Connect to NYU-NET via OpenConnect VPN client from a command-line interface (CLI), in GNU/Linux, and macOS.

NYU_VPN_Linux.md

Connect to NYU-NET via VPN in GNU/Linux--Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu--(and macOS) 🔐

Scope: Use OpenConnect VPN client to connect to NYU-NET, the university's wide-area network (WAN).

Preflight check ✔️✈️

You'll need one or more of the following packages:

• openconnect
• network-manager-openconnect
• network-manager-openconnect-gnome

You may install them via your operating system's (OS) package manager:

Debian, Ubuntu:

apt-get install openconnect network-manager-openconnect network-manager-openconnect-gnome

Fedora:

dnf install openconnect

macOS:

brew install openconnect

How to connect to NYU-NET via OpenConnect from a Terminal

You can access NYU-NET using a full- or split-tunnel connection:

NYU VPN: All Traffic

NYU VPN: NYU-NET Traffic Only

and you'll need to indicate the type of connection you want to establish using the: --authgroup option.

Step 1 (on local client):

Initiate a connection:

sudo openconnect --background --user NetID --authgroup "NYU VPN: All Traffic" vpn.nyu.edu

Step 2 (on local client):

When prompted, provide your credentials:

password:(your local password)

Step 3 (on local client):

VPN authentication requires a: valid NetID and password, as well as access to a multi-factor authentication (MFA) device. The second password prompt requires you to enter one of the following:

push - push notification via Duo App

phone1 - phone call to your primary registered phone number

sms - text message to your primary registered phone number

For example:

Username:(your NetID)

Password:(your NetID password)

Password:(push)

Step 4 (on MFA device, e.g. smartphone):

Accept the push.

Step 5 (on local client):

When you want to disconnect, bring the background process to the foreground:

sudo killall -SIGINT openconnect

then end it with:

SIGINT (Ctrl + C)

or:

SIGTERM(Ctrl + Z)

❤️

For those running Arch: the following command seems to be working for me.

alias nyuvpn="sudo echo "Sudo first" && openconnect --user=USERNAME vpn.nyu.edu --useragent=AnyConnect --cookieonly | sudo openconnect vpn.nyu.edu --useragent=AnyConnect --cookie-on-stdin"

(then run nyuvpn)

See this thread: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=292344. The difference is that you must specify the --user flag for the NYU VPN, otherwise it doesn't work (gives some error about a possible attack).

It's giving "DTLS handshake failed" errors but this doesn't seem to affect my ability to use the VPN.