Biochemistry OpenVPN service:
Remote access to departmental computing facilities

Instructions on how to use the Biochemistry OpenVPN service via SSO credentials

The Biochemistry OpenVPN (Virtual Private Network) service provides remote access to many facilities on the Biochemistry network.

It allows members of the department to access Biochemistry file shares, run 'Remote Desktop Connection' to control your work PC, ssh to Biochemistry hosts, print to Biochemistry printers, and connect to Oxford-restricted services such as online journals.

You can make an OpenVPN connection via wireless, via an ISP internet service, or on a wired connection from within the department. Details for various operating systems are below. Note that the OpenVPN service requires a Biochemistry network account.

Once you are connected, read this guide to learn how to access your network shared folders and home directory.

For security reasons, default access to services running on hosts within Biochemistry is restricted to the following ports:

tcp/22 SSH; tcp/80 HTTP; tcp/88 Kerberos; tcp/443 HTTPS; tcp/445 SMB; tcp/515 LPD; tcp/631 IPP; tcp/3389 RDP; tcp/5900 VNC; tcp/9100 JetDirect

Access to these ports should be sufficient in most cases. If you experience difficulty contacting a particular service within Biochemistry from an OpenVPN session, please contact IT Support.

Please note: While connected to the Biochemistry OpenVPN, all your internet traffic goes through the University network. You are therefore bound by the University IT Rules and Regulations until you close the connection again.

There is also the University VPN service. Since it is based outside the department, it does not allow access to department-only services. It does however allow access to Oxford-restricted services such as online journals (as does the Biochemistry OpenVPN), and may be useful if you are unable to use the Biochemistry OpenVPN service.

To use the Biochemistry OpenVPN service

• Choose your operating system and follow the instructions:
1. Windows
2. macOS
3. Android
4. iOS
5. Linux
• Learn how to connect network drives via OpenVPN.

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1  OpenVPN Connect for Windows
1. Go to  https://vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk  and log in with your SSO.
    
2. Follow the instructions to download and save the OpenVPN Connect msi file.
    
3. Click on the downloaded msi file, then click Run in response to the Do you want to run this file popup.  You will need to have local administrator privileges to do this.
    
4. When the installation is complete, an OpenVPN Connect icon will appear on the desktop.  To ensure that it also appears in the System Tray at the right hand end of the Taskbar: left-click the start menu, select Settings, enter Select which icons appear on the taskbar in the search window and set Always show all icons in the notification area to On.
    
5. Connect via your own profile listed in the form user@ox.ac.uk@vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk. Amongst other benefits this ensures you don't need to supply your username each time. If you need to import your own profile, open the OpenVPN Connect app then click the Plus sign in the bottom righthand corner of the app window. In the Import Profile window, give the URL as vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk and click Next. Supply your SSO in the form user@ox.ac.uk and click Import (do not tick any of the boxes).
   

   [ If you get an error message saying 'Failed to import profile' please contact IT Support (email: ithelp@bioch.ox.ac.uk) so that an adjustment can be made to your account. ]
    

6. To connect, click the OpenVPN Connect icon (a keyhole) in the System Tray and select Connect. Enter your SSO in the form user@ox.ac.uk and click on Connect.
    
7. To disconnect, click the OpenVPN Connect icon in the System Tray and select Disconnect.
    
8. If you wish to save your OpenVPN credentials, go to the Profiles page in OpenVPN Connect and click the Edit (pencil) icon to the right of your profile name. Tick the Save password box, supply your SSO password and click Set connect shortcut, then Save in the top right corner (do not click the Add Proxy button at the bottom).
    
9. Now you can make an OpenVPN connection simply by clicking on the desktop shortcut for your profile (it will have a label of the form user@ox.ac.uk@@vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk). To be able to run the shortcut from the taskbar right-click the shortcut icon and select Pin to taskbar.
    

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2  OpenVPN Connect for macOS
1. Go to https://vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk and connect with SSO.
    
2. Follow the instructions to download and save the OpenVPN Connect dmg file.
    
3. Double-click on the downloaded dmg file to install it. Depending on your own system settings, installation may get blocked with the message "OpenVPN Connect Installer.pkg can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer." In this case, you'll need to go to System Preferences | Security & Privacy and permit the installation to proceed by clicking "Open Anyway".
   
   Depending on your version of Mac OS X, you may find that doing this isn't enough to get the installer running properly. If so, unlock the system preferences by clicking the padlock icon at the bottom left (entering administrator credentials) and change the "Allow Apps Downloaded From" setting to "Anywhere". Run the installer and then return "Allow Apps Downloaded From" to its previous setting.
    
4. When the installation is complete, an OpenVPN Connect icon will appear on the toolbar.
    
5. Import your own profile from the OpenVPN server by opening the OpenVPN Connect app then click the Plus sign in the bottom righthand corner of the app window. In the Import Profile window, give the URL as vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk then click Next. Supply your SSO in the form user@ox.ac.uk and click Import (do not tick any of the boxes).
   

   [ If you get an error message saying 'Failed to import profile' please contact IT Support (email: ithelp@bioch.ox.ac.uk) so that an adjustment can be made to your account. ]
    

6. To connect, click the OpenVPN Connect icon in the Mac menu bar and select Connect. Enter your SSO in the form user@ox.ac.uk and click on Connect.
    
7. To disconnect, click the OpenVPN Connect icon in the Mac menu bar and select Disconnect
    
8. If you wish to save your OpenVPN credentials, go to the Profiles page in OpenVPN Connect Client and click the Edit (pencil) icon to the right of your profile name. Tick the Save password box, supply your SSO password and select the Save function in the top right corner (do not click the Add Proxy button at the bottom).
    
9. If the Mac gives connect errors, go to System Settings → General → Login Items → Allow in the Background and make sure OpenVPN Client is enabled.
    

Important: The VPN software checks how up-to-date your operating system is, and will refuse your connection if you have security updates outstanding. If this is the case and you see a message about your Mac not being fully patched, you will need to apply missing patches (see https://intranet.bioch.ox.ac.uk/macupdate for details).
 

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3  OpenVPN Connect for Android
1. Go to  https://vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk  and log in with your SSO.
    
2. Select the 'OpenVPN for Android' link, which takes you to the Google Play Store.
    
3. Follow the instructions there to download, install and open the app.
    
4. Select Import from the menu, then choose 'Import Access Server Profile'.
    
5. Enter vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk as the Access Server hostname, then your SSO in the form user@ox.ac.uk
    
6. Leave 'Import autologin profile' unticked and select 'Import Profile'.
    
7. You'll be presented with a Connect screen, with your name already entered in the form user@ox.ac.uk@vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk. Supply your SSO credentials (leaving 'Save' unticked) and select 'Connect'.
    
8. Grant permission to connect (once only).
    
9. Once connected, select the Home button.
    
10. To disconnect, swipe down to show Notifications, select 'OpenVPN', then select 'Disconnect'.

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4  OpenVPN Connect for iOS
1. If you don't have it already, search the iOS App store for the free OpenVPN Connect App (it has an orange circle enclosing a navy blue "keyhole" icon) and click "Get".
    
2. Launch the OpenVPN Connect App, at which point it will present you with an "Import Profile" dialogue. Enter the address https://vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk
    
3. Press the "Next" button and enter your SSO username in the form user@ox.ac.uk
    
4. Press the "Allow" button when prompted.
    
5. Do a Touch ID or passcode when prompted, to add the VPN configuration.
    
6. You should now be seeing an imported profile with a "switch" icon to its left to activate the connection.
    
7. When you press the "switch" to connect, supply your SSO credentials (as in step C) when prompted.
    
8. You will now be connected. Press the "switch" again to disconnect.
    

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5  OpenVPN Connect for Linux
1. Go to  https://vpn.bioch.ox.ac.uk  and log in with your SSO.
    
2. Select the link to the user-locked profile and download the connection profile file (called profile-userlocked.ovpn).
    
3. Then select the 'OpenVPN for Linux' link and follow the guide for installing the OpenVPN 3 Client for Linux and running it with the connection profile file that you downloaded in step b.
 

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