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Set-up and Use of Virtual Private Network under Linux

You choose between the UGent Cisco ASA VPN (Anyconnect client), OR an Open Source solution (on Ubuntu, Fedora) .

Open Source solution on Ubuntu

For the older versions it is possible to set up a VPN connection using the Cisco VPN Client (via IPsec). Linux users no longer have to rely on the Cisco VPN Client software to set up a VPN connection.

For quite some time the open source package vpnc was a fine alternative.
However, at present a new and user-friendly piece of software has been developed for the network-manager in Ubuntu to set up a VPN connection on your Ubuntu distribution, i.e. the package network-manager-vpnc. Below you will find the installation procedure.

As from Ubuntu 6.01 network-manager and network-manager-gnome are installed by default, so these packages normally don't have to be installed. The only thing you have to install, is the plug-in/package network-manager-vpnc.

Ubuntu, command line

Installation

sudo apt-get install network-manager-vpnc

Configuration

Copy default setting to ugent specific version (example.conf in older versions)

sudo cp /etc/vpnc/default.conf /etc/vpnc/ugent.conf

Example content:

IPSec gateway rtrvpn.ugent.be

IPSec ID ipsecclient

IPSec secret cisco123

Xauth username UGent username

Xauth password UGent password

To start the connection

sudo vpnc-connect /etc/vpnc/ugent.conf

To stop the connection

sudo vpnc-disconnect

Remarks

• There are volume restrictions when using VPN.
• If you installed a firewall you need to configure it well in order to have the VPN connections pass through.
• If the above solution not succeed you can try the following:
  First in terminal

  sudo apt-get install network-manager-openconnect-gnome

  and then over 'Connections' startup VPN.
• There is an update for vpnc available at http://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~massar/vpnc/. At release 0.4 rekeying has been added, which ensures the connection not to disconnect after approximately eight hours.
• In case of VPN problems, send us your IP configuration so we can find out what went wrong.