iPod Touch VPN

[stoutboy1]

I know this is probably a dumb questions but I've looked around and I'm still completely lost. What is the VPN option on the ipod touch used for? I don't even know what it is (other then virtual privet network) but that means nothing to me at this point. How can I take advantage of the feature? I saw that in the beginning that some had the option some didn't or so it seemed. So if you could be kind enough to give me the run down (Im sure it would be appreciated by many others as well) I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

[KoolStar]

Its under the settings, network.

[cbrain]

You also need firmware 1.1.3. I'm unsure if you need to pay the $20 upgrade fee aswell.

[stoutboy1]

ok, I have the update and i know were it is, but what does it do for me? How do I use it(in what way)?

Thanks

[razorianfly]

Seen as though no-one will give you the information your looking for, here:


A virtual private network (VPN) is a communications network tunneled through another network, and dedicated for a specific network. One common application is secure communications through the public Internet, but a VPN need not have explicit security features, such as authentication or content encryption. VPNs, for example, can be used to separate the traffic of different user communities over an underlying network with strong security features.

Hope it helps.

R-Fly

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I think a lot of universities use VPN for off-campus or wireless access (a couple I went to did, at least) and my wife's company uses it when she needs to remotely log into their servers.

[mfresh]

What does a VPN do and why would you need it?

The most likely reason a Touch owner would use a VPN would be to connect his or her touch to their home computer. They would do that by connecting the Touch to the Internet (at a wifi hotspot in Starbucks for example) and then activating the VPN. Once the VPN is activated, any communication between the Touch and the home computer would be secure and safe from hackers who often evesdrop on Internet traffic at wifi hotspots.

So instead of connecting to the Internet at starbucks and checking your email, revealing your email user name and password to any nearby hacker, you connect to the Internet, start the VPN, and then check your email by sending your user name and password nice and securely throught the VPN to your home computer, from where it then goes out to the Internet and gets your email.

In other words, where there is a security risk (like a public wifi connection) a VPN provides a way of securing your traffic and sending it to a place that you trust (like your home computer) from where it goes on to the Internet in the normal way

How do you set up a VPN? If you are running XP you have a VPN server built in to your operating system and you can use that one.

This is a very simplified answer but I hope it helps. I use the Touch VPN to provide a secure link from anywhere to my home machine for VNSea, so I can control my home computer securely remotely without the possibility that anyone can easily see my password.

[Sweetbike40]

I can't find the option for VPN. I have 1.1.3 with the new apps and can't find this option.

[ikklejo]

Settings - General - Network
You should find it there.

[Sweetbike40]

Originally Posted by ikklejo

Settings - General - Network
You should find it there.

How did i miss that. Thanks

[stoutboy1]

Mfresh Thanks for that answer that kind of clears it up for me.

So, now the question is were can I get a good "how to" on how to set up a vpn that I can use between school and home? I checked supports pages but didn't really find anything helpful. I have leopard and ipod touch. thanks

[jaypee68]

Originally Posted by ikklejo

Settings - General - Network
You should find it there.

Do you need the $20 app-pack to get VPN? I have an iPod touch upgraded to 1.1.3 and I don't have a network option under general settings.

[stoutboy1]

I see the guide on touch ipod vpn set up but were on my compter do I get those numbers?

http://guides.macrumors.com/VPN_on_the_iPod_Touch

[Lin]

Just PWned my Touch 1.1.1 to 1.1.4 (custom), and.... the "Network" settings was "GONE in the wind"

I had it under 1.1.1 and used it a lot with VNC.

Any idea??

Thanks for any help

[Lin]

Originally Posted by stoutboy1

I see the guide on touch ipod vpn set up but were on my compter do I get those numbers?

NOT on your computer... you need to ask your network administrator!

[Lin]

... after installing the iPhone apps
Obviously some relation.
I just installed the iPhone 1.1.4 apps by adding that source in the installer:
(http://applerepo.com), and there came back the VPN setting

[Nermal]

There seems to be a bit of confusion here

A VPN is most commonly used to connect to a work network from home. Basically you connect to your corporate LAN via your home Internet connection. In the case of the iPod VPN functionality, you would be able to access work email and your intranet.

A VPN is usually of limited use in a home network.

Edit: Missed your comment about school. If your school allows you to use a VPN, then you will be able to get access details from the network administrator.

[mooncaine]

I've got basic VPN questions about iPod touch, and it seemed best to keep 'em in this thread with the others.

1. How does a Mac user set up a VPN on his own Mac, so that he can connect to it securely via VPN using his iPod touch?

2. Why bother with a VPN, if the iPod touch has already just tried logging into my e-mail before I could even activate the VPN?

I already use a VPN at my uni. But every time I wake the iPod touch, I have to log into the uni's network (in Safari). Right after that, I have to go find the VPN switch in the prefs, slide it to "On", then type in my password for the VPN.

Before I can even do all that, my iPod's probably already checked my e-mail. That means it probably sent my e-mail account name and password, unencrypted.

So what's the bloody point of it all? Is there a way to be sure the iPod's not sending my password out in plaintext... and is it worth the bother?

[herdnerfer]

I don't know too much about the security aspect of VPN. But i personally use a VPN server to get around the firewall at my work so I can go to facebook and such...

[mainstay]

Hey Stoutboy1,

I think the answer to your question is "there isn't much use [at this time]".

If your email on the iPod was configured to work only within a corporate environment then you could vpn into your companies network and then check mail.

But aside from mail, I don't see any other real options (i.e., there isn't a file browser, and even if there was, would you really be editing documents on an iPod?). And Air Printing to your printer at home (or the office) is OK, I guess, but seems awfully complicated just to have a print out waiting for when you get in. I suppose you could vpn in and then use a remote administration program for controlling workstations or starting and stopping Transmission transfers etc... but not much else comes to mind.

I use my iPod's VPN capabilities to confirm that the VPN configurations I set up for clients are working, but that's it.

Be curious if others have more ideas on what you could do with a secured connection.

Cheers!

--Matthew

[Brucewl]

Some websites just like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter which had banned in China, I should use VPN to access to those websites.

[fasttechbpo]

Originally Posted by stoutboy1

I know this is probably a dumb questions but I've looked around and I'm still completely lost. What is the VPN option on the ipod touch used for? I don't even know what it is (other then virtual privet network) but that means nothing to me at this point. How can I take advantage of the feature? I saw that in the beginning that some had the option some didn't or so it seemed. So if you could be kind enough to give me the run down (Im sure it would be appreciated by many others as well) I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

There are plenty of iPad VPNs but, I finally got an eye on the list of top 5 iPadVPN services, from which I chose the top ranking "HideMyAss" (a bit expensive than AceVPN but) works 100% excellent.

[KTMracing27]

I know this is a dumb question, but does anyone know if VPN works the same as WIFI? I have an Ipod Touch 4TH generation, and I don't have WIFI at my house. So to make it simple, does VPN work as WIFI if I don't have WIFI? Thanks if you can help.

KTMracing27

[dchao]

Originally Posted by KTMracing27

I know this is a dumb question, but does anyone know if VPN works the same as WIFI? I have an Ipod Touch 4TH generation, and I don't have WIFI at my house. So to make it simple, does VPN work as WIFI if I don't have WIFI? Thanks if you can help.

VPN is just an extra layer of network software on top of your physical network layer. It is totally independent of your connection, therefore it will work with WiFi, 2G/3G/4G cellular network, Ethernet or an analog modem over your old telephone line.

It will let you tunnel your internet packets to another location so other people can't find out your true IP address, or you can tunnel securely into a private network as well (like right behind a enterprise firewall).

[donlab]

Originally Posted by stoutboy1

I know this is probably a dumb questions but I've looked around and I'm still completely lost. What is the VPN option on the ipod touch used for? I don't even know what it is (other then virtual privet network) but that means nothing to me at this point. How can I take advantage of the feature? I saw that in the beginning that some had the option some didn't or so it seemed. So if you could be kind enough to give me the run down (Im sure it would be appreciated by many others as well) I would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Say you want to connect to your home network from coffee shop wifi. Your router at home needs the ability to support a VPN server/service. Your ipod VPN client will authenticate with your home router's VPN server. Once authenticated, all your incoming / outgoing tcp/ip packets are routed through a secure tunnel to your home network.

So, now that you are on your local network, you can uses apps such as good reader to browse SMB / CIFS shares on your network, you can print a document over the internet to your home printer, you might even be able to use airplay. There are all kinds of interesting uses.

If your school blocks certain websites. You can vpn to your home network, then proxy off a computer behind the network to the internet. So you can browse unrestricted websites.

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Originally Posted by KTMracing27

I know this is a dumb question, but does anyone know if VPN works the same as WIFI? I have an Ipod Touch 4TH generation, and I don't have WIFI at my house. So to make it simple, does VPN work as WIFI if I don't have WIFI? Thanks if you can help.

KTMracing27

No.