As there are significant changes in the newest macOS Ventura, new instructions for macOS 13 Ventura were necessary.
Download the configuration profile
Please download the configuration profile from the ZDV-page: https://uni-tuebingen.de/de/2178
If the download does not work, please use Safari.
Installation
Now the configuration profile must be installed on your system.
If downloaded by Safari, the installation might start automatically depending on your settings. If not, navigate to your Downloads-folder and double-click on "vpn-uni-tuebingen-2021.mobileconfig" to start the installation.
Previous versions of macOS (Mojave, Catalina) did open System Settings › Profiles and started the installation, macOS Big Sur however does not. It is necessary to open and install it manually. The following two steps are only necessary in Big Sur:
After double-clicking on the configuration profile, you'll see this notification. Now open System Settings › Profiles
Select the vpn profile and click on "install"
(Please note: the profile is only available für 30 minutes, if you did not start installation in time, you'll need to start again)
Enter your ZDV-LoginID and click on "Install".
Enter your local administrative account and password to confirm the installation.
Network priority
We need to adjust a few settings. Open System Settings › Network.
- Click on the third button below the network-list (macOS Big Sur: looks like a circle with three dots, Catalina and older: looks like a cog). Select "Set Service Order...". Move the "VPN L2TP Uni Tübingen" up in the list to the top. Click "OK".
- (Optional) Click on "Authentication Settings...". Enter your ZDV password in the password-field. If you leave this blank, the computer will always ask for the password on connecting to the vpn. Note: Do not change anything else. If you delete the shared key, you'll need to reconfigure your vpn from the start.
A small convenience setting: Set the tick-mark at "Show vpn status in menu bar". You'll get a little vpn-menu in your menu bar on the top right of your screen, where you can connect and disconnect without needing to open the System Settings.
Click on "Apply" to save all your settings.
Checking the vpn connection
You may now connect to the vpn, either by clicking on "Connect" in the System Settings › Network or by using the VPN menu in the menu bar.
When something goes wrong, you'll get an error message. Please check your settings, especially if your password is correct.
But even without error message, there might be more trouble ahead. Some people complain about not being able to use some services that should work with a vpn-connection. If this happens, please visit https://www.whatismyip.com/ to check your IP-address. If your IPv4 is in the range 134.2.x.x, the VPN connection is fine. If you get an IPv4 in another range or get an IPv6 as primary address, then there is something wrong with your connection. Either your network traffic is not routed through the vpn (please check if your network priority is set correctly), or there is something wrong in your local network. Check your router if vpn-passthrough is enabled (if available) or contact your provider (if you only get an IPv6 and no IPv4) and tell the support that you need an L2TP-connection for your work (L2TP only works with IPv4).
For further support, please contact the ZDV Hotline or the ZDV Genius-Bar.
Removing the VPN / Configuration profile
The VPN cannot be removed from System Settings › Network. You need to remove it in System Settings › Profiles: Activate the vpn profile, then remove it by clicking on the "-"-button. After entering the credentials for a local system administrator account, the profile is removed.