Table of Contents
Which connection string should I use?
Please use vpn,slac.stanford.edu , this is the address of a redundant cluster so you won't be impacted by scheduled maintenance.
How to map network drives of the Windows central file servers when connected to the VPN?
Documentation from the windows team is here: http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/comp/windows/docs/VPN/VPN.aspx
You can also type in the address bar:
U drive-> \\win.slac.stanford.edu\my_storage\users
V drive -> \\win.slac.stanford.edu\my_storage\groups
Z drive -> \\win.slac.stanford.edu\my_storage\users\$first_letter_winusername\$winusername , for instance if your windows username is jdoe this would be \\win.slac.stanford.edu\my_storage\users\j\jdoe
Why can't I see my network drives (V:, K:, etc.)?
If you are using a SLAC-issued centrally-managed Windows laptop, and you don't see your network drives after connecting to the VPN, you can connect to all these drives by running the script which can be found under \\slac.stanford.edu\netlogon\domainlogon.vbs (type this address into an Explorer window once connected to VPN). It should be possible to create a shortcut or bookmark to this script to make it easier to connect to network drives.
If you are using a personal machine not in the SLAC domain, then domainlogon.vbs does not work. You will need to map your drive manually using http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/comp/net/dialup/faq-dialup.htm#map.
For more information on drive mapping, please see the windows infrastructure page regarding this matter/
What are the timeouts on the VPN connection?
There is a fixed timeout of 12 hours after which your VPN connection is disconnected. There is also a non-activity timeout of 20 minutes which takes effect if no network traffic passes for 20 minutes.
Is there an automatic re-connect feature?
An auto reconnect feature is enabled, but it is only in effect within a session with a duration < session timeout (12 hours). So you can't be connected more than 12 hours without manually re-connecting and re-entering your credentials. This is by design and was explicitly asked by security.
Can I connect to the SLAC VPN using my mobile device, e.g. smartphone?
You need to download the "Cisco Anyconnect secure mobility client" from the app store. This has been reported working from main platforms (android, ios, windows).
You will need to set the server address "vpn.slac.stanford.edu". We use SSL vpn (not IPSec).
I'm getting periodically disconnected while I work, and I know I wasn't idle for 20 minutes
We have received reports of some users getting disconnected when their wireless signal is not strong. Try moving to a location with a better wireless signal.
Can I Connect to the SLAC VPN From a virtual machine?
Connecting to the SLAC VPN from a virtual machine is not officially supported, but it may work providing the following requirements are satisfied:
- The virtual machine must be configured for "Bridged Networking", as explained by these information pages:
- The operating system on the physical host must not be connected to the SLAC VPN simultaneously
- The virtual machine must be able to access https://vpn.slac.stanford.edu using a browser (to install the client and ensure proper connectivity)
- The virtual machine must be running a compatible version of an operating system which is supported by the Cisco AnyConnect client.
Can I access PeopleSoft?
Yes, you can access PeopleSoft just as you would from your desk while connected to the SLAC VPN.
Can I access internal AFS servers?
Internal AFS servers should be accessible.
In some cases, you will need to renew your Kerberos credentials and establish the connection with the internal AFS servers. Under Mac OS X or Linux,
- on the command line, enter
kinit <username>@SLAC.STANFORD.EDU(where <username> with your SLAC UNIX account name)aklog
This will update your tokens for AFS.
Initial access may incur a delay as the local cache is built.
If you experience an inability to access AFS, please email net-admin@slac.stanford.edu and describe your problem.
Can I access the license server?
The license server may not function well over VPN. There are many failure modes, and most vendors have not upgraded to more recent flexlm versions that are more reliable, nor to support alternative license servers when one fails or needs to be restarted due to upgrades/patching/failure. Also serving a license across a VPN may be a license violation (e.g. if the licenses is limited to a site). At the moment it appears to work, however there are no guarantees.
Can I access SLAC computers using windows terminal services with the new VPN?
You should be able to access SLAC computers via RDP. If not please report this with details as a problem to the IT helpdesk.
Can I access confluence?
You should be able to fully access Confluence. If not please report this with details as a problem to the IT helpdesk.
Is all network traffic routed through SLAC when connected to VPN? Is traffic logged?
When connected to our VPN service, policy states that all traffic must go through SLAC: Security policies dicate that split tunneling is not allowed.
This also means that all the VPN traffic is going through the same set of security appliances (including webproxy, logging, malicious code checking, spam filters etc.) as those used when you are connecting from SLAC.
After connecting to the VPN, I could not access my local network resources (such as my printer at home)
This is a security feature of the new VPN. Once connected to SLAC, your system is isolated from your local network for your protection. In order to do things like access a home network-shared printer, local network file shares etc., you will need to temporarily disconnect from the SLAC VPN. USB device will still work.
After connecting to the VPN, can I print directly to the printer in my office at SLAC?
This is supported for most models of printers. If your particular printer is not accessible, please work with IT Department Support to assess the problem.
I could not ping vpn.slac.stanford.edu
From the internet, you should be able to ping vpn.slac.stanford.edu. However, after you have connected to the VPN servers, you will no longer be able to ping the vpn servers.
In order to test VPN connectivity, you should ping an internal SLAC only server; an example would be www-lanmon.slac.stanford.edu
Can I use my mail client with an external provider such as GMail or Apple MobileMe?
Most email providers supply a web-based interface for reading and sending mail, and in most cases those will work through the SLAC VPN.
You may connect to external mail providers from your mail client via IMAP or POP protocols to receive mail, but when using VPN you must send mail through SLAC's authenticated SMTP server (or temporarily shut down the VPN connection)
The SLAC authenticated SMTP server does not look at the From: line, so the email will still appear to be from xxx.xxx@gmail.com. In addition, the SLAC authenticated SMTP server is Internet accessible so you should be able to use it from anywhere.
This means (for instance), the outgoing SMTP server in Thunderbird would be set to smtp-auth.slac.stanford.edu, port 587, <Windows/Unix Kerberos principal name>, normal password, STARTTLS.
Please note that most email clients allow you to configure multiple outgoing servers, and will attempt to connect to the default outbound mail server first. If the SLAC server is not the default, you may have to select it when sending mail or wait for the default server connection to time out before mail is sent.
Please see mail-admins page for futher details.
I was disconnected with the message "Administrator Reset", what does this mean and how do I reconnect?
Please ensure you are using the connection string vpn.slac.stanford.edu
It is sometimes required to perform some maintenance on VPN gateways, and this message indicates that the network administrator had to disconnected your session so that the configuration on VPN servers could be changed.
Thanks to a redundant system, users using vpn.slac.stanford.edu as connection string won't be impacted by our scheduled maintenance.
If I connect to SLAC's VPN will I lose all my active ssh sessions?
Yes, as all your traffic will be then routed through the VPN tunnel making you appearing from a different IP address to the server. Only persistent connections are affected (ssh, remote desktop...) all other traffic (web surfing,...) will be transparently rerouted through the VPN.
Which login should I use to connect to the VPN system?
You must use the login of your SLAC windows account, and this account should be VPN enabled. From a computer on the SLAC network you can check whether an account is VPN capable by doing a query on https://www-internal.slac.stanford.edu/comp/windows/search/usersearch.aspx (VPN status will indicate "Active" or not)
When putting your login into Cisco anyconnect client's interface please do not prefix it with "SLAC\", only put your login name in the field.
I can't get IPv6 working through the VPN.
IPv6 is currently not enabled for the SLAC VPN and is actively blocked.
Can I connect to Stanford university using SLAC VPN?
Yes, Stanford supports the SSL protocol. Instead of connecting to "vpn.slac.stanford.edu", connect to "su-vpn.stanford.edu". You should use your SUNetID and password rather than the SLAC Windows password.
When connected to the SLAC VPN, you can reach Stanford ressources as if you were in your office at SLAC.