How to connect my macOS device to the VPN

Please check that you do not have any prior installations of a VPN client installed, such as OpenVPN and/or TunnelBlick as this will prevent the Cisco Secure Client installer from running correctly. If you do, uninstall them first, then continue. 

Download the file called MacOS VPN Client from the ITS-Software Downloads Learn module.

Once you have downloaded the file, please return here to follow the install instructions.

Double click on the file you have just downloaded:

then double click on the installer file.

You now need to click through several screens:

• Introduction / Welcome to the Cisco Secure Client Installer – click Continue
• Licence / Software Licence Agreement – click Continue
• Terms of the Software Licence Agreement – click Agree
• Installation Type / Standard install on “<disk name>” – click Install

At this point you will need the password for your computer. Enter your password, then click Install Software.

After a few seconds, you should see that the installation was successful. Click Close.

If you see any other message at this point, please contact IT Services with screenshots.

After clicking Close, you will see the message System Extension Blocked. Click Open Security Preferences.

Next, Click the lock to make changes (bottom left), and again enter your computer’s password when prompted.

After entering your password, the lock will now show as open. Click Allow at the bottom right.

Next, click Allow on the Socket Filter box.

Finally, you should see that the System Extension has been successfully enabled. Click Dismiss.

Once you have successfully installed the Cisco Secure Client and allowed the System Extension, then type Cisco into the Spotlight Search (the magnifying glass icon on the top bar) and double click on Cisco Secure Client.

Before you connect to the Cisco Secure Client for the first time, please do the following:

1. Click on the small cog in the lower left of the window.

2. In the window which appears, make sure that Allow local (LAN) access when using VPN (if configured) is ticked, and then close the window.

3. Close the Preferences window.

The first time you connect to the client, you will need to type

vpn.lboro.ac.uk

into the Cisco Secure Client box, as shown.

Once you have typed this in exactly as shown, press Connect.

NB – DO NOT attempt to visit vpn.lboro.ac.uk in a web browser. This will not work.

After pressing Connect, a box will appear, asking for your Loughborough University username and password.

Make sure you enter your Loughborough University USERNAME, not your email address or student ID number.

After entering your username and password and pressing OK, the client will pause.

*** Now, check your mobile device for a DUO push notification, and approve it. ***

IMPORTANT – the Cisco Secure Client will NOT prompt you to “Check for a DUO push” – you just need to remember.

If you see a message saying “Authentication failed” immediately after pressing OK on your username/password, this means that either your username, your password, or both, is wrong. Please correct them, then try again.

Press 'Approve' on the DUO push notification, and the VPN client should finish connecting.

If you do not approve the connection within 50 seconds, you will see the message “Connection attempt has timed out. Please verify Internet connectivity”.

If you do not receive a DUO push notification at all, try the following:

• If you have more than one device registered with DUO, make sure you check all of your devices for the push notification.
• If you only have one device, but are not receiving the push notification, then open the DUO app on your mobile device FIRST, then try connecting to the VPN via the Cisco Secure Client.
• If neither of these options work, please contact IT Services, stating what type of device you are using.

Once successfully connected, you will see a locked padlock on the Cisco Secure Client icon.

If you double-click on the icon, you will see a tick, and the words Connected to vpn.lboro.ac.uk

When you no longer need to be connected to the VPN, simply press Disconnect.