UH VPN - How to Setup UH VPN for macOS

Overview

The following are instructions on how to connect to the UH VPN service by using the L2TP/IPsec VPN Client which is built-in to macOS.

Initial Configuration

The initial VPN configuration will only need to be performed once per device. If you have already completed the initial configuration, see Start a VPN Connection to connect to the UH VPN.

  1. Open the System Settings application
  2. On the left side menu, click on Network
  3. Click on the "..." dropdown menu on the bottom right, select Add VPN Configuration, then click L2TP over IPSec...
  4. The VPN configuration window will appear, make the following changes:
    1. Display Name - Type UH VPN or any easily identifiable name. This is the name that will be used for the VPN connection
    2. Configuration - Make sure "Default" is selected from the dropdown menu
    3. Server Address - Type sevpn.its.hawaii.edu
    4. Account Name -  Type in your UH username. For example, if your hawaii.edu address is help@hawaii.edu, then your UH Username is “help”
    5. User Authentication - Make sure Password is selected from the dropdown menu
    6. Password - Leave this field blank
    7. Machine Authentication - Make sure Shared Secret is selected from the dropdown menu
    8. Shared Secret - Type in the shared secret. If you don't know the shared secret, you can obtain it at https://www.hawaii.edu/its/vpn (Note: You may need to scroll down to see this option)
  5. In the same window, click on Options, then toggle Send all traffic over VPN connection to ON. It should appear like the image below
  6. Once the changes have been made, click Create on the bottom right of the window. This will create a new VPN section in the Network menu which should appear on the left side menu as well.

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Start a VPN Connection

  1. Open the System Settings application
  2. On the left side menu, click on VPN
  3. Toggle your VPN to ON by clicking the switch
  4. You will then be prompted to enter a username and password. Once the information has been filled out, click OK
    1. Username - Enter your UH Username
    2. ​​​​​​​Password - Enter the password associated with your UH Username
  5. You should now be connected to the UH VPN. To verify, make sure the the text under your VPN displays Connected

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Disconnect a VPN Connection

  1. Open the System Settings application
  2. On the left side menu, click on VPN
  3. Toggle your VPN to OFF by clicking the switch. To verify, make sure the the text under your VPN displays Disconnected

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Adding the VPN Status Icon to the Menu Bar

In macOS, you have the option of adding a VPN icon to the menu bar which allows you to manage your VPN connections without opening the System Settings application. You can find instructions on how to add the VPN status icon to your menu bar at https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/vpn-status-icon-menu-bar-mac-mchl7f06ab80/mac

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