UT VPN is needed if you are trying to access university resources (such as the group server) outside of the university (such as when you are home).

See how to setup UT VPN here:

Accessing Academic Resources

If you want to search papers when outside the university network, simply connecting a VPN won’t do.

A dumb way is to remote into the Server and then search on the Server. A smarter way can be found here:

LibGuides: Electronic Resources: Troubleshooting: Off-Campus Access Issues

Quick version: on the website for a specific paper, copy and paste the following prefix before the address http://ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/login?url= and hit enter. The website will then be reloaded via the university network.