Can I connect Mac to PC using VPN Secure Client?

[RebelChild]

I'm looking to buy a new computer and want to upgrade to a Mac. However, I need to be able to connect my home computer to my work desktop since I work from home. The Corp. help desk says I can't do it, but they're also not IT professionals so I'm not ready to take their word for it. Here's what I'm using...

VPN Secure Client NGX R60 HFA2 (Build 001)
Remote Desktop
Work Desktop - Windows XP Pro

Searching the internet, I get the feeling that NGX R60 refers to the PC (Windows) version and NGX R65 refers to the Mac version. If I use Boot Camp, can I switch to Windows mode and connect that way? Is it a terrible PITA to do?

TIA!

 

[BlueRevolution]

Boot Camp isn't a "mode", it's a way to make your computer run EITHER Windows OR Mac OS X at any given time. You may already know that, but I just wanted to clarify.

Macs come with both a VPN server and a client preinstalled.

 

[RebelChild]

Boot Camp isn't a "mode", it's a way to make your computer run EITHER Windows OR Mac OS X at any given time. You may already know that, but I just wanted to clarify.

No I didn't know that. I'm really Mac illiterate. Thanks for clarifying.

Macs come with both a VPN server and a client preinstalled.

Is that in place of the software CD that I received from my IT group for VPN? They recently sent out new software because we have to be on version 7.1 in order to connect remotely. Are you saying that I wouldn't need their software? I should also mention I'm fairly computer illiterate for my generation.

 

[BlueRevolution]

Remote Desktop is at its heart a VPN client, but it has a bunch of extra bells and whistles attached. It should only be necessary for admins who need to be able to remotely deploy packages and so forth. For the rest of us, a simple VPN client is just fine.

 

[angelwatt]

I'd recommend giving this article a read, which covers SSH for VPN.

 

[nadyne]

Whether you'll be able to do this depends totally on how your corporate network is set up. The best way to get an answer to this question is to ask around and see if there's another Mac user around who's doing the same thing you want to do.

Your Mac has a built-in VPN client, so you don't need any third-party software to do it. Indiana University has instructions for setting up a VPN; you'll obviously need to replace their university's server names with your company's server names. If you're already using VPN on a Windows computer to connect to your corporate network, use the same server names. Try this and see if it works. It might not -- your work network might be set up in such a way that it requires you to use the VPN client that they gave you. It's unlikely, but it is possible.

Next up is to download Remote Desktop Connection for Mac, which is a free application that will allow you to connect from your Mac to your Windows computer. It works in the same way that your current Remote Desktop application on your Windows computer, so the settings that you're currently using there should also work on RDC for your Mac.

Good luck!

Regards,
Nadyne.