We have updated KAUST's residential network to strengthen the security of academic, research, and business data, while keeping campus resources accessible for the entire community. We recognize this may require a small adjustment for those who regularly access internal resources from home, and we have worked to make the transition as simple as possible.
Most residents: no action needed.
If you are a student, faculty member, or staff who accesses internal University resources from home, such as lab systems, P-Drive, or non-public KAUST websites, you will need to connect to KAUST VPN before doing so.
Not set up on VPN yet? See the guides at the bottom of this page to get started.
This update applies to all campus residential networks. If you live in a University campus residential neighborhood, your home network is included in this change.
As of April 20, 2025, the University's network has been separated from the residential network in your home. Security controls have also been introduced to better protect academic and business systems and data.
For usual home activities:
Residents of KAUST residential neighborhoods, including The Palms, Safaa Gardens, Safaa Harbor, Safaa Island, and Safaa Oasis.
For academic or business-related activities at home:
KAUST students, faculty, and staff.
Students, faculty, employees, residents, dependents, and visitors can still access the internet and all official KAUST services, whether published internally or externally, both on campus and at home. This includes websites, applications, and University digital resources.
If you are a student, faculty member, or staff and need to access internal academic or business resources from your home network, such as lab servers, office workstations, or instruments, you will need to connect to KAUST VPN first.
Please also note: systems or applications located within KAUST residential neighborhoods are not accessible from the University campus network. If you need to use them from campus, the device will need to be physically moved to the campus network.
The primary goal is to strengthen the security of University academic, research, and business systems and data.
There is no impact on internet access from your home network. KAUST published websites, including TheLENS, Campus and Community, and the IT website, remain fully accessible from home, whether connected by wire or wirelessly.
Dependents, including spouses, children, domestic help, and personal visitors, can access the internet and KAUST published websites without any changes.
To access internal University resources, such as KAUST P-Drive, from your home network, connect to KAUST VPN first. Once connected, you will be authenticated and can access those resources as normal.
To access lab workstations or instruments remotely from your home, connect to KAUST VPN first. Authentication through the VPN is required before access is granted.
If a resource, webpage, or system is not accessible from your home network and you have a valid academic or business reason for needing access, please open a ticket with the IT Service Desk by calling 012-808-0910 or through VITA, the IT Chatbot.
If you have manually configured your DNS settings to use the old KAUST DNS addresses (10.254.1.51 and 10.254.1.52), please update them. You can either set DNS to Automatic or update manually to the new addresses (10.127.6.51 and 10.127.6.52).
As a general best practice, keeping your DNS settings on Automatic is recommended for reliable connectivity.
You can refer to the guides below:
Yes. KAUST VPN is available on mobile devices. If you need to access internal University resources from your phone or tablet while at home, you can connect to the VPN the same way you would on a laptop or desktop.
Refer to the KAUST VPN Guide for setup instructions. If you run into any issues, please contact the IT Service Desk at 012-808-0910 or through VITA, the IT Chatbot.
No. If you were already using KAUST VPN, your existing setup will continue to work. No reconfiguration is needed.
No. Devices connected to your home network for personal use, including smart TVs, printers, streaming devices, and other connected home devices, are not affected by this change. They will continue to work as normal.
