Accessing Library Resources with AnyConnect

Owned by Ashley Mattingly
Last updated: Dec 02, 2022 by Kristina Edwards
2 min read

Previously, the UConn community could access Library resources while off-campus with the legacy VPN client, Pulse Secure. The new VPN service, AnyConnect, is set up differently, and to access library resources and journals, users may need to update bookmarks and settings. This article provides an explanation for the issue and suggestions for resolution.

Explanation

The legacy VPN client was full-tunnel, and when users accessed Library resources while off-campus, it looked like they were coming from campus, so they did not need to authenticate. The new VPN is split-tunnel to enhance performance for the use of other services like streaming and videoconferencing.

When a user accesses resources within the UConn address space (137.99.x.x or 10.x.x.x), their connection is sent over the VPN tunnel. However, when they make queries to outside resources, including the cloud-hosted EZproxy instances and other library resources, the traffic is sent directly through their internet service provider. Therefore, the person accessing library resources does not look like they are a UConn user, and they need to authenticate to be able to access the resources.

The old VPN made a user look like they were "on campus," whereas the new VPN "gives users secured access to resources on campus." 

Solutions

Use the Library Proxy service. 

  1. Locate the resource in the library's catalog system. 

  2. Select the links in the catalog for off-campus if you are working remotely.

  3. Add the library proxy service prefix to the URL when visiting publisher websites directly.

 

Once you have switched to AnyConnect from Pulse, you may need to update your bookmarks to library resources.

For more assistance, you can Ask a Librarian or see Off-Campus Access Help.

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