One Last Request for VPN Help

tinyballz · 01-24-06, 08:04 PM

I've been trying to get my x51v to work with my university's wireless network since I got it and, despite a few helpful posts, have had no success.

The network has VPN security, but Penn State's website doesnt have anything listed about configuration settings for the network because they just tell you to download their free pre-configured Cisco VPN Client (obviously not pocket pc compatible

).

Here's what I know about the network based on the VPN client I downloaded from the university site:

I have the Group Authentication Name and Password
Host (mobility.mk.psu.edu)
"Enable Transparent Tunneling" is checked.
"IPSec over UDP (NAT/PAT)" is checked.

Thats it. Now I tried entering this information into Dell's VPN client in several different combinations, but I admit that I dont know a whole lot about networking so I could just be entering information wrong.

I connect to the wireless network fine but cant access internet or anything else. When I try using VPN it gives me an error and says "check VPN settings". Theres no pop-up window that says "Enter User ID and Password" like on the Cisco desktop client (the user ID is my student ID and password, not the general Group Name and password that is preconfigured). I dont know how to enter both the general user ID / password and my specific student ID / password into the axim, and theres no nice little pop-up box...

Like I said, I dont know a whole lot about networking so I have no clue what "IPSec over UDP" or NAT/PAT means, so theres a good chance Im putting in my info wrong, but I dunno perhaps additional software is necessary. I also read someone saying that Oddessy Client could be used to connect to VPN as well... would I need to use that for this network?

If anyone could maybe translate these settings from Cisco VPN Client into "Axim language" and help me out with how to connect to the network I would be EXTREMELY grateful.

Any help on this matter is appreciated.

Sean

mad0865 · 01-24-06, 08:07 PM

Originally Posted by tinyballz

I've been trying to get my x51v to work with my university's wireless network since I got it and, despite a few helpful posts, have had no success.

The network has VPN security, but Penn State's website doesnt have anything listed about configuration settings for the network because they just tell you to download their free pre-configured Cisco VPN Client (obviously not pocket pc compatible

).

Here's what I know about the network based on the VPN client I downloaded from the university site:

I have the Group Authentication Name and Password
Host (mobility.mk.psu.edu)
"Enable Transparent Tunneling" is checked.
"IPSec over UDP (NAT/PAT)" is checked.

Thats it. Now I tried entering this information into Dell's VPN client in several different combinations, but I admit that I dont know a whole lot about networking so I could just be entering information wrong.

I connect to the wireless network fine but cant access internet or anything else. When I try using VPN it gives me an error and says "check VPN settings". Theres no pop-up window that says "Enter User ID and Password" like on the Cisco desktop client (the user ID is my student ID and password, not the general Group Name and password that is preconfigured). I dont know how to enter both the general user ID / password and my specific student ID / password into the axim, and theres no nice little pop-up box...

Like I said, I dont know a whole lot about networking so I have no clue what "IPSec over UDP" or NAT/PAT means, so theres a good chance Im putting in my info wrong, but I dunno perhaps additional software is necessary. I also read someone saying that Oddessy Client could be used to connect to VPN as well... would I need to use that for this network?

If anyone could maybe translate these settings from Cisco VPN Client into "Axim language" and help me out with how to connect to the network I would be EXTREMELY grateful.

Any help on this matter is appreciated.

Sean

Sorry to hear your troubles, as I'm having the same within my company as well. If they don't have a VPN client for a PPC, I don't see how you will connect. The client is what creates the secure tunnel between your remote device (ie: laptop, desktop, ppc) to the lan. My firewall people tell me the same, no client, no connect, have a nice day.

tinyballz · 01-24-06, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by mad0865

Sorry to hear your troubles, as I'm having the same within my company as well. If they don't have a VPN client for a PPC, I don't see how you will connect. The client is what creates the secure tunnel between your remote device (ie: laptop, desktop, ppc) to the lan. My firewall people tell me the same, no client, no connect, have a nice day.

Thanks for the quick reply.

Does this mean that Dell's built-in VPN client can't be configured to connect to the school's network? If it can connect, the Im doing something wrong with the settings...

Also what about Oddessy having built in VPN client supposedly?

morph166955 · 01-24-06, 08:25 PM

i would like to know this also. i have a need to create vpn connections at school also (they are running cisco vpn hardware incase that helps anyone). i also would like to be able to connect to my work vpn while on a wireless setup also. Any help appreciated.

01-24-06, 08:34 PM

I'm wondering if you aren't trying to fight a battle you don't need to. A VPN connection is used to securely connect a foreign network (such as your home) to a secure network (office or school LAN). If you are connecting to the wireless LAN at the office/school, you don't need VPN. If the wireless network is being treated as a foreign network, such as the "guest network" where I work, then you would need the VPN because you are coming from an unsecure network into a secure network.

I can't help with a VPN client for the PPC, I don't know of one that even exists. Plus, unless you can get the network security guys to configure it for you, it probably wouldn't work. The settings and passwords and keys are what makes it secure and I've never heard of anyplace that information is given out to people outside of security...... Sorry for all the bad news, but that is the way it is in large networks.

tinyballz · 01-24-06, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by drowe

The settings and passwords and keys are what makes it secure and I've never heard of anyplace that information is given out to people outside of security

I see what you're saying about thats what makes it secure, but on the PC VPN client you have to enter your Student ID and password. This makes it so that only university students and faculty can access the network, which is exactly what they intended for their security. My problem is, I cant figure out where to enter my student ID and password on the axim's built in VPN client.

mad0865 · 01-24-06, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by tinyballz

I see what you're saying about thats what makes it secure, but on the PC VPN client you have to enter your Student ID and password. This makes it so that only university students and faculty can access the network, which is exactly what they intended for their security. My problem is, I cant figure out where to enter my student ID and password on the axim's built in VPN client.

What you fail to mention is what is on your PC that's allowing you to access the VPN? Are you going to a web page? There has to be something that's creating the tunnel to access the campus network. Most of the time its a client that's requesting input (ie: userid/pswd, secureid keyfob, etc). If it were that easy, anyone would be able to access the network which I'm sure they're preventing.

tinyballz · 01-24-06, 11:27 PM

Here are some pics of the VPN client I use on my desktop to connect to the wireless. The first two pics show my settings, and the third pic shows the box that comes up when I hit connect (notice the need for two different user names... PennState and then my student ID). I dont quite know what youre asking but maybe these answer your question?

*note - the third pic shows the same box that comes up for the wireless network but its for a different network. Im not on campus right now so I just used that to show you an identical box to show what i meant by multiple log ons.

lostboy · 01-24-06, 11:52 PM

The Client that comes with the Axim doesn't support IPSec tunnels.

It only supports PPTP or Microsofts implimentation of IPSec over a L2TP Tunnel.
Unfortunatly unless you can find a Cisco client or a 3rd party clint for the PPC that supports Cisco IPSec tunnels you are not going to be able to connect.

Sorry I don't have any better news

mad0865 · 01-24-06, 11:53 PM

The pictures say it all. You need a Cisco Pix PPC client, which as far as I know one does not exist. Sorry.

sti7 · 01-25-06, 01:20 AM

Try the bluefire vpn client. It is supposed to do exactly what you want. They have a trial version.

www.bluefiresecurity.com

Having said that, I can't make it work...

Steve

sblive · 01-25-06, 01:39 AM

I just graduate from Penn State last year and I can confirm that getting an axim to work on the Penn State network is impossible. I've tried all sorts of clients but nothing works. :(

01-25-06, 07:06 AM

There are two VPN products that will work with WM5 and Cisco VPN switches. Both should work given you set them up correctly. One is the Bluefire Mobile and the other is NCP Secure. (NCP Secure requires a registar hack to re-enable Activesync after it is loaded.) You need to know the IKE Policy and the IPSEC policy and have them set correctly before you can connect. One method is the try all variations and watch the log file to see how far you get into connecting. The other method and perfered is to talk to the IT people and have them provide the settings. In the advanced options you need to set the Agressive mode to get the second ID, Password screen to come up.
I have no experience with connecting to an University VPN but use it to connect to my work VPN. I had to do it by trial and error and some help from the NCP people. My IT people on site did not even know how to spell VPN.

tinyballz · 01-25-06, 07:09 AM

Thanks to everyone for your help. I feel better knowing that I cant do it rather than thinking i can and not knowing how (couldnt get bluefire to work either).

On the bright side, it looks like this will be a good enough excuse to sign up for a data connect plan with Cingular.

Thanks for the posts.
Sean

01-25-06, 07:57 AM

I found a link that shows a software that supposedly will work with any Cisco product. Here is the link https://hdc.tamu.edu/reference/docum...section_id=291
However I do not know if it will work with WM5. Let me know if this helps. There are screen shots showing group name and password, as well as user name and password.