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EPSS Department VPN (WireGuard) — User Setup Guide

By Omar Abuassaf

EPSS Department VPN (WireGuard) — User Setup Guide

This guide walks EPSS department members through connecting to the EPSS Department VPN using WireGuard.

What you need

  • Your EPSS username and EPSS/AD password
  • A device (Windows, macOS, iPhone, or Android)
  • Internet connection

Step 1 — Go to the EPSS VPN Portal

  1. Open a web browser and go to: https://v.epss.ucla.edu
  2. Log in using:
    • Username: your EPSS username
    • Password: your EPSS/AD password

Step 2 — Create a New VPN Configuration

  1. On the portal page, locate New Configuration.
  2. For Profile / Type, choose: WireGuard.
  3. In the Name field, enter a label for your device, for example:
    • Laptop
    • Office-PC
    • iPhone
    • Android
  4. Click Create / Download to generate your configuration.

Tip: Create a separate profile for each device (e.g., one for your laptop and one for your phone).

Step 3 — Install WireGuard (Choose your device)

A) Windows (Recommended)

  1. Download WireGuard from: https://www.wireguard.com/install/
  2. Install WireGuard like a normal program.

Import your VPN profile (Windows)

  1. Open WireGuard.
  2. Click Add Tunnel.
  3. Select Import tunnel(s) from file.
  4. Choose the downloaded .conf file.
  5. Click Activate.

Connected? You should see the tunnel marked as Active and traffic counters increasing.

B) macOS

Install WireGuard

  1. Download WireGuard from:
    https://www.wireguard.com/install/
  2. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
  3. Drag WireGuard into the Applications folder.
  4. Open WireGuard from Applications.

Note: If WireGuard does not open, check System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Allow if prompted.

Method 1 — Import from File (.conf)

  1. Download the configuration file (.conf) from the EPSS VPN portal.
  2. Open WireGuard.
  3. Click Import Tunnel(s) from File.
  4. Select the downloaded file.
  5. Toggle the tunnel ON.

Method 2 — Add Configuration by Copy/Paste (Manual)

  1. On the EPSS VPN portal, create a WireGuard configuration.
  2. Click View or open the configuration details.
  3. Copy the full configuration text (it starts with [Interface] and includes [Peer]).
  4. Open WireGuard on your Mac.
  5. Click Add Empty Tunnel.
  6. Delete any existing text in the editor.
  7. Paste the configuration you copied.
  8. Give the tunnel a name (e.g., EPSS VPN).
  9. Click Save.
  10. Toggle the tunnel ON.

Connected? The tunnel should show Active and traffic should begin.

If WireGuard does not open on macOS

  • This may be due to macOS security or managed device restrictions.
  • If the app does not open or crashes, use the alternative below.

Alternative (Recommended if WireGuard fails)

  1. Download Tunnelblick:
    https://tunnelblick.net
  2. From the EPSS portal, create a configuration using:
    • OpenVPN (Prefer UDP)
  3. Download the file and double-click it to import.
  4. Click Connect.

C) iPhone / Android (Using QR Code)

  1. Install WireGuard from the App Store / Google Play.
  2. On the EPSS VPN portal, generate a WireGuard configuration and display the QR code.
  3. Open the WireGuard app and tap Add a tunnel.
  4. Select Create from QR code.
  5. Scan the QR code.
  6. Toggle the tunnel ON.

Step 4 — Verify It Works

  1. Keep WireGuard ON.
  2. Open the internal EPSS resource you were provided (example: internal apps/admin pages).

If it loads while VPN is ON, you are done ✅

Common Issues & Fixes

“It connects but nothing works”

  • Disconnect and reconnect WireGuard.
  • Confirm you imported the correct profile for the correct device.
  • If you recently changed your EPSS password, generate and download a new profile.

“I don’t see a download / it gave me OpenVPN instead”

  • Go back and make sure you selected WireGuard (not OpenVPN).

“I can’t log into the portal”

  • Verify your EPSS username/password works for other EPSS services.
  • If your password recently changed, try again or contact EPSS IT for help.

Need Help?

If you need help, please contact EPSS IT and include:

  • Your device type (Windows/macOS/iPhone/Android)
  • A screenshot of the error (if any)

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