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mikeizbicki / cmc-csci143

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VPN Access #366

Open mikeizbicki opened 5 months ago

mikeizbicki commented 5 months ago

Everyone should have VPN access now.

IT recommends that you access the VPN using Cisco AnyConnect following these instructions. I, however, recommend that you do not. Cisco AnyConnect contains a backdoor that gives the servers you connect to root access to your local machine. I'm ideologically opposed to running proprietary software that is expensive and insecure.

Personally, I connect to the VPN using OpenConnect, which is a cross platform open source VPN client. The incantation I use to successfully connect is

$ openconnect --user=mizbicki@cmc.edu --protocol=anyconnect https://vpn.claremontmckenna.edu/ --os=win --useragent='AnyConnect Windows 4.9.00086'

(You'll obviously have to change the username mizbicki to whatever IT assigned you.)

The command line arguments --os=win --useragent='AnyConnect Windows 4.9.00086' above cause OpenConnect to impersonate Cisco's AnyConnect software because the VPN is currently configured to only allow access from the AnyConnect client.

henrylong612 commented 5 months ago

Hi @mikeizbicki,

When I run the command you gave, I get 

-bash: openconnect: command not found

I tried to download openconnect from the website you gave us, but I was not able to find clear instructions on which file to download or how to get it up and running. Am I missing something?

mikeizbicki commented 5 months ago

Hmmm... this means that OpenConnect didn't install for you for some reason.

If you (or anyone else in class) would like, I'd be happy to show up to class early tomorrow to help get VPN/connecting to the lambda server issues sorted out. That way you all will have it available during class.

henrylong612 commented 5 months ago

@mikeizbicki that would be great. What time should we plan on arriving?

mikeizbicki commented 5 months ago

I'll come straight to our classroom after dropping off my kids at school. Probably I'll get there around 9:15.

mikeizbicki commented 5 months ago

All lab machines are on the same VPN as the lambda server. So if you can't get your laptops connected, you can use the lab machines to connect to the lambda server to complete labs.