What is Gateway?

The Gateway website allows authorized Villanova users access to University resources from off-campus. It accomplishes this through the NetConnect application which can be run from the website. When a user launches NetConnect from their browser it creates a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection between their PC and the University. This connection allows the user to access Villanova systems as if they were on campus.

What browsers are supported?

Currently Internet Explorer 6.0 and later are the supported browsers.

What Operating Systems are supported?

In accordance with the University support policy, Windows XP is the only fully supported operating system.

How do I use gateway.villanova.edu?

More detailed instructions can be found at Secure Gateway Instructions page. But the general steps are:

• Connect to the Internet using your ISP
• Log into https://gateway.villanova.edu using your LDAP username and password
• Launch NetConnect from the website
• Once connected using NetConnect an icon will appear in your systray (lower right of screen by clock)
• Connect to any Villanova services from your PC just as you would on campus
• To disconnect, simply click (or right click) the NetConnect icon in the systray and select End Session

What are bookmarks?

Depending on your department, your gateway start page may have custom bookmarks to websites or shared folders. These are simply links to those resources and allow you to access them without running NetConnect.

How do I add a Windows Folder Bookmark?

From the Gateway Start page, UNC path to the share in the Browse bar. (\\server\share\(subfolder-optional)). Select the folder you wish to Bookmark and click the "Bookmark Current Folder" icon.

I was a Villanova RAS user, how is the Secure Gateway different?

Villanova RAS was a dial up service that connected directly to the University Network. Gateway.villanova.edu is a website and requires the remote system to be connected to the Internet to access. The Gateway, however, can be accessed from anywhere on the Internet. This means that users can take advantage of high speed internet connections such as DSL, cable, corporate networks, hotels, other universities as well as dial-up Internet Service Providers to access Villanova resources.
The Gateway offers more security than RAS as it encrypts all communications between the remote system and Villanova services.

I was a Villanova RAS user, how is the Secure Gateway the same?

Once connected through the Gateway using NetConnect (see above), any Villanova resource that was accessed through RAS can also be accessed through the Gateway.