Installing And Configuring Pulse VPN Software

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Sandro Munoz
, created
Last updated: Feb 05, 2024
3 min read

The Pulse VPN software lets you connect to University resources when not connected to a network on campus. This guide will walk you through installing, configuring, and connecting the VPN software.

 Instructions

Downloading and Installing

  1. You can download and install the Pulse software directly from the Microsoft Store. To open the Microsoft Store, click the Start button and search for “store”.

  2. In the Microsoft Store, search for “Pulse” to find the Pulse Secure software.

  3. Click the Get button to download and install the software.

When accessing the Microsoft Store, you may be prompted to sign in. This is not necessary and you can cancel any sign-in request and continue to download the software.

Configuring the Pulse Secure VPN Software

Once the software is installed, it’s time to configure it. The configuration is simple and only requires a few bits of information.

  1. You’ll be prompted to click on VPN Settings… to continue.

     

  2. On the VPN settings page, click Add a VPN connection.

     

  3. Select Pulse Secure from the VPN Provider drop-down list. Enter the connection name. This can be anything, but we suggest Campus VPN. Finally enter vpn.ucdavis.edu in the server name field. Click Save to continue.

     

  4. Back at the VPN settings page, click Connect.

     

  5. Check the box next to Proceed and then click Next.

     

  6. After clicking Next in step 5, you’ll be prompted to enter your Kerberos ID and password. Click OK to continue.

     

  7. Because VPN access is authenticated by DUO, you’ll need to enter the kind of DUO prompt you wish to receive. To receive a push notification, enter “push” in the field shown below and click Next.

     

  8. Leave the role selection as UCD-Split-Tunnel and click Next.

     

  9. Check the box next to Proceed and click Next to continue.

     

  10. This completes the Pulse VPN configuration and will connect you to the campus VPN. Click Disconnect to disconnect the VPN.

     

Connecting to VPN after Setup

Now that the Pulse VPN software has been configured you can connect the VPN when you need to access campus resources.

  1. Click the network connection icon to the left of the date and time and at the top of the panel, click Campus VPN.

     

  2. On the VPN settings page, click Campus VPN and then click Connect.

     

  3. To disconnect, follow the same steps and click Disconnect.