IP Authentication: Setup, Removal, and SAML Differences

This article explains how IP authentication is configured and how it behaves compared with SAML SSO, plus the practical steps to enable or remove IP-based access.

What does IP authentication do and how does it identify users?

IP authentication grants access based on the device IP address. It recognises devices by their network IP rather than by individual login credentials.

How does IP authentication affect user differentiation and features?

IP authentication does not differentiate between staff and students because access is determined by device IP. Because users are not recognised as individual accounts when accessing via IP, features that require per-user recognition—such as bookmark saving—will not work for users signed in via IP authentication.

What are the implications of using IP authentication alongside SAML SSO?

You can enable both methods, but using IP authentication alongside SAML SSO creates an inconsistent user experience: users signing in via SAML are recognised as individuals, while users accessing by IP are not. Expect functional differences (for example, bookmarking and individualized access) between the two methods.

How do I enable IP authentication for my institution?

1. Confirm the IP ranges (CIDR blocks or individual IPs) you want to grant access to.
2. Provide those IP ranges to the support team.
3. The support team will add the supplied IP ranges (or Proxy IP) to your account configuration and enable IP-based access.

How do I disable or remove IP authentication?

1. Confirm that you want IP-based access removed.
2. Instruct the support or provisioning team to delete the IP ranges previously configured for your account.
3. The support team will remove the IP ranges from the system, leaving only your other configured authentication methods (for example, SAML SSO).

What should I check if users cannot access the site?

• Confirm whether the user is on a network whose IP range is included in the configured IP ranges.
• If SAML SSO is configured and users are signing in for the first time via SSO, allow extra time for the account to be created on the platform during the initial sign-in.

Conclusion IP authentication provides convenient campus-wide access by device IP but does not provide individual user recognition and can cause inconsistencies when used alongside SAML SSO. To enable or remove IP access, supply or confirm the IP ranges with the support team so they can update your account configuration.