Restoring Direct Access Connectivity from Off Campus

Owned by Robert Morrell
Last updated: Jan 06, 2023 by Eric Levesque (Deactivated)
2 min read

This is a troubleshooting article for faculty and staff who have lost the Direct Access connection on their Windows workstation. Direct Access provides a secure connection to the UConn network from a remote device. If there is an issue with the service, it can be corrected remotely by connecting to the VPN and updating the group policy.

Step 1: Check for Direct Access on your Computer

Direct Access is enabled on all Windows workstations managed by ITS. If you have Direct Access, you will typically see it in your network and security settings.

  1. See if Direct Access is available by Checking for Direct Access on Workstations.

    1. If Direct Access appears as noted in the link above, it will work as expected, and you do not need to perform the other steps in this document. 

    2. If Direct Access does not appear and instead you see the screenshot below, follow the steps below to restore access.

      No Direct Access Displayed

Step 2. Connect to the UConn VPN

You need to establish a secure connection to the UConn network to make the necessary updates. See Accessing the UConn Network Through a VPN Client.

Step 3. Update Computer Group Policy

3a. Open the Start Menu and search “Command.” Open Command Prompt.

startmenu command prompt

3b. Type gpupdate /force. Press the Enter/Return key.

If you receive an error running the gpupdate command you may first need to change the directory by typing “cd \Windows\system32” and pressing the Enter/Return key

3c. If the update was applied successfully, you will receive the message that the policy update was successful. 

3d. Restart your computer. 

If you continue to experience problems, contact the Technology Support Center. You can also use the VPN service to access network resources.

If you use Direct Access on your workstation, make sure that you are connected to the Internet, either through ethernet or Wi-Fi, before you log on to your workstation. This will ensure that policies, such as mappings to the P: and Q: drive, are in place before you begin working.

Related Articles