Workaround identified and communicated and documented.
Posted Jun 04, 2026 - 15:48 EDT
Identified
We have identified the cause of this morning's GlobalProtect connection problem affecting some Mac users. Most users were unaffected, and all other services have been operating normally throughout.
The issue affects Macs whose device name contains a space or a special character (for example, "Jane's MacBook" or "MacBook Pro (4)"). On those devices, GlobalProtect completes the login but does not finish connecting. Macs with a simple device name, and all Windows devices, are not affected.
How to fix it
1. On your Mac, open the Apple menu and go to System Settings > General > About. 2. Find the Name field and change it so it contains only letters, numbers, and hyphens. Remove any spaces, apostrophes, parentheses, or other special characters (underscores should also be avoided). For example, change "Jane's MacBook Pro" to "Janes-MacBook-Pro". 3. Restart your Mac. The change does not take full effect until you reboot. 4. Open GlobalProtect and connect again.
We are aware that some users, primarily on Mac, are unable to connect to the GlobalProtect VPN following maintenance performed last night. Most users are connecting normally, and all other network services are operating as expected.
This backup method works on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. It is not available on Windows. Windows users should continue to use GlobalProtect and are not expected to be affected.
If you need assistance, contact the Help Desk at (617) 824-8080 or helpdesk@emerson.edu.