Access your home filespace (H: drive) off-campus
Access via the Virtual Private Network (VPN) | Access via WinSCP
Access via the VPN
The University's Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides you with secure, authenticated access to your H:\ drive over the wireless networks Eduroam and ResNet, or when you are working off-campus. All you need is an internet connection - login with your University username and password.
How does it work?
You can use the VPN's browser-based file explorer to download and upload files to your H:\ drive via secure file transfer.
Alternatively, if you are using Internet Explorer 6 or 7, you can use the VPN to map your filespace as a drive letter on your laptop/PC, allowing you to access files stored on your H:\ drive via My Computer or Windows Explorer just as you would on your desktop PC at work.
How do I access the VPN?
For instructions on installing the VPN components, connecting to the VPN, using the browser-based file explorer, mapping your H:\ drive on your home PC/laptop, and accessing Library resources such as MetaLib, see our fact sheets FS WN09: Remote Access via the VPN for Windows XP/2000/Vista, and FS WN10: Remote Access via the VPN for Mac OSX.
For more information about the Virtual Private Network, see our dedicated web pages at www.abdn.ac.uk/vpn
Access using WinSCP
Below is a link to download a program called WinSCP. This free FTP client/application uses a secure connection so your username and password, as well as the files you transfer, remain secure.
Click on the link below to download WinSCP - click Save and save it to your Desktop:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/winscp/winscp368setup.exe?use_mirror=heanet
If that link is not working, try downloading from this web page instead:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/winscp/winscp368setup.exe?download
Once the download is complete, double click the winscp386setup.exe icon on your Desktop and click on Next at all prompts until you get to the User Interface prompt. If you have used Internet Explorer to access your H: drive in the past, it may be easier if you set the user Interface to Explorer interface; you can always change it later under View > Preferences.
Once WinSCP is installed it will launch a login box. Enter the host name: ftp.abdn.ac.uk and your normal computing username and password.
Click the Login button - it will probably take a few seconds to make a secure connection.
Say Yes to the warning about the server not being in the registry - you will only be asked this once.
The ensuing dialog displays all the files on your H: drive in the right hand pane and all the files on the Hard Drive of your PC in the left hand pane. You can now drag and drop files from one pane to another.
Undergraduates, Taught Postgraduates and Research Postgraduates - PLEASE NOTE:
(applies to all students with u, t and r format userid's, e.g. u01xyz1)
Your H: drive is located within a folder called PCFILES as illustrated below.
You must open this before dragging and dropping files to your H: drive otherwise the transferred files will not be visible in your H: drive on classroom PC's.
If you have any queries about using WinSCP, please contact the Service Desk - servicedesk@abdn.ac.uk.
