To access the editing interface on campus-level WordPress sites (i.e. the campus website URL with a path of /wp-admin/ after it), a user needs to connect to the site from either a registered device on a campus network, or if off-campus by using the Remote Access VPN. If they do not meet one of these conditions, they will see a “403 Forbidden” error when trying to reach the editor.
Detailed Information
Connection issues can be diagnosed by finding the IP address that the client is using to connect to the site. To do this, direct a user to one of these tools, depending on which campus site they’re trying to edit:
It is important to confirm at the same time that the user still can’t connect to the WordPress editor, as IP addresses change for various reasons. It would be possible for a user to have a valid IP address now, though they could not connect earlier from a different IP address.
If the user is on campus
Devices on campus need to be registered on a UMS network. If they are, the first two numbers in the IP address will be among the following:
- 10.96.x.x
- 10.98.x.x
- 130.111.x.x
- 141.114.x.x
- 100.66.x.x
- 100.67.x.x
If the IP address starts with 209.222.24.x, then the device is on the guest wireless and needs to be registered on the network instead.
If the IP address starts with different numbers, potential reasons might include that the user is on a cellular connection or otherwise not connected to a UMS network. In this case, the solution is to get them connected to a UMS network, or they are effectively "off campus" and could use the VPN.
If the user is off campus
A user off campus needs to be connected to the Remote Access VPN. For more information on setting this up, a user can be directed to the TDX article How to Connect Remotely using the Remote Access VPN.
Devices connected through the Remove Access VPN will have an IP address that starts with 10.98.x.x. If their IP address starts with any other numbers, they are not connecting to the website through that VPN, so the solution is to resolve the VPN issue on that device.
Users have reported in some cases that they are connected through the VPN but their IP address does not start with 10.98.x.x. In those cases, however, the VPN was either not set up correctly, or the user had installed it but did not actually connect to the VPN.
Other Common Connection Questions
The WordPress editor login uses the editor’s UMS account, the same as is used for myCampus, MaineStreet, and other UMS services. If a user can’t log into WordPress, troubleshooting would involve the same general steps as anywhere else:
- Can they log into other systems that use the UMS account?
- Are they mistyping their password?
- Are they including @maine.edu in the username, though it should not be included?
- Is a password manager auto-filling an old password?
- Is the CAPS LOCK key on?
If a user can connect to the editor login screen and log in, but doesn’t have access to edit any pages, then they would need to contact their campus site owner, which is usually the campus Marketing department. The contact information for each campus is listed on the page Requesting Support for Campus Public Websites. IT does not provide editor access or decide who should have access to campus websites.
Environment
This content relates to the following campus-level WordPress sites:
- UM: umaine.edu
- UMA: www.uma.edu
- UMF: www.umf.maine.edu
- UMM: machias.edu
- UMPI: www.umpi.edu
- UMS: www.maine.edu
- USM: usm.maine.edu
- Maine Law: mainelaw.maine.edu
- (Does NOT apply to UMFK)
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