VPN: Select a VPN Tunnel

This article provides an overview on which tunnel CSE students, staff, and faculty should connect to when using the University's Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Split Tunnel

Split tunnels are more efficient because only traffic going to the U of M will go down the tunnel. All other traffic will bypass the tunnel and go through the local ISP. This is the ideal option to choose when working from home because it makes your overall connection to the Internet faster. 

Split Tunnel Connections

  • U of M Split Tunnel General Access 
    • Everyone should use this unless a full tunnel connection is needed.

Full Tunnel

Full Tunnel access should be used when you want all traffic to go down the tunnel, because tunneled data is encrypted. This should be used when accessing U of M resources from open sites like coffee shops and hotels, and when accessing certain resources (e.g. some PeopleSoft sites and Library journals) that require your computer to be on the U of M network.  The encryption process will result in a slightly slower speed, which is why split tunnels are a better option from home or other trusted places.

Full Tunnel Connections

  • U of M CSE Full Tunnel (Departmental VPN Pool)
    • College of Science and Engineering faculty, staff and students should use this when they need full-tunnel access.
    • It is dedicated to the College of Science and Engineering.
    • reliable VPN connection with a 14 day session limit before having to reconnect.
  • U of M Full Tunnel General Access 
    • Everyone, except CSE faculty, staff and students should use this option when they need full-tunnel access.
    • 12 hour session limit before having to reconnect.
    • Limited number of connections.