Vendor VPN - Information for Vendor

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Vendor VPN Client Setup and Use

Prerequisites:

A Biola Employee must first request that a vendor VPN account be created.  Go here to place that request: Vendor VPN Request Form

Each vendor employee must be sent: 1) an Entra AD account name; 2) an @biola.edu email forwarder. Both are created after a request for a vendor VPN account has been approved.

Along with these 2 required items of information above, send this KB article to a vendor employee so they may complete their VPN setup.

 

Instructions for Vendor

Set a VPN account password with reset password procedure

  1. Go to https://portal.azure.com
  2. Type in the email address from the enclosing email (e. g. 'ext_johnd@biola.edu'), click Next, and then Forgot my password.
  3. The employee's actual email address (e. g. 'gsmith@mycompany.net') should be the only alternate email on file, and all email will be forwarded to this address.
  4. Click Next, and follow the instructions in the email to reset the password. Remember this password for future logins.

Note: It could take up to 15 minutes to sync with on-prem AD. So if the new password doesn't work, try again 15 minutes later.

 

Download Cisco Secure Client from VPN portal, if not already installed

  1. Go to https://vpn.biola.edu
  2. Login to the VPN portal using group name Biola_VPN with the vendor account name you were given (e.g. ext_johnd) and password you set above.
  3. Download the client for your platform (e.g. PC, Mac, or Linux) and install it.

Note: After client install you will not use the portal , but will rather launch the Cisco Secure client app to connect to VPN. Client updates to newer VPN client versions are automatically performed during login.

 

Login to VPN

  1. Launch the Cisco Secure or AnyConnect client app
  2. Enter vpn.biola.edu and click Connect.
  3. Select AnyConnect group Biola_VPN.
  4. At the Sign in window, enter the @biola.edu email address given to you, and click Next.
  5. Enter password you set with the reset procedure above when prompted, and click Sign in.
  6. Upon 1st-time login, more information is required for MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) so you will be prompted for your preferred method. You may use the MS Authenticator smartphone app, or select I want to use a different method to use a phone number. Make your choice, and then select Next.
  7. If you select Stay signed in? button your login is saved in the AnyConnect client for 60 days.

Note: If you don't select Stay signed in?, even so on subsequent logins the large MFA sign-in dialog will pop up and obscure the client's group selection dialog so you'll need to drag the MFA information window aside to reveal the group selection dialog.

 

Using a different account with Cisco Secure VPN

If you clicked the Stay signed in? to button to stay logged in and later wish to use another VPN account, instructions are provided in the KB article How to Use a Different Account with Cisco VPN.

 

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