VPNs bedevil at-home networks
Q: Now that I am working from home I am having trouble accessing things on my home network, such as my other computers and my wireless printer. Do you know why this may be?
A: Over the last few weeks I have been support for my colleagues who are working from home during this crisis and one of the most common problems involves people who normally would not work from home at all and are now finding themselves having to connect to VPN to access resources back at the office.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and it’s what allows your computer to access resources behind the company firewall.
The problem you are experiencing is likely a result of this, as the VPN directs all of your network traffic to the office and makes your local network inaccessible. Depending on what VPN you are using, it may be possible to enable what is known as split-tunneling.
In the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client, for example, there is an option in the settings that says Allow local (LAN) access when using VPN (if configured) that you can check to allow your PC to access both your home network and the office network simultaneously.
If you’re using VPN, I assume you have an IT department that can work with you to make these changes if needed. But if not, you can always disconnect the VPN to print and then reconnect when you’re done.
Q: I am using my Mac laptop at home and have connected it to an external monitor to make it a little easier to work. Whenever I close the laptop, the external monitor goes black. Is there a way to make sure it stays on, even when the laptop is closed?
A: The Mac will do one of two things when the lid is closed. It will either stay on or it will go to sleep. Based on your description, it’s going to sleep and that is why the external monitor turns off.
To change this, open Preferences and go to Energy Saver. In the section under Power Adapter, check the box next to Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off.
Please note, the computer must be connected to a power supply for this to work.