On-campus Eduroam wifi network
Current UFV students and employees can access and log into the UFV wireless network using eduroam wifi services. Eduroam provides fast, secure, and reliable access to wireless services on UFV campuses. Worldwide you can use your UFV eduroam credentials wherever participating institutions have eduroam hotspots. Eduroam also provides secure guest and event wifi access.
VPN services
A virtual private network (VPN) is a secure connection between two points, such as your laptop and the Internet, or between your laptop and a business (such as UFV's network). You can think of a VPN as your own private tunnel for your data; by using this tunnel, you can send and receive data more securely. Because of this added encryption, a VPN is particularly useful when you are connecting to public wifi networks.
UFV devices using AlwaysOnVPN
UFV laptops come with AlwaysOn VPN, which allows you to connect to UFV resources from anywhere. For example, you can securely connect to your department file shares or other on-premises applications (e.g. FAST). Simply take your UFV laptop with you when off-campus and use it like you normally would.
Personal device VPN options
VPNs can come in the form of browser extensions, apps or programs, or as an additional service provided by your ISP. Do some research to find out which type of VPN is best suited to your needs. Some popular choices include SurfShark, NordVPN, and Private Internet Access. Keep in mind that:
- Some VPN services only focus on masking your identity online (i.e. by changing your IP address), rather than encrypting your data. For the best security, choose a VPN that also encrypts your data.
- VPNs can change your IP address and, as a consequence, your 'location'. For example, it may make your internet traffic appear as coming from a different country than the one you're actually in. For some people, this feature is desirable to by-pass restricted or geo-blocked content. However, it may cause issues when logging into some services (especially those at UFV). By using a VPN to change your location, your account could be flagged for unusual activity.