EduVPN at the University of Helsinki

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EduVPN is a modern and secure VPN connection. It replaces the OpenVPN application, and we recommend switching to eduVPN immediately, as OpenVPN will be discontinued in autumn 2025.

The eduVPN authentication session lasts for 24 hours. After that, a new login is required.

These instructions, including images, were created on a Windows 11 computer, but the process is similar across all operating systems.

    Settings and connecting

    Note: On university Windows computers, the settings are pre-configured.

    Adjusting Settings

    • Launch the eduVPN application.
    • Click the Add icon (+).
    • Start typing your home organization’s name in the search field, e.g., University of Helsinki.
      • Important: Select Institute Access > University of Helsinki.
    • Now the settings are configured, and you can proceed to connect.

    Connecting

    • Open eduVPN.
    • Select Institute Access > University of Helsinki.
    • The application will automatically open a browser window for authentication. Log in with your university credentials.
    • After logging in, you must approve the VPN connection. Click Approve.
    • Once logged in successfully, the connection is established.
    • In the future, you can start the connection directly using the toggle switch.

    The connection is valid for 24 hours. After that, you must log in again (Renew Session).

    Adjust Settings on First Launch

    Note: On university Windows computers, settings are pre-configured. You can skip to the connection section.

    • Launch the eduVPN application.
    • Click the Add icon (+).
    • A selection page will open where you can search for your organization’s settings.
    • Start typing your home organization’s name in the search field, e.g., University of Helsinki.
      • Important: Select Institute Access > University of Helsinki.
    • The application will automatically open a browser window for authentication. Log in with your University credentials.
    • After logging in, you’ll be redirected to edu.vpn.helsinki.fi to approve the VPN connection. Click Approve.
      • The settings will now be saved to your computer.
    • Once the connection is approved, you can close the browser window.
    • You’ll return to the eduVPN application. A secure connection to the University network is now active.

    Connecting and Disconnecting

    When you have completed the setup for the first launch of the application, you can proceed directly to connect afterwards.

    Connecting

    • Open the eduVPN application.
    • Select Institute Access > University of Helsinki.
    • From the Profiles dropdown (1), you can switch between allroute and split-tunnel VPN types. See the section Connection Options for more details.
    • Toggle the switch (2) to connect.
    • A browser window will open. After logging in, you’ll be redirected to edu.vpn.helsinki.fi to approve the VPN connection.
    • Click Approve.
    • Once approved, you can close the browser window.
    • You’ll return to the eduVPN application. The connection is now active.

     

    Disconnecting

    • Go to the eduVPN application and toggle the switch to disconnect.

    The connection is valid for 24 hours. After that, a new login is required ("Renew Session").

    Types of connections

    You can choose between two types of connections:

    Split-tunnel (formerly uh-vpn-helsinkifi-only):
    Use this if you are on a trusted network (e.g., home).

    • Only necessary traffic goes through the university (e.g., home directories, Efecte, SAP).
    • Less load on the university network.

    Allroute (formerly uh-vpn-allroute):
    Use this if you are on an untrusted network (e.g., hotel, café).

    Installing the eduVPN application (home computers & mobile devices)

    Settings for home computers can be configured according to the Adjust Settings section.

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