Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides a secure connection between your computer and the resources available at your home institution. In the case of SLAC, we offer a VPN service that permits authorized users to gain visibility of SLAC network resources from the "visitor" wireless network or in remote locations such as from your home, or from another country.
This page documents the use of the SLAC VPN service.
SLAC utilizes Cisco's Remote Access VPN line of products and specifically requires the use of Cisco's AnyConnect software.
In order to connect to SLAC's VPN, a user must install the AnyConnect client. This allows SLAC to enforce certain access restrictions and checks that the user's computer is not running a keylogger, that the user is not running an unsupported version of Windows (95, 98, ME), and enforces an access control list (ACL) to limit access.
This guide currently follows the Windows 7 method of install
In order to connect to SLAV's VPN, you must have the AnyConnect software installed. By going to the following webpage, we can check to make sure you have the software installed and configured (and up to date), and provide an automated install if you do not currently have the software installed and configured.
We recommend using Internet Explorer 8 under Windows to ease installation |
Your web browser should come up with the following series of screens
The web page will instantiate a java applet so that it may check your system for the presence of the AnyConnect software.
This may bring up a dialog box which will prompt you to run the application or not.
The following web page will be presented upon the initial system scan:
Upon successful login, a banner will be shown on the webpage.
A webpage that offers various methods to access the SLAC VPN services will be presented.
If necessary (either because it is your first time accessing SLAC's VPN, or there is a new version of the AnyConnect client to be installed), the web page will present that the AnyConnect software needs to be installed.
Upon successful VPN negotiation, you should get the following popup from AnyConnect showing that you have connected to SLAC's VPN service
The AnyConnect client exists as a tray icon; you can get to it from the System tray next to the clock in the bottom right of your screen.
Depending on which operating system version you are using, a manual install of the AnyConnect client may be required. If you get the following error, you must manually install the AnyConnect client.
To manually install the client, do the following:
Under Windows 7, ActiveX controls enable Trusted Sites to assume Administrative access. If you get the following page upon logging into SLAC's VPN, then you need to do the following:
Under IE's Tools menu, select Options -> Security -> Trusted Sites
Add the following to the list-
https://fwvpn1.slac.stanford.edu and https://fwvpn2.slac.stanford.edu
Refresh the webpage and the AnyConnect Client should automatically instantiate and connect you to SLAC's VPN.
This is not yet supported, but iPhone connections are planned in the near future. Android and Windows Mobile connectivity is on our roadmap.