Please help this Mac user avoid having to buy a Windows laptop in Egypt. Please.
March 27, 2007 10:00 AM Subscribe
How can I get connected to my company's network via Cisco VPN? Difficulties: I have an iBook experiencing firewall mismatch, I'm not exceptionally wealthy, and I'm currently in Egypt.
So, firewall mismatch seems to mean that no matter what, I must connect to my company's network using a Windows PC, as only Windows correctly responds to the "Firewall Required" setting in Cisco Connector even though of course OS X has a perfectly fine firewall built in (and before some of you ask, yes, I absolutely need VPN). The odds of me being able to convince their IT department to create a group just for non-Windoze users (especially if one of the settings for that group is "Firewall optional") is exceptionally low.
Can anyone think of a way around this problem? Even better, have any of you out there dealt with this problem -- surely one of you must have, so many of you are the alterna-OS type, right?
If I have to buy laptops or software, how easy is this to do in Egypt? Ideally if I need to buy a laptop I'd want to buy it used, but I don't know if that's even possible here.
So, firewall mismatch seems to mean that no matter what, I must connect to my company's network using a Windows PC, as only Windows correctly responds to the "Firewall Required" setting in Cisco Connector even though of course OS X has a perfectly fine firewall built in (and before some of you ask, yes, I absolutely need VPN). The odds of me being able to convince their IT department to create a group just for non-Windoze users (especially if one of the settings for that group is "Firewall optional") is exceptionally low.
Can anyone think of a way around this problem? Even better, have any of you out there dealt with this problem -- surely one of you must have, so many of you are the alterna-OS type, right?
If I have to buy laptops or software, how easy is this to do in Egypt? Ideally if I need to buy a laptop I'd want to buy it used, but I don't know if that's even possible here.
Can we assume you are using the Cisco VPN client for OSX? Or are you trying to use OSX's built-in VPN capability?
posted by Thorzdad at 10:34 AM on March 27, 2007
posted by Thorzdad at 10:34 AM on March 27, 2007
Best answer: The *only* way to do this without getting your network folks involved (and believe me, I've spent hours) is to install the Cisco VPN in a Windows VM (Parallels or VMWare Fusion) and use that. The Cisco VPN client does not - and, according to the SEs I've spoken will, will likely not - support any workaround for the Stateful Firewall requirement.
The way to do it if you've got a good relationship with your network folks is to have them set up a separate VPN class/group for you that doesn't require the stateful firewall.
posted by aberrant at 10:47 AM on March 27, 2007
The way to do it if you've got a good relationship with your network folks is to have them set up a separate VPN class/group for you that doesn't require the stateful firewall.
posted by aberrant at 10:47 AM on March 27, 2007
Best answer: Update It turns out that there was in fact another group for Macs w/o the Stateful Firewall requirement. I was added to the PC group by mistake, so in no time I should have VPN going. Thank God I was a Mac user.
posted by Deathalicious at 8:43 AM on March 28, 2007
posted by Deathalicious at 8:43 AM on March 28, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by togdon at 10:06 AM on March 27, 2007