Virtual Private Network

Case Computer Help
Help Desk

VPN allows you to remotely connect to the Case network. When this is done, you are allowed to access services as if you were actually on Case's Wired Network. Some services, such as the Software Center require that you be on the Wired Network or have a VPN connection in order to use them.

Only active members of the university may use the VPN service. Alumni do not have access to VPN.

Contents

[edit] Instructions

[edit] Obtaining Clients

In order to connect to VPN, you need a VPN client. The VPN client can be obtained from

[edit] Windows

[edit] Cisco client (preferred)

  1. Download the client from one of the locations listed above
  2. Run the downloaded file (usually by double-clicking on it)
  3. Click Next to go through all the installation prompts. The default settings should be acceptable for most setups
  4. If prompted by Windows to allow system changes, say Yes
  5. Click Finish to exit the installer
  6. Reboot your machine
  7. The VPN client should be available through through Start -> Programs -> Cisco Systems VPN Client -> VPN Client
  8. To connect, click the Connect button
  9. You will be prompted for your Case Network ID and password. Enter them
  10. When you have successfully connected, a gold lock will appear in the taskbar in the lower right part of your screen

[edit] XP built-in client

[edit] Windows Vista

Currently, (February 15, 2007) the VPN client supplied by the university will not install in Vista. The following steps will allow you to use VPN under Vista.

It has also been reported that the current VPN client causes hangs on some Windows XP SP2 installations. Installing this version may fix the issue.

  1. Grab the latest Windows client from this third-party website and install it
  2. Download CaseVPN.pcf from https://vpnsetup.case.edu
  3. Launch the VPN client and import the CaseVPN.pcf file
  4. This fix should only be needed until Case deploys a client newer than version 4.8.02.0100

Information obtained from [1]

[edit] OS X

Use the Cisco VPN client from http://vpnsetup.case.edu/.

If you are a command-line (Terminal) user and you have anything in your /opt directory, you should back it up before installing the Cisco VPN client.

[edit] Linux

[edit] Cisco client (preferred)

Anybody with an account on an on-campus linux machine can get to the software center by using any web browser tunnelled through an X + ssh session. This allows linux users to avoid usage of the VPN altogether, as there isn't much linux software available from the Software Center anyway. This is also a useful way to access the library, IEEE, ACM, and similar databases from off-campus. ssh tunneling is VPN before it was called VPN, and without the clunky software.

[edit] VPNC

[edit] Ubuntu
  1. Install the vpnc client
    sudo apt-get install vpnc
  2. Download the CaseVPN.pcf from https://vpnsetup.case.edu
  3. Create the vpnc configuration settings file by using your favorite text editor
    IPSEC gateway vpn3000.case.edu
    IPSEC ID Case
    IPSec secret vpn4case
    Xauth username Your_Case_ID
    Xauth password Your_Password
    Local Port 0
  4. Including the 'Xauth' options will automatically log you into the VPN. 'Local Port 0' specifies the use of a random port for each connection. You can change the '0' to a specific port, if you desire. You may leave out any of these options from your config file; if they are required, you will be prompted at the command line for them.
  5. Save this new file as /etc/vpnc/default.conf
    • You may need to be in root mode to save to this folder depending on what your security settings are
    • Using the filename 'default.conf' will allow for ease of use
  6. Connect to the Case VPN
    sudo vpnc
    • If you saved your configuration settings file as anything other than default.conf, you will need to specify it:
      sudo vpnc yoursettingsfile.conf
  7. To disconnect from the VPN
    sudo vpnc-disconnect
    You may have to do this before being able to successfully hibernate.
[edit] Ubuntu 8.04 and Beyond
  1. Vpnc has been integrated with network-manager. To enable this functionality, install the network-manager-vpnc package. You can import the .pcf file from vpnsetup.case.edu using the manager.
[edit] Gentoo Linux
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This page was last modified 13:55, May 14, 2009 by Tipakorn Greigarn.
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