VPNs (or Virtual Private Networks) are used to create a secure, encrypted connection between two locations and often are required when accessing academic or corporate networks. However, many of the services we use today are accessible from a secured website, which is denoted by the website's URL beginning with https, which eliminates the need for VPN usage. For example, both Butler's email and file storage solutions are now available via https://www.office.com, which is a secure website - no VPN connection is needed.
You may have heard that using a VPN increases your security - at Butler, this is only the case when you are accessing applications which require the use of VPN. You do not need to connect to VPN if you are not using one of these applications, and in fact most Butler users will likely never (or very infrequently) require the use of VPN.
While some VPN services may be used to route all of a user's internet traffic through a third party (in some cases providing a degree of anonymity while online), Butler's VPN application does not function in this way. Butler's VPN only routes Butler-related traffic through the VPN, and all other internet traffic is routed through your local internet connection, which is known as a "split-tunnel" VPN. This means that Butler's VPN cannot be used to mask your location or otherwise obfuscate your internet traffic.
Related Links:
Applications that require VPN (GlobalProtect) to access off campus
