About: A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private/internal network across a public network (such as the Internet) and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Fleming College uses the Palo Alto Global Protect VPN solution to provide secure access to some services only available on our internal network.
Availability: VPN is available to Fleming staff and students upon request.
Email itsupport@flemingcollege.ca to create a service request ticket.
The College periodically reviews who has been granted VPN access and removes it if no longer needed and hasn’t been used in over 6 months.
Install VPN software onto your computer
- Download & install the Global Protect VPN client:
a) Go to https://gp.flemingc.on.ca
b) Sign in with your Fleming username (e.g. jsmith) and password.
c) Select either ‘Download Windows 64 bit GlobalProtect agent’ or ‘Download Mac 32/64 bit Global Protect agent’ depending on what platform you’re using.
d) When the download completes, run the GlobalProtect.msi file (or GlobalProtect.pkg for Mac). Complete the installation accepting all default options when prompted.
(On macOS, be sure to check the “Systems Extensions” feature to also be installed.) - Configure the Global Protect Client:
a) Global Protect should automatically appear and can be run from your “System Tray” portion of the Windows or MacOS task/menu bar.
(If not, look for the grey globe icon in your system tray items or the task/menu bar)
b) Portal Address: enter gp.flemingc.on.ca into the portal address field & click the [Connect] button.
c) A Sign In window will appear – enter your Fleming username (e.g. jsmith) & password & click the [Sign In] button.
d) You won’t see anything happen if your sign-in is successful, but you can verify the connection is active by finding the Global Protect icon in your task/menu bar, (click the up-arrow “^” to show all items as needed).
Connect/Disconnect VPN connection
You can run the Global Protect client from the Windows/macOS “system tray” task/menu bar, or it can be found in the full application menu. The icon colour indicates the status, greyed-out for disconnected, and coloured with a check mark for connected.
To Connect: When the icon is grey (disconnected), click the icon, click the [ Connect ] button, enter your password, and click [ Sign In ] to complete the connection attempt. Upon successful connection, you won’t see anything except the status icon change to the coloured (connected) state.
To Disconnect: When the icon is coloured (connected), click the icon and click the [ Disconnect ] button.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: On macOS are the “System Extensions” component of the installer required?
A: Yes, this component of the GlobalProtect VPN client must be installed as well to support the latest macOS version.
Q: Should I update the GlobalProtect VPN client when prompted to do so?
A: Yes, from time to time a new GlobalProtect VPN client is made available via the Fleming VPN portal. Upon each connection, the system will check if you are running the latest version and if not, prompt you to update your client at that time. To stay current and supported, it is advisable that you proceed with the updates when prompted.
Q: What types of client devices/OS/platforms are supported for the VPN client?
A: Currently only Microsoft Windows and macOS.
Q: Does the VPN auto-disconnect?
A: Yes, your connection with disconnect after 180 minutes of being idle or after 24 hours, regardless of use. It is recommended that you disconnect VPN when not in use.
Q: Does Fleming’s VPN service route all my Internet traffic via the VPN connection when active?
A: No, Fleming’s VPN uses “split tunnelling” where ONLY the portion of traffic destined for Fleming resources/IPs will travel through the encrypted VPN tunnel, and all other traffic travels directly from your PC to the Internet as it does normally. In this manner, our VPN service does not provide IP/location masking protection or provide any additional encryption on top of your normal Internet traffic.
Q: After connecting to VPN I am being prompted to update to a new version of the Global Protect VPN client software, should I proceed?
A: Yes, click the [ Yes ] button to proceed with the software update. After updating to the latest version the desktop interface has a new look as shown by the image below: