Topics Map > Networking > Virtual private networking (VPN)
VPN, CISCO AnyConnect, Library Access Issues, Library Resources and the VPN
The Library’s electronic resources are only accessible from a predefined set of Internet (IP) addresses. In order to access these resources, your Internet address must begin with one of the following patterns:
128.174.
130.126.
192.17.
2620:0:e00:4xxx:
2620:0:e00:5xxx:
2620:0:e00:6xxx:
2620:0:e00:7xxx:
Each "x" in the listed patterns can be any hexidecimal character (any numeral between 0 and 9 or any letter between A and F).
To determine what your Internet address is, go to the website https://whatismyipaddress.com/.
If you are off campus or your Internet address does not match one of those patterns, you can still access the Library's electronic resources by either using the Library's Proxy Server or by using the campus VPN with the Tunnel All profile. More information about both of these options is available at this website: https://www.library.illinois.edu/library-technology/access-databases-on-and-off-campus/
To access Library resources using the VPN, follow these steps:
- If you have not already done so, download and install the Cisco Secure VPN Client.
- Start the VPN client software.
- From the drop-down list, select the Tunnel All option.
- Authenticate using your email address and password. (If you are enrolled in Duo, you will also be prompted to go through the multi-factor authentication process.)
Please note that when you use the Tunnel All profile, all your network activity (including Library resources, Google, Facebook, and more) will pass through the campus VPN servers.
For additional help and questions about the Library's electronic resources, please contact the University Library.
Additional Technical Details
Most of the Library’s electronic resource database vendors allow access to their products only from computers that can be identified as being on campus. By agreement with these vendors, any computer with a public IPv4 or IPv6 address that falls within one of the following blocks is considered to be "on campus":
128.174.0.0/16
130.126.0.0/16
192.17.0.0/16
2620:0:e00:4000::/50
Those address blocks should encompass all campus networks with users that are recognized as being eligible for access to Library resources. Many IPv4 private networks (including the IllinoisNet wireless network and the Tunnel All VPN networks) are translated to public addresses within those blocks when accessing the Internet.
If you are trying to access a Library resource and your public address is not within one of those ranges, you will need to use the Library's Proxy Server or the campus VPN with the Tunnel All profile.
Additional information about the university's IP space is available here.