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Using the VPN with Mac OS X

Using Snow Leopard OS 10.6?

Cisco's VPN client comes built-in to this version of the OS. You do not need to proceed with the instructions on this page and should, instead, follow the instructions at www.bu.edu/tech/help/vpn/snowleopard.


Using the Cisco VPN client with previous versions of Mac OS X

  1. Download the appropriate version of the client from the choices below, then proceed with Step 2.

    2. Download Version 4.9.01.0030
    This version is current as of 14 February 2007
    This client runs on Mac OS X version 10.4 "Tiger" or later ONLY. This version is a Universal Binary and will work with BOTH PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

    OR

    Download version 4.8.00.0490
    This version is current as of 3 January 2006
    This client runs on Mac OS X version 10.2 or later, including Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger". This version DOES NOT run on Intel-based Macs. You should only use this version if you are running a version of Max OS X that is not supported by the newer client above. We do not offer a VPN client for Mac OS 9.

  2. When you download the VPN installer, it should automatically be decompressed by your browser and mounted on your desktop as a disk named CiscoVPNClient. Open this disk and launch the installer. The installer will require that you have administrative access to the machine.
  3. After the installation is complete, you should restart your computer -- especially if you are upgrading from an older version of the VPN Client.
  4. Ensure that you have an active network connection. You must have an active network connection in order for the VPN client to connect.
  5. Launch the VPNClient, which is located in /Applications/.
  6. Select your current location from the list. There are three location presets distributed with the client:

    bu-oncampus: This is what you should use if you are on BU's Charles River Campus and you are trying to connect via wireless.

    bu-offcampus: This is what you should use if you are connected to a different ISP, via dial up, or cable modem, or DSL.

    bu-offcampus-nat: This is what you should use if, in addition to using a different ISP, you are behind a firewall or a router that does NAT (Network Address Translation).

  7. Once you have selected the appropriate location, click the "Connect" button. The client will connect, and you will be prompted for your BU login name and Kerberos password.
  8. You must keep the client open for the duration of your session. When you have finished using the connection, click the "Disconnect" button.

Troubleshooting

The VPN client needs an existing connection over which to create its secure link.

This means that if you use a wireless connection, you must already be associated with an access point before launching the client. For more information on using the wireless network at BU, please see our wireless networking page. Similarly, if you are using a modem, you must dial first, then launch the VPN client.

If your connection is not active prior to launching the VPN client, you will receive an error message stating that the client "Could not attach to driver. Is kernel module loaded?"