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How do I connect to our VPN with authentication ID?

I would like to connect wireless laptops to our VPN using a Nortel Contivity VPN gateway and RSA SecurID authentication. The catch is that the switch requires a group ID and password as well, and I'm not sure where to place those credentials in the SoftRemote Client in order to connect to this VPN

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The Nortel VPN gateway uses XAUTH for RSE SecurID user authentication. XAUTH is an extension to standard IKE authentication that occurs after phase one pre-shared key authentication, before phase two IPsec tunnel establishment. Therefore, you should follow your VPN client's instructions for configuring a pre-shared key (not a certificate).

In SoftRemote, under the Phase 1 branch of the VPN gateway's configuration, choose Authentication Method = Pre-Shared Key; Extended Authentication. Then enter the Nortel's Group ID and password by clicking on the My Identity configuration. Choose ID Type = Domain Name, enter the Group ID in the field beneath ID Type, and then click on Pre-Shared Key to enter your Nortel's VPN gateway's password.

The wireless user will be prompted to enter his or her SecurID one-time password after IKE phase one authentication is successful using that pre-shared key. This ensures that a laptop with an installed VPN client and saved pre-shared key cannot be used to break into the VPN without the user's SecurID token.

This was first published in July 2007

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