Connecting to SBU Computer Science Palo Alto Network GlobalProtect Gateway from Red Hat

The following documentation is based on Red Hat 7

Install the vpnc package on your system from the Centos epel repository. The EPEL repository is an additional package repository that provides easy access to install packages for commonly used software.

Install epel-release. Ensure you have root privileges:
# subscription-manager repos --enable=rhel-7-server-optional-rpms

Install vpnc. Ensure you have root privileges:
# yum install vpnc

  • Connect to CS vpn. You will be prompted for 2 sets of credentials.
    IPsec ID: cs_mobile
    IPSec secret: mobile

vpn.cs.stonybrook.edu: Use your Computer Science Active Directory user ID and password

Execute vpnc. Ensure you have root privileges:
# vpnc
Enter IPSec gateway address: vpn.cs.stonybrook.edu 
Enter IPSec ID for vpn.cs.stonybrook.edu: cs_mobile
Enter IPSec secret for cs_mobile [at] vpn.cs.stonybrook.edu
Enter username for vpn.cs.stonybrook.edu: cs\{your CS Active Directory user ID}
Enter password for cs\xxx@vpn.cs.stonybrook.edu
VPNC started in background (pid: 26186)...

  • To verify your VPN connection, execute the ifconfig command. The tun0 interface information shows your CS VPN IP address provided by the Palo Alto Global Protect Gateway.

Successfully connecting will create a new VPN tun(n) network interface:

tun0: flags=4305<UP,POINTOPOINT,RUNNING,NOARP,MULTICAST>  mtu 1342
        inet 130.245.76.7  netmask 255.255.255.255  destination 130.245.76.7
        inet6 fe80::8b82:19c3:53dd:3f14  prefixlen 64  scopeid 0x20<link>
        unspec 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00  txqueuelen 500  (UNSPEC)
        RX packets 83  bytes 83807 (81.8 KiB)
        RX errors 0  dropped 0  overruns 0  frame 0
        TX packets 88  bytes 9757 (9.5 KiB)
        TX errors 0  dropped 0 overruns 0  carrier 0  collisions 0
 

  • Disconnecting VPN connection:

$ sudo vpnc-disconnect