C4.39 Exeter Pulse Secure
Free VPN Provided by the University of Exeter: Exeter Pulse Secure
The University of Exeter has been offering free VPN services to its students for many years, yet many students remain unaware of this. After returning to their home countries, they still struggle with accessing UK-based official websites to submit essays, conduct research, etc. Due to domestic restrictions on certain foreign website access, students may be unable to log in to or open overseas links. To address this, the University of Exeter has launched a free VPN service exclusively for its students. This service is only available to current students of the university and can only be used to access University of Exeter-related online services, primarily serving academic and learning purposes.
Sharp-minded you may have noticed, or you might not have realized yet—Pulse Secure is not only a VPN solution provided by UK universities, but also widely used by domestic Chinese universities and enterprises. Institutions such as Tsinghua University and China Pharmaceutical University offer it for free to their own students.
The free VPN provided by the University of Exeter, named "Pulse Secure", is compatible with Windows, OS X, and Linux systems. It’s extremely easy to use: simply download the corresponding server connection software or mobile app, then log in with your university username and password.
So how and where to download the University of Exeter’s VPN?As shown in the image below, the table provides links to download the Pulse Secure client, along with detailed tutorials on how to use it on your computer or mobile device. Select and download the program corresponding to your system. Shishengmiao’s tip: The first column of the table lists the system names, the second column contains the download installers, and the third column provides installation and usage guides.
Download link for the University of Exeter’s Pulse Secure:Click the link below to download the University of Exeter’s Pulse Secur
Pulse Secure
Shishengmiao’s note: If you encounter issues such as the downloaded program failing to work or crashing, it may be due to incompatibility with the latest version of the software. In this case, you can try downloading an older version, as shown in the image below:
The link for the older version is also the one provided below
：Pulse Secure
So how to use the University of Exeter’s VPN (Exeter Pulse Secure) on an iPhone?
Step 1:First, open the App Store, search for "Pulse Secure" in the search bar. The app can be found on both domestic and international versions of the App Store. As shown in the image below, download the first result for Pulse Secure
：
Step 2:
After downloading, open Pulse Secure. The interface will prompt you to enter a "Corporate email or URL". At this point, type "vpnsecure.exeter.ac.uk" into the box—this is the University of Exeter’s VPN URL
Step 3:
After submitting in the previous step, the next interface will appear—click Save directly. A pop-up will then ask if you want to add this VPN to your phone; select Allow. The university’s VPN will then be saved in the background of your iPhone, making it convenient for future use as it will be stored automatically
As shown in the image below, the university’s VPN will then appear in the background of your iPhone：
Step 4:
Next, the Pulse Secure interface will display as shown in the image below—click Connect to establish the VPN connection
After clicking Connect, some service introductions and explanations will appear—click Continue, as shown in the image below：
Next, a screen will pop up prompting you to enter your Username and Password. Simply input your username and password here, and you will be connected successfully
So how to use the University of Exeter’s VPN (Exeter Pulse Secure) on systems such as Windows XP/7/8/8.1 32-bit, Windows XP/7/8/8.1 64-bit, Windows 10 32-bit, Windows 10 64-bit, Mac OS X, etc.?
It’s very simple. Here is the overall tutorial link
1） Windows XP / 7 / 8 / 8.1 32-bit
2）Windows XP / 7 / 8 / 8.1 64-bit
3）Windows 10 32 bit
4）Windows 10 64 bit
5） Mac OS X
Shishengmiao’s note: The University of Exeter is truly thoughtful. Recognizing that during dissertation writing, many students conduct research in other countries or regions and may face issues such as being unable to access the university’s website, submit assignments on time, retrieve relevant data, or obtain the latest university updates, it provides a free VPN exclusively for its students. However, there are a few important points to note:
Although the software is named "Pulse Secure", it may occasionally be renamed. Regardless of the name change, simply log in via the overall university link provided earlier—this link is updated annually. Additionally, the iPhone app’s description will inform you of the correct software name to download if you encounter login issues, so there’s no need to worry; just keep an eye out for updates.
This VPN can only be used on one device at a time and cannot be active on multiple devices simultaneously. Therefore, do not share your username and password with others. For example, if you are logged in and using the VPN on your phone, you will not be able to use it on your computer at the same time. To use it on your computer, you will need to disconnect the VPN from your phone first.
Turn off the VPN when not in use and only enable it when needed. If you encounter any problems while using the service, you can contact the university’s IT support team