UTS VPN Guide (en)

ENGLISH | 中文版

For students unable to travel to Australia from China, UTS has implemented an optional service that may provide easier access to our core student and learning platforms, including Canvas, UTSOnline, Office365 and more.

This service meets all Chinese and Australian legal requirements. It has been configured to direct you to our core student and learning platforms and must not be used for any other activities normally unauthorised in China.

The solution is based on FortiClient software. FortiClient is supported on Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.12 (Sierra) and higher.

Before you start the connection process, please disable any other VPN software you may be using. All testing was done on Windows and macOS using Chrome with no extensions installed.

Step one

Download and install the FortiClient VPN V 7.4 on your computer:

• Windows 
• Windows (32b legacy)
• macOS 10.12+

If using MacOS 15 (Sequoia), there is a known issue with FortiClient not providing the required prompt in 'Security and Privacy Settings' to give access to the VPN. Please go to 'Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions', scroll down to 'Extensions' and click on "i" in front of network extensions to allow the FortiTray.app.

If FortiTray does not appear here, please go to Settings > Network > Filters, and enable the VPN there.

If none of the above are right for you, other download options are here: https://forticlient.com/downloads

The download may take a while.

Once the download is complete, run the installation program and accept the default settings. You might need to restart your computer as part of this process.

Step two

Open the FortiClient application.

You will need to accept the terms and conditions and then click ‘Configure VPN’.

Fill in the Edit VPN Connection page with the following details. Make sure you pay attention to what Remote Gateway you select, depending on your geographic location.

Edit VPN Connection:

• VPN Type: SSL VPN
• Connection Name: UTS
• Description: This can be left blank
• Remote Gateway: Select the appropriate access point for your location:
  • Beijing: 182.92.235.163
  • Shenzhen: 47.115.139.131
  • Shanghai: 139.224.68.207
  • Chengdu: 47.108.68.28
• Customise Port: Leave this unticked
• Client Certificate: None
• Authentication: Save Login
• Username: Your Student ID
• Tick ‘Do not Warn Invalid Server Certificate’

Click Save.

Step three

At the Fortinet login screen enter your student ID and UTS Password and click Connect.

Once the client has connected, you will be able to access UTS websites, as well as any other sites you can access with your normal connection.

To disconnect, re-open the FortiClient application from your desktop and select disconnect.

If you experience any difficulties in downloading the FortiClient, or accessing UTS resources, please submit a request via ServiceConnect.

Troubleshooting instructions

Here are possible solutions to some of the common connectivity issues that you might encounter.

Issue 1: Certificate Error (-5)

"The server you want to connect to requests identification, please choose a certificate and try again. (-5)"

Fix applies to

• Windows 7 / 10
• Fortinet client 6.2.5.0933

Check first

• Disconnect from any other VPN client (if any)
• Verify that you have a stable internet connection
• Check if the VPN settings are set as per the instructions above

Steps to resolve the issue

1. Go to Internet Explorer (window 7) or Edge (Windows 10)
2. Go to “Tools” and select “Internet Options”
3. Select the “Advanced” tab in Internet Options
4. Enable(check) “TLS 1.1”, “TLS 1.2”
5. Click on “Apply” and “OK” to complete the procedure
6. Try the Fortnet VPN connection now

Issue 2: Connection error (-14)

"Unable to establish VPN connection. the VPN server may be unreachable. (-14)"

Fix applies to

• Windows 7/ 10
• Fortinet client 6.2.5.0933

Check first 

• Disconnect from any other VPN client (if any)
• Verify that you have a stable internet connection
• Check if the VPN settings are set as per the instructions above

Steps to resolve the issue

1. Reinstall Fortinet client 6.2.5.0933 from this location - Windows
2. Restart the computer
3. Try the Fortinet VPN connection now

Issue 3: Unlicensed VPN Access Error

"Unlicensed VPN access is available until 'Date Time'.

Fix applies to

• MacOS 10.12 (Sierra) and higher
• Fortinet client v 6.2.4.724 and above

Check first 

• Disconnect from any other VPN client (if any)
• Verify that you have a stable internet connection
• Check if the VPN settings are set as per the instructions above

Steps to resolve the issue

1. Uninstall the current version of VPN
2. Restart the computer
3. Install the new VPN installer from the link: macOS 10.12+
4. Please check the following:
   • The license error should no longer appear
   • Check if the connection error should no longer appear