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VPN – Secure Remote Access - Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What operating systems are supported?


  2. What browsers are supported by Pulse Secure?


  3. The VPN Client is working sporadically on a Mac. How can I fix it?


  4. Why is my connection speed very slow while using the Pulse Secure client?


  5. Why does my VPN session end after several hours?


  6. What does Client Services require from clients reporting an VPN problem?


  7. I see a pop-up message saying that Host Checker has failed and I need a current Anti Virus software. What should I do?



  1. What operating systems are supported?

    2. See the Supported Operating Systems Table in the VPN Secure Remote Access Page

  2. What browsers are supported by Pulse Secure?See the list of Supported Browsers

  3. The VPN Client is working sporadically on a Mac. How can I fix it?

    4. Disable the Mac feature "Back to my Mac". This feature causes conflicts with the Pulse Secure's operating port. After disabling "Back to my Mac" restart the client.

  4. Why is my connection speed very slow while using the Pulse Secure client?

    5. Verify your speed (with and without Pulse Secure) using the following steps:

    • Step 1. Reboot your computer.
    • Step 2. After rebooting do not start the Pulse Secure Client.
    • Step 3. Run the speedtest by going to speedtesting site of your choice such as http://www.speedtest.net/ . Make note of your speed results.
    • Step 4. Start the Pulse Secure Client
    • Step 5. Run the speedtest as in Step 3.
    • Compare the two speed test results.

  5. Why does my VPN session end after several hours?

    6. VPN sessions end when the session clock runs out. Below are the timeouts for the various VPN profiles.

    Idle time i.e. Maximum time that the VPN session may be idle (no traffic):

      10-30 minutes (Varies by VPN profile)

    Session time i.e. Maximum duration of the session:

      480-600 minutes (8-10 hours)

    Reminder time i.e. Warning issued x minutes before the session is closed:

      5-10 minutes

  6. What does Client Services require from clients reporting an VPN problem?

    7. When reporting a problem to Client Services please provide the following:

    • Detailed problem description
    • Date/time of problem or event
    • VPN Profile name (For example: vpnyork or vpnfw1, etc.)
    • Full URL exactly as configured in your Pulse Secure client.

  7. I see a pop-up message saying that Host Checker has failed and I need a current Anti Virus software. What should I do?

    8. While you can skip the message and continue on to connecting with VPN, we recommend that you download the latest version of Anti Virus and run a system scan before continuing to connect with VPN.

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