Fuller VPN
Find details regarding the purpose and appropriate use of your Fuller VPN connection below.
First, an Introduction to VPNs
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a technology used to create a secure connection between two computers, so that the information exchanged between those two computers cannot be read by prying eyes. This technology can be used for various purposes. For example, commercial VPN Services (like NordVPN or TunnelBear) will route all your internet traffic through their secure servers before sending it out to the open internet. The benefit of this is that commercial VPNs secure the entirety of your internet activities instead of just specific activities, as with your connection to Fuller's VPN. Commercial VPNs can also allow you to appear to be located in a different place on the planet. For example someone in Los Angeles could use a VPN service located in London in order to watch British Netflix. (Though, be advised that the major streaming services are getting wise to this activity and have started blacklisting VPN services to prevent such practices. But, I digress.) At the end of the day, using a commercial VPN service can dramatically increase your overall internet security, especially if you regularly connect to unsecured WiFi networks in coffee shops, libraries, airports and the like.
Understanding Corporate VPNs
Many companies, in an effort to secure their internal systems, will set up a VPN exclusive to their employees. This ensures that the servers or websites available to their staff are not exposed to individuals who shouldn’t have access, especially those with nefarious intent. One such example at Fuller is our Banner server, which is traditionally only accessible from a computer connected to Fuller’s internal network. However, since many of us need to access Banner from our homes (especially now, amiright?!), Fuller employs our own VPN to provide access to our internal network from anywhere in the world. Once you’re logged in to Fuller’s VPN, your computer appears as if it’s connected to our internal network in Pasadena and Banner welcomes you in like the proverbial Prodigal Son.
Fuller’s VPN: A (Virtual) Horse of a Different Color
While most commercial VPN services route all of your internet traffic through their servers, Fuller uses something called a Split Tunnel VPN. Basically, this means that Fuller’s VPN only routes traffic intended for its internal services (e.g. Banner). All the rest of your internet traffic (YouTube, Facebook, Knitters Anonymous, etc.) travels outside of the Fuller VPN (i.e. not secured). Interestingly, this actually speeds up your internet traffic because you’re not forcing everything you do on the internet to go through Fuller’s Pasadena network before getting to its final destination. But, it does mean that you shouldn’t rely on Fuller’s VPN in the same way you might rely on a commercial VPN service to secure all of your internet activities.
When to use Fuller's VPN
Essentially, you only need to use Fuller’s VPN if you’re accessing Banner, iCare, or our classic Windows shared drives [NOT to be confused with Google Shared Drives ;) ]. Every other Fuller service is available on the open Internet and requires no VPN, including (but not limited to): Fuller Gmail and other Google services, Adaptive Insights, the Employee Site, The Quad, Canvas, Zoom, receiving remote Tech Support, etc. I repeat! You DO NOT NEED A VPN for connection to any of the above services. In fact, even if you are connected to Fuller’s VPN, the connection to these services will not be routed through the VPN but will travel over the open internet due to Fuller’s Split Tunnel VPN method.
Staying Secure Online
While the internet is still a pretty dangerous place, it’s getting safer all the time. In fact, the connections you make to Gmail, Facebook, or your bank are encrypted even without the use of a VPN. When you see that little “padlock” in front of the URL in your browser, you can rest assured that anything you do on that site is safe and secure. However, that doesn’t mean you should let down your guard and blindly roam the internet throwing caution to the wind.
If you do enjoy the occasional excursion to your local coffee shop or library where the WiFi networks tend to be unsecured, you may want to consider using a commercial VPN service to secure your activities while connected to the internet in those locations. But, if you’re careful about where you go, and take advantage of the security features available to you, you’ll do just fine.
In a nutshell
Generally speaking, a VPN provides a secure connection between your computer and the website or server you’re connecting to on the internet. However, Fuller’s VPN only secures the connection between your computer and Fuller’s network in Pasadena -- it DOES NOT secure all of your internet traffic. As such, you only need to use Fuller’s VPN if you’re accessing Banner, iCare, or Fuller’s classic Windows shared drives (vs. Google's Shared Drives). Keep in mind, if you’re regularly connecting to unsecured WiFi networks, you should consider using a commercial VPN service to protect all your internet traffic.