KU Leuven from home

The three major ways to access e-sources with KU Leuven access from home:

 

Easier
Less access

Lean Library Extension

KU Leuven information here, download here

Browser extension that automatically detects pages of digital sources with KU Leuven subscriptions and reloads URL through temporary, single-use VPN connection

Advantages: Very easy; automatic

Disadvantages:

  • Not all browsers / platforms (e.g. android);
  • Only KUL resources, no internal departmental webpages
  • Can (seldomly) cause problems when accessing e-source pages

Manually using EZ proxy

Find it here

Webpage where you can paste a link to a website you want to visit as if on a KU Leuven computer (also with bookmarklet)

Advantages: easy; on all platforms

Disadvantages:

  • Manual intervention
  • Only KUL resources, no internal departmental webpages

VPN / SSH Remote Access

Find info here,
see Putty for a windows SSH Client

Virtually connect to the local network available in Celestijnenlaan 200A through software or SSH tunnel

Advantages:

  • Exactly as if you were plugged in at your office.
  • Access both e-sources and internal departmental webpages
  • Even the network attached storage devices at CW or printers

Disadvantages:

  • Manual intervention necessary
  • More difficult one-time setup
Host tunnel
        Hostname ssh.cs.kuleuven.be
        User mattv
        Compression yes
        ForwardAgent yes
        IdentitiesOnly yes
        IdentityFile ~/.ssh/krr
        AddKeysToAgent yes
        DynamicForward 8080
        LocalForward 139 samba.cs.kuleuven.be:139

Example Configuration for SSH

Only an example: Change User, IdentityFile, Hostname, ...

DynamicForward 8080 allows to set up your computer network settings with a SOCKS proxy on localhost 8080

LocalForward 139 allows setup of departmental printers etc.

Format of SSH Config file: /home/user/.ssh/config on linux

Final thoughts

Printing is also possible from:
Ground floor printers (ckprint) - Login with Central Login
Printers on other floors (csprint) - Login with departmental account

deck

By Matthias van der Hallen