Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) make your traffic appear as if it comes from a remote IP address.
Yale uses a VPN software called Cisco AnyConnect.
VPNs are set up at the operating system level, and the VPN connection captures the entire network connection of the device it is configured on, from your web browser to programs running in the background. If you’re logged in to Yale’s VPN on your computer, you can access library resources as well as Yale campus applications like Kronos.
To use a VPN, you must be able to install VPN software on your computer. VPNs use significant processing power and bandwidth. Using the VPN may slow down a user's computer or device and may be difficult to run on older computers or over a weak Internet connection.
A proxy server is a server that acts as a middleman in the flow of your Internet traffic, so that your Internet activities appear to come from somewhere else.
Proxy servers pass your information along through your browser and don't require a lot of processor power. They don’t have a significant effect on computer or device speed and will work over most Internet connections, regardless of strength.
A proxy server doesn't require you to install any software. Instead, library staff configure licensed library e-resources to connect to the proxy by adding a special prefix to the front of the URLs in the library's catalog and other online bibliographic sources.
The Library's proxy server does not provide access to Yale systems such as Kronos or remote desktop.
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