VPN access
A VPN connection to HU is required when you want to access internal resources from off-campus – e.g. SSH to maths servers, licensed software, or the library databases.
01 · Choice
Which VPN flavour?
CMS offers two variants – we recommend FortiClient for ease of use, or OpenVPN if you prefer open source.
FortiClient SSL-VPN Recommended
Graphical client, no manual config. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
02 · Quick start
FortiClient in four steps
-
Download the client
CMS links to current FortiClient builds per OS. Choose the FortiClient VPN installer (free variant).
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Add a VPN connection
Name HU BerlinRemote Gateway vpn.hu-berlin.dePort 443Username HU-Account -
Connect
Enter your HU-account password. Verify success at: meineip.hu-berlin.de – should show an HU IP.
-
Split Tunnel (optional)
If you want only HU traffic through the VPN (otherwise everything is tunneled), append
@split_tunnelto your username, e.g.meier@split_tunnel.
03 · Troubleshooting
Common stumbling blocks
- Wrong client: FortiClient comes in a full (paid) edition and a VPN-only (free) one. The free one is enough.
- Streaming / Spotify doesn’t work: without split tunnel, all traffic flows through HU – some services block this. Use split tunnel to bypass.
- SSH to maths still fails: verify the VPN is actually up via
meineip.hu-berlin.de. - Connection drops after idle: standard protection. Enable Always-On under "Settings" in FortiClient.
Full guides with screenshots at CMS: cms.hu-berlin.de/dl/netze/vpn – per platform with up-to-date images.