VPNC
From The University of Akron Support Center Wiki
| This article is intended for users with a moderate amount of computer knowledge. Also, this method of connecting to the VPN is not supported by the University and therefore support may or may not be able to be given. This article is only given as a temporary solution for 64 bit users until a permanent one can be met. |
Downloading the necessary software
In order to achieve a connection, we need to obtain a program called VPNC and two special scripts to add into the program once installed. Please Right Click the link and Save Link As.
Download the Installer at [this link]
Installing and Configuring VPNC
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Double click the downloaded file. It will popup an installer. Click the Install button. |
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| 2. | Depending on your computer's security settings, you may be met with a notice asking if the program installed correctly. Click "The Program Installed Correctly." |  |
| 3. | You will need to navigate to the folder where the install files are located. To do so, go to Start Menu > Computer > Local Disk (C:) > vpn. |  |
| 4. | Click the vpnsetup file. Installation is fairly straightforward. Navigate through the prompts and do not change anything. |  |
| 5. | The program will appear in the taskbar near the clock. Right click the icon and go to Options > Connection Settings. Enter the following settings:
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| 6. | Close out of the Connection Editor. Right click the VPNC icon again and go to Options > Program Settings. Enter the following information:
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| 7. | Navigate to the Start Menu, right click Computer and go to Properties. Click the Device Manager on the left side. Go to Network Adapters and right click the TAP-Win32 Adapter V9. Go to Properties. Click the Advanced Tab. Find MTU. Change 1500 to 1300. Click Ok all the way through. |  |
Connecting to the VPN
To connect, simply right click the large computer icon, and click connect. A successful connection will show the screen with a large green check next to it.
Disconnect the VPN
To disconnect, right click the icon and select disconnect. Keep the following in mind:
1. After disconnecting, there is an approximately five minute period in which you need to wait until you can reconnect. Any attempts made before this will fail.
2. Before the addition of the disconnect script being added, you needed to repair your Internet Connection after disconnecting. The disconnect script should take care of this but in case it does not, Right Click the Networking icon in the taskbar, select Diagnose and Repair, and then Obtain New IP Address Settings. Your connection should come back up.
Troubleshooting
Using the built in debugger within the program can help us out troubleshooting connection issues. Right click the VPNC icon, go to Options, and then the Debug Window.
A Normal and Successful Connection
The following output is what a normal and successful connection looks like. It will not be the same but will be similar. As long as the program pulls in information similiarly, your connection should be fine.
Default Gateway: 10.10.10.1 VPN Gateway: 130.101.72.100 Internal Address: 130.101.152.5 Internal Netmask: 255.255.252.0 Interface: "Local Area Connection 2" Configuring "Local Area Connection 2" interface... Adding WINS entry: 130.101.81.233 Adding DNS entry: 130.101.140.30 Adding DNS entry: 130.101.140.26 Gateway did not provide network configuration. Connected! Calling Post-Script Tunnel IP Address: [130.101.152.5 ] ORIGINAL ROUTES 130.101.152.0 255.255.252.0 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 130.101.152.5 255.255.255.255 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 130.101.155.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 FINAL ROUTES 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 On-link 130.101.152.5 31 130.101.152.0 255.255.252.0 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 130.101.152.5 255.255.255.255 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 130.101.155.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 130.101.152.5 286 Post-Script Exiting
I'm Connected, UA Resources Don't Load
In this case you may have omitted the scripts from the program or mistyped the file path to them. The program will in fact connect without the scripts but cannot load any UA resources. Your output may look similiar to the following:
Default Gateway: 10.10.10.1 VPN Gateway: 130.101.72.100 Internal Address: 130.101.152.33 Internal Netmask: 255.255.252.0 Interface: "Local Area Connection 2" Configuring "Local Area Connection 2" interface... Adding WINS entry: 130.101.81.233 Adding DNS entry: 130.101.140.30 Adding DNS entry: 130.101.140.26 Gateway did not provide network configuration. Connected!
I Cannot Connect At All
If you attempt a connection and are met with the red X, you may have either incorrectly configured the program or have recently disconnected and will need to wait a few more minutes. Also, if your password was recently changed, be sure to add the new one into the Connection Editor. Output may be similar to the following:
Password for VPN dew22@130.101.72.100: Password for VPN dew22@130.101.72.100: authentication unsuccessful
I Am Connected, Loading Resources is Slow
This may be an issue with what is known as the MTU size. We can adjust this using the following instructions.
1. Go the Start Menu, Right click Computer, go to Properties.
2. Click the Device Manager option from the left hand side.
3. Expand the Network Adapters category
4. Find the TAP-Win32 Adapter V9 entry and right click, go to Properties.
5. Click the Advanced Tab and click MTU. Set the MTU from 1500 to 1300
6. Click OK and then exit it out of everything. Try reconnecting.
Connection Ended By Dead Peer Detection
This error can occur if you haven't utilized the connection in awhile or if either your computer or the campus VPN can no longer be reached. Your error in the debug window may look like this:
vpnc: PID 2456: connection terminated by dead peer detection
Try using these steps to resolve the issue:
1. Right Click the VPNC icon, go to Options, and then Program Settings
2. Look for Dead Peer Idle (s). It should be set to 300 by default.
3. Change this number to 0.
4. Save everything and connect again.
Network Adapter Not Available in Connection Editor
The driver software may have not installed properly or there may be another unforeseen problem with the setup. It is best if you update to the latest driver software for the device. Closing VPNC and download the latest drive from [this link]. Once downloaded, install JUST the TAP-Win32 Virtual Ethernet Adapter. You may uncheck all the rest prior to clicking the Next button. This will update the driver software and when you reopen VPNC, you should be able to select a Network Interface from the Connection Editor.
Once Connected, The Internet Does Not Work
We have found the likely cause of this to be an issue with your Internet Service Provider. You may contact us to see if we can troubleshoot your issue but it is unlikely it is a problem with your computer or the campus network.
No Response From Target
You will receive this message if you tried using VPNC with Windows 7. At this time, the program will not work with Windows 7 but should in the near future. If you have tried to modify the input.bat script in any way, you may also receive this message. If you are using Vista and have not modified the scripts, try looking at the Dead Peer Detection section, this can work in this case as well.
Trend Micro AntiVirus Users
A few cases have come up with Trend Micro users not being able to use VPNC properly. When connected, if you look at the Debug Window, Default Gateway is listed as "general failure." The issue has been linked to the Trend Micro Firewall as it may not work "out of the box." It is recommended that a new firewall profile be created with Low security settings instead of Medium. Before the VPN is connected, switch to the VPN profile and then switch back to the normal one when not connected. The issue that causes this is that Trend's Firewall doesn't trust outside networks when on Medium Settings. If you need assistance configuring this, please contact us.
