VPN Instructions for MAC users
FAQs and Troubleshooting
Mapping Network Drives
Configuring Outlook for Exchange
After reading these installation instructions, click on the "Download VPN Client" link found further down on this page.
When you click on “Download VPN Client”, using Internet Explorer, a box appears giving you the option to Open or Save. (Netscape users need to select Save).
If the Save option is chosen, you should make note of where the file is saved to (or select your own location for Saving by selecting the location in the “Save in:” box ). Once the save is complete, go to the location where the file was saved and click on the appropriate file to install the software.
If the Open option is chosen, the setup program, which installs the VPN client, will be run automatically and there is no need to specify a save location.
Accept all defaults during the install.
It is highly recommended that all other applications be closed during the install so that work is not lost — during the install network connectivity may be temporarily dropped causing some applications to fail.
Once the installation has concluded, you may be required to restart your computer.
To access your Windows Access folders, you will need to first connect to the internet using your ISP and then start VPN: click on Start -> Programs -> UAlbanyVPN client -> VPN client (For Vista users, click on Start -> All Programs -> Cicso Systems VPN Client -> VPN client).
Click the appropriate Connection entry:
To use VPN from Home, click on " UAlbany from home", unless you have
a router installed or are using a wireless connection on your home network.
You would then select "UAlbany from home using Router".
Click Connect. You will be prompted for a username and password. The username is your NetID and the password is your Windows Network Access password.
Once you have completed your internet session, click on the the VPN icon in your dock and click disconnect.
You must run VPN each time you wish to access your files on campus. If you have not started VPN before starting your browser, you will be unable to connect to your network drives or access your Exchange mail.
| To download VPN for Windows Vista, click here |  |
| To download VPN for Windows 2000 and XP, click here | 
|
Download software from the link below.
Open the disk image file “macvpn49.dmg” or "macvpn48.dmg" on your Desktop by double-clicking it. (Note: some web browsers do this step automatically after download.)
Double-click the newly mounted image “CiscoVPNClient” on your Desktop.
In the window that
appears, double-click the “Cisco VPN Client” package.
Follow the instructions for installing the software.
Open the Applications folder by pressing Command-Shift-A.
Double-click the “VPNClient” icon.
To use VPN from Home, the second entry, “ UAlbany from home” is the proper entry, unless you have a router installed or are using a wireless connection on your home network. You would then select "UAlbany from home using Router”. Select the proper entry and click "Connect".
You will be prompted for a username and password. The username is your NetID and the password is your Windows Network Access password.
Once you have completed your internet session, click on the VPN icon in the dock and click on Disconnect.
To download VPN ver 4.9.0 1 from home for Mac OS 10.4 and higher including Leopard, click here 
To download VPN ver 4.9 from home for Intel-based MACs, click here
To download VPN ver 4.8 from home for PowerPC MACs, click here
Problem:
After the computer wakes up from sleep, I get one of the following errors:
Secure VPN Connection terminated locally by the Client.
Reason 422: Lost contact
with the security gateway. Check your network connection.
Warning 201:
The necessary VPN sub-system is not available. You can not connect to the
remote VPN server.
Solution: When the computer goes into “Sleep” mode, your VPN connection is terminated. You must reconnect and re-enter your NetID and password.
Problem:
On my MAC the VPN client displays an error message window and I can't
close it.
Solution: If the VPN client doesn't
respond, go to the Apple menu, select “Force Quit”, click “VPNClient”, and
click the “Force Quit” button. Re-open the VPN Client program and try
again.
Problem:
After I enter my NetID and password, the VPN client's status bar says
“Contacting the security gateway” and it takes a long time to
connect.
Solution: You may have entered your
NetID and password incorrectly. Click “Cancel connect” and try
again.
Problem:
I can’t get past the login box.
Solution:
Either your Username or Password are incorrect. Recall that the Username
is your NetID and the Windows Network Access Password. If you do not remember your password,
you may change it by going to the ITS homepage at www.albany.edu/its and clicking on Password Set/Reset.
Problem:
What are the other Connection Entries for?
Solution:
The first entry, “UA Wireless on Campus”, is what you need
for wireless access on campus.
The second entry, “UAlbany from home”,
is for home users who need to access their Windows Network Access drives. Please note that
you must have your own Internet Service Provider – this Connection Entry
is not providing internet service. The login for this Connection Entry is
your Windows Network Access id and Windows Network Access password.
The third entry, “UAlbany from home using
Router”, is for home users who need to access their Windows Network Access drives and who use
a router or wireless at home. Please note that you must have your own
Internet Service Provider – this Connection Entry is not providing
internet service. The login for this Connection Entry is your Windows Network Access id and
Windows Network Access password.
If you have a fourth entry, “University at Albany”, then
you probably installed VPN for home at a previous time. You should ignore
or delete this entry.
Problem: VPN does not work with Windows XP SP2
If you install the Cisco VPN client and attempt to connect with the Windows XP SP2 firewall enabled (the default setting) the VPN client cannot connect to the VPN server. You will get an error message similar to the one below:
Solution: Add Cicso VPN Client to the Exceptions list
NOTE: By default Windows Firewall will ask you if you want to add a program to the exception list the first time you use the program. You will see a message with three choices: Keep Blocking, Unblock, or Ask Me Later.
Keep Blocking: Adds the application to the Exceptions list but in a Disabled state so that the ports are not opened. By adding the application to the Exceptions list, Windows Firewall does not prompt you every time it is run.
Unblock: Adds the application to the Exceptions list in an Enabled state so that the ports are opened.
Ask Me Later: Blocks unsolicited incoming traffic and does not add it to the Exceptions list. You will be prompted again the next time the application is run.
Select Unblock from the above choices.
To Add Cisco VPN Client to the Exceptions List - Do one of the following:
By Program:
These are the general steps to add a program to the Windows XP SP2 Firewall Exceptions list. You should only do this for known, "safe" applications.
- Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
- Double-click Windows Firewall (or click Security Center and then Windows Firewall).
- In the Windows Firewall control panel, click the Exceptions tab.
- Click Add Program.
NOTE: You will see a list of installed programs. - Select the UAlbany VPN Client program and click OK to add the program (see below if the program is not listed).
- Click OK to close the Windows Firewall control panel.
- Restart the computer to enable these choices.
NOTE: If you didn't see the name of a program you were attempting to add above, click the Browse button. Then click My Computer. Double Click on Local Disk (C:). Navigate to C:\Program Files\University At Albany\VPN Client\ and select cpvnd.exe
By Port:
These are the general steps to add a port to the Windows XP SP2 Firewall Exceptions list. You should only do this for known, "safe" ports.
- Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
- Double-click Windows Firewall (or click Security Center and then Windows Firewall).
- In the Windows Firewall control panel, click the Exceptions tab.
- Click Add Port.
- Enter the Name as VPN and the Port should be 62515. Select the UDP option and click OK to add the port.
- Click OK to close the Windows Firewall control panel.
Restart the computer to enable these choices.
Other firewall software:
If you have any other firewall enabled (including Windows XP prior to SP2), please see your software's instructions for adding the port to the exceptions list.
- Connect to the network.
- Click Start, Programs, and select Windows Explorer.
*Note:In Windows NT this is called Windows NT Explorer - A two-paned window will now appear. At the top click Tools and select Map Network Drive.
- In the Map Network Drive window, the first line will have a letter in it. You can change this to any letter you want as long as it is not already in use.
- On the second line type the name of the Share you wish to map.
- Type in the authenticating Username and password:
In Windows 2000/XP: Select the Connect as Another user link located in the window. On the Username line, enter UALBANY\username where username is your UALBANY Windows Network Access username. Then in the password line type in your UALBANY Windows Network Access password and click OK. - Click OK in the map network drive window. The added drive will appear in the window.
To Create a Shortcut to your Connection
- Double-click on your My Computer icon. It should be located on your desktop.
- A window will open displaying your available drives. Right-click on the newly created drive and select Create Shortcut.
- You will then be presented a window stating that "Windows cannot create a shortcut here. Do you want the shortcut to be placed on the desktop instead?" Click on yes.
- The shortcut will autmatically be named. If you would like to rename it, right-click on the shortcut icon and select rename.
- The name of the shortcut will be highlighted with a cursor at the end of the name. Hit the deleted key, then type in an appropriate name and hit enter.
Map a network drive for MAC OS X or better
- On tool bar go to “GO"
- Select Connect to Server
- For the server where Network share is located, you would need the IP address of the server.
- To obtain the IP address of the server, go to a command prompt, shell or command line interface, Use the ping command to obtain the IP address of the server. At the command prompt enter: ping <server name>. observe the replies back with the corresponding IP address. After recording the IP address of the server, close out the command line interface shell process.
- Now in the address box enter the following: cifs://<IP address of server>/<sharename> .
- A prompt will appear now for you to enter, Domain, Username and password. Enter those credentials, and now the network share should appear in the list of folders.
Configuring Outlook for Exchange
Right – click on the Outlook icon on your desktop.
Select properties from the drop-down
menu.
Click on E-mail Accounts…
Select Add a new e-mail account and click next
Click Microsoft Exchange Server then click Next
Complete the information as listed below.
Microsoft Exchange Server: uaexch.univ.albany.edu
If the box labelled "Use Cached Exchange Mode" is checked, click in the box to
uncheck it.
User Name: Your full name as it appears in the Exchange
Address Book
Click Next, then Finish.