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Installing and Connecting to GlobalProtect VPN

What is GlobalProtect VPN?

VPN is an acronym for ‘Virtual Private Network’. A VPN is a means of extending a private network (BCIT’s on campus network) across a public network (the internet, using various internet service providers) to the user’s local private network (ie: A network at home, coffee shop or anywhere with free wifi). Using a VPN allows for authentication and better security of computers accessing resources on the private network.

BCIT uses a VPN solution provided by Palo Alto Networks called GlobalProtect, which we refer to as GlobalProtect VPN.

GlobalProtect VPN is the only VPN solution available to BCIT students, staff, and faculty to connect to BCIT’s secure network when they are off-campus. It provides access to essential resources such as printers, shared network drives, and business applications like Banner and Cognos. Please note that the quality of the network experience with may vary depending on each user’s internet connection.

This article provides general instructions for installing and connecting to GlobalProtect VPN. Due to the wide variety of operating systems and versions in use, the steps outlined are not exhaustive and may not cover all scenarios in detail. We will cover the major North American software versions of Windows 11 and MacOS. Version numbers of GlobalProtect may differ, but the installation and connection methods remain the same unless otherwise specified.

Note on Supported Operating Systems and Platforms: While GlobalProtect is available for iOS, Android, Linux, and ChromeOS, these platforms are not supported or compatible with BCIT’s implementation. Any attempt to connect to BCIT’s GlobalProtect VPN using these systems will not be successful.