Using Host's VPN in OSX?

[iso100@gmail.com]

My arse-backwards company only allows VPN connections from Windoze computers. The VPN is Checkpoint SecureClient, which I can get an OS X binary for, yet a security rule requires Sophos virus scan software to be running.

I can get the VPN up and running in the XP host, but I have a need to test my internal web applications and pages in Safari and other OS X web clients.

Is there a way to get OS X to route traffic through the host's VPN connection?

 

[don montalvo]

My arse-backwards company only allows VPN connections from Windoze computers. The VPN is Checkpoint SecureClient, which I can get an OS X binary for, yet a security rule requires Sophos virus scan software to be running.

I can get the VPN up and running in the XP host, but I have a need to test my internal web applications and pages in Safari and other OS X web clients.

Is there a way to get OS X to route traffic through the host's VPN connection?

not sure about cisco client but we're running sonicwall global client without any issues.

don

 

[iso100@gmail.com]

Thanks for the response.

Do you mean that you're running the VPN within the Host and are successfully using OS X to connect through the host's VPN connection?

 

[don montalvo]

Thanks for the response.

Do you mean that you're running the VPN within the Host and are successfully using OS X to connect through the host's VPN connection?

we were able to (1) add computer to domain, (2) use batch script on login, (3) configure outlook and (4) easily install/configure sonicwall vpn to connect using bridged networking. the pc folks were amazed...some were actually nervous that this sort of arrangement would work. after our session, i left behind an article that turned some of these guys white as ghosts...

http://weblog.infoworld.com/enterprisemac/archives/2006/12/kill_two_window.html


don

 

[misterjangles]

If you used bridged mode, your windows guest actually will grab it's own IP from your DHCP and act as if it was a totally separate machine - your OSX and Windows appear on the network to be two completely separate machines. I would have expected this trickery to cause various routing glitches, especially with VPNs and stuff. Doesn't seem to be the case, though. I haven't found a problem yet.

If you have a web server on the windows guest OS, you can access that from the host OSX or any other computer on the network - you just need to know the ip of the Windows machine and make sure the windows firewall isn't blocking the ports. I use that to do exactly what you mentioned - look at web pages in safari, though they are actually being served from the windows guest. I even have a printer shared from a guest OS and various machines on the network print to it - they're oblivious to the fact that it's a virtual machine.

As for VPN out from the guest OS, I too use sonicwall and it behaves exactly like you would think if it was running on it's own hardware.

i also was pretty impressed when i first saw how this works ;-)

 

[don montalvo]

If you used bridged mode, your windows guest actually will grab it's own IP from your DHCP and act as if it was a totally separate machine - your OSX and Windows appear on the network to be two completely separate machines. I would have expected this trickery to cause various routing glitches, especially with VPNs and stuff. Doesn't seem to be the case, though. I haven't found a problem yet.

If you have a web server on the windows guest OS, you can access that from the host OSX or any other computer on the network - you just need to know the ip of the Windows machine and make sure the windows firewall isn't blocking the ports. I use that to do exactly what you mentioned - look at web pages in safari, though they are actually being served from the windows guest. I even have a printer shared from a guest OS and various machines on the network print to it - they're oblivious to the fact that it's a virtual machine.

As for VPN out from the guest OS, I too use sonicwall and it behaves exactly like you would think if it was running on it's own hardware.

i also was pretty impressed when i first saw how this works ;-)

have you added your virtual windows machine to active directory? if so, how are the a/d folks reacting to it?

don

 

[misterjangles]

have you added your virtual windows machine to active directory? if so, how are the a/d folks reacting to it?

sorry, i have not tried that yet. i would *expect* the guest OS to act in every way like a separate piece of hardware based on my experience so far. but, i only have peer-to-peer network here at home so no active directory to play with.

 

[cyankajtis]

Parallels for Mac desktop

I have three Mac pro's and two Mac Book Pro's. All of them are running Parallels, Windows XP, Office 2003, Symantec 10 (corporate edition) Remote software (Proxy), Citrix, and VPN 4.3 on the windows side with out any issues. I do have one issue is that my Black Berry will not sync. I know this is a known issue, other than that, flawless. Also one more thing, I have all of them joined to a domain


CY.

have you added your virtual windows machine to active directory? if so, how are the a/d folks reacting to it?

don

 

[bdombrow]

I use Checkpoint VPN on the Windows side on a daily basis. For some reason I could never figure out, the windows side VPN would not work if the OS X side VPN was running. It didn't matter if the OS X side VPN was connected or not. As long as that CheckPoint key was in the menu bar, the VM side VPN would not work.

I've also used the OS X side. If I recall correctly, the OS X side does not support security policies anyway. I would give it a shot and see if it will work. It may ignore the Sophos requirement and connect anyway.

bd