. You can remove these three entries to avoid confusion and only relate to the launchpad and the application directly.