VPN connected but cannot see some files on server

Then VPN has nothing to do with your issue. It is a access or policy or server security issue that needs to be addressed by your IT Staff.

I'm not sure you understand what a VPN is. A VPN changes your apparent public IP, it has nothing to do with file sharing, unless of course you use some other file sharing service over a VPN. If you're looking to transfer files to and from a server of some kind, a protocol like FTP or SFTP would be what you are looking for. VPNs don't affect Bonjour servers, or any other file sharing system.

You're going to need to provide some more information.

For example, is this a corporate or university server that requires a work/school provided VPN client to access when you are not at that location? Or do you simply use macOS built-in VPN ability that you configured to access the network?

Or is this a file-sharing server on your network where you are physically located (that shouldn't actually even require VPN access since you are already at that location in person)?

Do you know what type of server it is at all?

Are you able to upload a file to the server and have it show up for you? Like can you upload a file to it via Windows successfully, and if so is your MacBook Air able to see that particular file at least?

And finally, have you been able to access it before from your MacBook Air successfully, or is this the first time?

UltraProgrammer wrote:

I'm not sure you understand what a VPN is. A VPN changes your apparent public IP, it has nothing to do with file sharing, unless of course you use some other file sharing service over a VPN. If you're looking to transfer files to and from a server of some kind, a protocol like FTP or SFTP would be what you are looking for. VPNs don't affect Bonjour servers, or any other file sharing system.

I think you are the one who does not understand what a VPN is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network

I don't know what to say if your IT Staff do not know why a computer on their network can not access certain files. We don;t have access to your corporate network or its policies. Your computer should be seen as being on the network the same as any other computer on the network. Does it work if you are in the office and connect to the network, probably not because when connecting over the VPN it is as though you are connecting locally, unless of course there is a missconfiguration or restricted access policy on the corporate end of the connection.

Probably but it could be any of their security policies. We don't know how they set up their network and security.

We don't know anything about those files and their access restrictions.

You need to talk with your company IT Admin staff. If you are connecting to your corporate network over VPN your computer should be seen as being on the corporate network and you should have the same access as any other computer on the network. There may be some network access or other restrictions set up.