University of Tasmania, Australia

This process will enable you to access your Faculty of Education H: and G: drives remotely. This is done by installing the UTAS Cisco VPN software and then downloading the "MapDrives" file to make the connection to the Faculty of Education servers.

What is VPN?

How do Virtual Private Networks work?

A VPN is used to allow access to certain resources on a network. When you want to connect to a restricted University resource from outside the University you connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the usual manner, then activate a VPN client program on your machine.

The client program then communicates with a VPN server at the University and, provided a correct username password is supplied, a secure encrypted link is established and you can access the resources you need.

Downloading and Installation the VPN software

To use the Cisco VPN Client software to access the University, you must first install the client, and then configure it.
CLICK HERE for a comprehensive guide to download and install the VPN software. (UTAS authentication required)

Using the VPN software

Finally, each time you wish to connect to the University, you must first connect to the Internet and then run the VPN client software. It does not start automatically each time you restart your computer.

To connect to the VPN, you need a functioning internet connection. This could be as basic as a dial-up modem connection to your own ISP, a broadband connection like ADSL, or a shared network at a workplace that itself has internet access and does not block VPN traffic as a policy. The University VPN system will not function for users inside the State Government or agencies connected through Networking Tasmania. The VPN client will not work until you have your Internet connection operational.

Connecting to your network drives

For the first time you will need to download the "MapDrives" file below:

Staff	Students
Mac OS X *	Mac OS X
PC Windows *	PC Windows

* Requires staff login

Once the file is downloaded, just unzip file to your desktop and double click to run. Please note, that you are accesing your folders via the internet, therefore access speeds will be significantly slower than when you are connected on campus. If you have any problems following these instructions please contact the Education IT desk.