Connecting to Systems from Home (VPN)
When you work away from the office, your laptop is outside the Council network. FortiClient VPN creates a secure link back to Council so your device behaves as though it is plugged in at your desk.
When you need VPN
| System | Needs VPN |
|---|---|
| Network drives — Plans (G:), GIS (H:), Apps (P:), Shares (S:) | Yes |
| Pathway | Yes |
| Finance system | Yes |
| Info Council | Yes |
When you do not need VPN
All other Council systems including Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, ECM, Kiosk and the Help Hub work without VPN don't require VPN. They are cloud services and accessible as long as you have an internet connection.
You do not need to connect to VPN to check emails or join a meeting, and it is better if you do not. VPN routes your traffic through the Council network, which can make video calls and large file transfers noticeably worse than going direct.
A good habbit: connect when you need Pathway, Finance or the drives, and disconnect when you are done.
What you need before you start
You need your Council laptop and a working internet connection at home. VPN cannot create a connection where there is none, it secures one you already have
Connect
- Check you are online. Open a website. If it loads, you are ready.
- Right-click the FortiClient icon in the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen - the blue shield.
- Select Connect to "staffvpn.kingborough.tas.gov.au"
Connecting takes five to ten seconds. You will see a notification confirming it.
Check it worked
Open File Explorer and see whether your network drives are listed. If you can open a folder on the S: drive, you are connected properly.
Disconnect
Right-click the FortiClient icon and choose Disconnect.
Worth doing when you have finished with the internal systems since everything else runs better without it.
If VPN doesn't connect
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| No FortiClient icon in the taskbar | Select the small arrow beside the clock to show hidden icons. If it is not there, search for FortiClient in the Start menu. If it is not installed, message us. |
| The Connect option is greyed out | You are not online. Check your home Wi-Fi, then try again. |
| It sits at "Connecting" and never finishes | Wait 30 seconds, then right-click and Disconnect, and connect again. If it fails twice, restart your laptop since this clears most of these. |
| It connects and then drops repeatedly | Usually your home internet rather than VPN. Move closer to your router, or use an Ethernet cable if you can. If it happens on a stable connection, let us know. |
| Connected, but the network drives are missing | Restart File Explorer, or restart the laptop. The drives map at sign-in, so connecting to VPN afterwards does not always pick them up. Signing out and back in with VPN already connected usually fixes it. |
| Everything is very slow | Disconnect VPN if you are only using Outlook or Teams. If you need it, close other things using your connection such as streaming, downloads, other people in the house on video calls. |
Still stuck
Send us a message. You can reach the Help Hub without VPN or call (03) 6211 8100 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Tell us what you have already tried, any error message you saw, and whether it has ever worked on this laptop. That saves us asking.