Environment
Canvas Learning Management System (LMS)
Issue
Can Canvas be accessed from any international location?
Resolution
Canvas is available anywhere in the world except for the five countries listed below, where it is directly blocked: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Basics-Guide/Which-countries-are-restricted-from-using-Canvas/ta-p/27
- Crimea region in Ukraine
- Cuba
- Iran
- North Korea
- Syria
Instructure (Canvas vendor) has prohibited usage in these locations due to government regulations.
Additional Information
It might be possible for U-M faculty, students, and staff to connect to U-M first, then connect to the service provider you need to use. VPN and Virtual Sites are two services directly used for this type of pass-through to support university functions.
- VPN
- If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is blocking typical IPSEC VPN ports like TCP 500, 4500 & 10,000, you can attempt to use the SSL client by pointing your browser at https://umvpn.umnet.umich.edu, which will require TCP port 443. This should be open for most ISPs.
- Virtual Sites
While these tools work well in most places, there are countries that may specifically block VPN connections or have local regulations on how the Internet can be used. We recommend following their approved methods for access (do not try to illegally bypass these enforcements). These will likely be encountered with any technology service used for hosting classroom or meeting activities, so it is not a service-specific issue.
For other services that may tie into Canvas or may be used in a classroom setting (such as Zoom), we have the following guidance on our Safe Computing site that lists known issues:
Need additional information or assistance? Contact the ITS Service Center.