Using the VPN client (graphical)
Steps to Connect
- Open a web browser (e.g., Firefox, Chrome) and go to the Michigan Tech VPN login page (https://vpn.mtu.edu).
- Log in with your Michigan Tech username and password. You will need to authenticate using DUO.
- After logging in, select Access MTU Network 111 from the Network Access dropdown menu.
- A new window will open with the details on connecting to the VPN. Note: If your browser blocks pop-ups, you may need to click the Open Link button at the top of the browser.
- Once connected, you can verify the connection by checking the VPN window. It should display a successful connection message.
Disconnecting from the VPN
You can disconnect from the VPN by either:
- selecting the Disconnect button in the VPN window, or
- logging out of the machine, which will automatically disconnect your session.
Getting the VPN client
Deb-based distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, etc.)
To download and install the .deb-based client, enter the commands:
wget https://vpn.mtu.edu/public/share/BigIP_Edge_Clients/linux_f5cli.x86_64_7250.deb
sudo apt-get update -y sudo apt install ./linux_f5cli.x86_64_7250.deb
RPM-based distributions (RedHat, CentOS, Fedora, etc.)
To download and install the .rpm-based client, enter the commands:
wget https://vpn.mtu.edu/public/share/BigIP_Edge_Clients/linux_f5cli.x86_64_7250.rpm
sudo dnf localinstall ./linux_f5cli.x86_64_7250.rpm
ARM distributions (Ubuntu, Debian, ARCH, etc.)
To download and install the .deb-based client, enter the commands:
wget https://vpn.mtu.edu/public/share/BigIP_Edge_Clients/linux_f5cli.armhf_7250.deb
sudo apt-get update -y sudo apt install ./linux_f5cli.armhf_7250.deb
An additional way to get the VPN
Go to the VPN page and log in with your MTU account name and password. Select the version you wish to download.
Using the VPN client (CLI)
Note: The VPN client does not automatically disconnect upon logging out. If more than one person uses your machine, it is highly recommended that you disconnect when you are finished using the VPN. Others who log in after you will be able to use your VPN connection if you do not disconnect.
Starting Connection
Enter the command:
f5fpc --start --host https://vpn.mtu.edu --user <MTU_SSO>
If you get a “Server certificate verification failed” error, you should add the -x flag before the --user flag.
f5fpc --start --host https://vpn.mtu.edu -x --user <MTU_SSO>
Checking VPN status
Enter the command: f5fpc --info
Disconnecting
Enter the command: f5fpc --stop
Troubleshooting and common considerations
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, allowing you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. MTU requires the BigIP VPN Client from F5. When attempting to print on an off-campus network, the BigIP VPN is required to start a print job. With all things Linux, the client is dependent on what OS you are currently running. Additionally, users off campus will be able to connect to campus computers.
DNS Manual Setup
In some cases, when connecting to the VPN from a non-Michigan Tech or personal machine, you may have issues accessing resources in your Multidrive or other places on campus. For example, you may have problems listing out files in your Multidrive. To fix these issues, you will need administrator (sudo) access on your machine. If your machine uses systemd-resolved, you can use the following commands to add the DNS servers when you are connected to the campus VPN:
sudo resolvectl domain tun0 mtu.edu
sudo resolvectl dns tun0 141.219.70.130
If your machine does not use systemd-resolved to configure its DNS servers, you may need to manually add the campus DNS servers based on your Linux distribution. You should review the documentation for your distribution.
DNS Conflicts
While connected to the VPN, your routes and DNS configurations have been adjusted by the VPN. If you experience DNS issues after connecting to the VPN, you may be experiencing a conflict. This is likely related to how the VPN makes those adjustments on your local device. To resolve this, ensure all connections are closed, change your DNS configuration to any DNS server other than 1.1.1.1, and attempt to reconnect.
File Interactions
A number of files may be modified when the VPN client begins its initialization process. This list is subject to change by the upstream provider with no warning:
- /etc/nsswitch.conf
- /etc/host.conf
- /etc/resolv.conf
- /etc/hosts
- /tmp/f5Standalone.lock
- $HOME/.F5Networks/f5networks.conf
- $HOME/.F5Networks/standalone.log