Verifying Always On VPN Connection

Explains how employees can verify whether their state‑owned device is connected to Microsoft Always On VPN using the network icon in the Windows notification area.

Overview

This article shows how Minnesota State University, Mankato employees can check if their device is connected to Microsoft Always On VPN (AoVPN).

State-Owned Devices: Equipment provided to university employees and managed by Minnesota State University, Mankato. The steps, tools, or solutions in this article may not work on personal devices due to administrative restrictions or licensing requirements. 

Check VPN Status from the Taskbar

1. Go to the bottom-right corner of your screen (near the clock).
2. Select the network icon:
   • Wi-Fi icon (if using wireless), or
   • Ethernet icon (if using a wired connection)
3. In the list of connections, look for:
   MNSU Always On VPN
4. Check the status:
   • If connected, it will show Connected under the name

Notes

• You may need to select MNSU Always On VPN to view the status on some versions of Windows 10
• The Disconnect button may appear but does not work. This is expected behavior

Outcome

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