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Pulse Secure Virtual Private Network

  • Updated
  • This article is maintained by the Office of Information Technology
Applies to: Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Platform: Windows/macOS/iOS/Android/Chromebook
Affiliation: Students/Instructors/Employees
Note: Please visit Which VPN do I use? to learn when a VPN connection is necessary or to ensure you are using the appropriate VPN client.

Connect to the Pulse Secure VPN

All Pulse Secure VPN connections require two-factor authentication. To configure 2FA, please see here.

Using the Desktop Application

  1. Download and install Pulse Secure for Windows from the Software Downloads channel in GoWMU. Most computers will use the 64-bit version.
  2. Once installed, open the Pulse Secure application.
  3. Click the + button to add a new VPN connection. Enter the information below and click Add.
    • Type: Policy Secure (UAC) or Connect Secure (VPN)
    • Name: Use any name you would like, for example, WMU VPN
    • Server URL: Enter the address of the VPN you would like to use (e.g. vpn.wmich.edu)
  4. Click Add to save the connection information.
  5. Click Connect next to the connection you added.
  6. Enter your Bronco NetID in the User Name field and your password in the Password field. Click the Connect button.
  7. You will then be prompted for a Secondary Password. This will be your Duo two-factor authentication method:
    • Type the word push to receive a Duo push notification
    • Type a 6-digit numeric code produced by the Duo app or text message
      • If you need additional codes via text message, type the word sms. Your login attempt will fail — log in again with one of your new passcodes
    • If you use a hardware token instead of a smartphone for two-factor authentication, type in the code generated by your token
  8. Click Connect.
    • If push was the desired authentication method, you will receive a Duo push notification. Approve the authentication request.
  9. You are now connected to the VPN.

  1. Download and install Pulse Secure for macOS from the Software Downloads channel in GoWMU.
  2. Once installed, open the Pulse Secure application.
  3. Click the + button to add a new VPN connection. Enter the information below and click Add.
    • Type: Policy Secure (UAC) or Connect Secure (VPN)
    • Name: Use any name you would like, for example, WMU VPN
    • Server URL: Enter the address of the VPN you would like to use (e.g. vpn.wmich.edu)
  4. Click Add to save the connection information.
  5. Click Connect next to the connection you added.
  6. Enter your Bronco NetID in the User Name field and your password in the Password field. Click the Connect button.
  7. You will then be prompted for a Secondary Password. This will be your Duo two-factor authentication method:
    • Type the word push to receive a Duo push notification
    • Type a 6-digit numeric code produced by the Duo app or text message
      • If you need additional codes via text message, type the word sms. Your login attempt will fail — log in again with one of your new passcodes
    • If you use a hardware token instead of a smartphone for two-factor authentication, type in the code generated by your token
  8. Click Connect.
    • If push was the desired authentication method, you will receive a Duo push notification. Approve the authentication request.
  9. You are now connected to the VPN.

  1. Install Pulse Secure from the Google Play Store.
  2. Once installed, open the Pulse Secure application.
  3. Enter the address of the VPN you would like to use (e.g. vpn.wmich.edu) and select Submit.
    • Connection Name: Use any name you would like, for example, WMU VPN
    • Username: Bronco NetID
  4. Tap Add.
  5. Tap Connect. When prompted, provide your password and select Sign In.
  6. You will be prompted for two-factor authentication. Complete authentication by using your preferred Duo 2FA method.
  7. You are now connected to the VPN.

  1. Download and install Pulse Secure for Ubuntu from the Software Downloads channel in GoWMU.
  2. To install, open Terminal and type the following (file path & name will depend on file location and installer version):
    sudo apt install path_to_file
    Tip: You can click & drag the file from the downloaded location to the terminal window to append the full file path and name.
  3. Enter your computer password when prompted and hit Enter. Installation progress will be displayed. You can close the Terminal window when completed.
  4. Open PulseUI from your applications list.
  5. Click the + button to add a new VPN connection. Enter the information below and click Add.
    • Type: Policy Secure (UAC) or Connect Secure (VPN)
    • Name: Use any name you would like, for example, WMU VPN
    • Server URL: Enter the address of the VPN you would like to use (e.g. vpn.wmich.edu)
  6. Click Add to save the connection information.
  7. Click Connect next to the connection you added.
  8. Enter your Bronco NetID in the User Name field and your password in the Password field. Click the Connect button.
  9. You will then be prompted for a Secondary Password. This will be your Duo two-factor authentication method:
    • Type the word push to receive a Duo push notification
    • Type a 6-digit numeric code produced by the Duo app or text message
      • If you need additional codes via text message, type the word sms. Your login attempt will fail — log in again with one of your new passcodes
    • If you use a hardware token instead of a smartphone for two-factor authentication, type in the code generated by your token
  10. Click Connect.
    • If push was the desired authentication method, you will receive a Duo push notification. Approve the authentication request.
  11. You are now connected to the VPN.

Using a Mobile Device

For the best experience, we recommend using the Duo mobile application when connecting to the VPN using a mobile device. For more information about 2FA, please see here.

  1. Install the Pulse Secure app from the App Store.
  2. Open the application.
  3. Enter the address of the VPN you would like to use (e.g. vpn.wmich.edu) and select Submit
    • Name: Use any name you would like, for example, WMU VPN
    • Username: Bronco NetID
  4. Tap Add. You will be asked to add a VPN Configuration, select Allow. Enter your device passcode if prompted.
  5. Tap Connect. When prompted, provide your password. Before you tap Sign In:
    • If you use push notifications with the Duo app, you can simply tap Sign In. You will then receive a Duo Push notification. Approve the login request by tapping the notification from Duo.
    • If you use a numeric code from a text message, the Duo app, or a hardware token, tap Click here if you need to enter a second-factor passcode. Enter your Duo code in the provided field and tap Sign In.
  6. You are now connected to the VPN.

  1. Install the Pulse Secure app from the Google Play store.
  2. Open the application.
  3. Enter the address of the VPN you would like to use (e.g. vpn.wmich.edu) and select Submit
    • Connection Name: Use any name you would like, for example, WMU VPN
    • Username: Bronco NetID
  4. Tap Add.
  5. Tap Connect. When prompted, provide your password and select Sign In.
  6. You will be prompted for two-factor authentication. Complete authentication by using your preferred Duo 2FA method.
  7. You are now connected to the VPN.

Using a Web Browser

Announcement: The web browser method of connecting to the VPN is currently experiencing issues when logging in to GoWMU and other services. If you experience problems, please try the Pulse Secure desktop or mobile app.

When accessing the VPN via your web browser, your VPN connection is exclusive to the individual browser tab in which it was accessed. This method is best suited for accessing an individual web service that is restricted to on-campus connections, such as Employee Self Service or Kronos. If you need to access multiple campus services, including those outside a web browser (such as Remote Desktop) we recommend the desktop or mobile Pulse Secure VPN clients for the best experience.

  1. Navigate to vpn.wmich.edu in your web browser.
  2. Log in using your Bronco NetID and password.
  3. You will then be prompted with the Duo 2FA authentication window. Complete authentication using your preferred method.
  4. Your browser tab is now connected to the VPN. You will now see a list of common web bookmarks in addition to an address bar in the top right.

Pulse Secure VPN Address Overview

WMU offers multiple Pulse Secure VPN addresses depending on your location and required system access. See below for a list of VPN addresses:

  • vpn.wmich.edu
    This is the standard VPN access URL for off-campus users. Most users will connect using this address.
  • vpn.wmich.edu/sis
    This is the VPN access URL for on & off-campus users of secure information systems, such as Banner.
  • internal.vpn.wmich.edu
    This is the standard VPN access URL for on-campus wireless users only.

Note: This is not an all-inclusive list. Additional VPN URLs exist on campus for various departments or use-cases. Please contact your departmental IT support if you require assistance with a department-specific VPN URL.

Other Notes

Idle Times

Standard VPN

  • Maximum idle time: 60 minutes (requires authentication to reset time)
  • Maximum session time: 8 hours (requires authentication to reset time)

SIS VPN

  • Maximum idle time: 15 minutes (requires authentication to reset time)
  • Maximum session time: 4 hours (requires authentication to reset time)

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