vpn access for 64-bit windows users WHO ARE OFF CAMPUS
There is no Cisco VPN client available for Windows Vista 64-bit. On-campus wireless users should be able to use 802.1x instead. However, remote 64-bit users who need access to BU-restricted resources (such as Exchange servers) might find the following suggestions helpful. These workarounds were written by members of the BU community and are not officially supported; they are simply provided here for your convenience.
Suggestion 1
You should be able to use VPNC instead. This free VPN software is used on BU Linux, but the link below is a compilation of this program for 64-bit Windows.
A link to a 64-bit Windows compilation of VPNC, using Cygwin, is at http://rapidshare.com/files/146932256/vpnc_win32.rar.html
I believe you may need to install cygwin first, from www.cygwin.org
Click the link on the left for the "free user" download. There are other Win64 compilations of VPNC out there, too.
The settings you'll need to access BU's VPN server remotely are as follows:
- Host: vpn-offcampus.bu.edu
- Authentication:
Name: BostonU
Password: BostonU
Confirm password: BostonU
Suggestion 2
You can in fact get everything you would otherwise get out of the VPN by using SSH tunnels. Any port that's available only internally to BU can be forwarded through an SSH connection. So if you needed to get at a web site which is closed off to BU only, you could tunnel port 80 through the VPN. You can tunnel through acs.bu.edu if you'd like. Here's a tutorial for ssh tunneling on the free Windows program, Putty: http://oldsite.precedence.co.uk/nc/putty.html
Suggestion 3
I am doing this by running Microsoft's free Virtual PC. This is a perfect solution for those who are switching to a new computer with x64 Vista, but still have the start-up disks from a former OS (x86 Vista, for instance).
Due to compatibility issues with Vista, Microsoft has made Virtual PC available for download free on their website, which can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=28C97D22-6EB8-4A09-A7F7-F6C7A1F000B5&displaylang=en
After installing VPC as instructed, it then prompts for a boot-up disk. Simply pop whatever OS disk you plan on installing in the disk drive, but do nothing on the host machine (or close out of the "cancel or > allow" messages on Vista).
In the command prompt for Virtual PC, hit CD in the task bar, and select "Physical Drive" or something like that. The start-up disk will then run in the Virtual PC window. Install the OS as instructed, and you've got your own baby Vista (or whichever OS you choose) in a big Vista.
The next step is to be sure you're successfully connected to the internet in VPC. In the window that reads "Virtual PC Console" (not the actual Virtual PC window but the smaller one that opens with it) choose the VPC that you are running (there is probably only one), and hit Settings. Go to "Networking", and choose the appropriate adapter. If the internet is already ready to go on VPC, this means the correct adapter is already chosen.
Then, simply connect to the internet on your VPC, download the VPN client from the IT Help Center web site as normal, install it as normal, and there you have it.