The Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Introduction

The Virtual Private Networking (VPN) service at Birkbeck enables users to connect to the Birkbeck College network and utilize network resources as if they were connected directly to it, using their existing connection to the Internet. For most users this will be using an existing link via their Internet Service Provider (ISP).

The connection to the Internet can be made via a local call, subscription-based unmetered call or broadband connection to an existing ISP.

The benefits in doing this are:

• Being directly connected to the Birkbeck network allows remote clients to participate within the existing Windows  domains, giving users access to shared network resources on the network (e.g. N: drive).
• The connection speed to the Birkbeck network is limited only by the remote client's connection to the Internet. This could be any dial-up, ISDN, ADSL or dedicated connection.
• Accessing externally hosted electronic resources, which validate against IP address, is permitted.

To connect to the VPN server the client computer must be setup in the following way:

1. The client computer must be configured for VPN and have the PPTP protocol installed.
2. The client computer must be connected to the Internet via a dedicated or dial-up connection. This connection must already be established.
3. The client computer, once connected to the Internet, makes another connection - through a virtual tunnel to the VPN server using PPTP.

At this point the remote computer is authenticated and securely connected to the college network and can function as if directly connected locally to it.

The clients we currently support are:

• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows XP (Home and Professional)

Connection from other operating systems is not supported, but usually works. Documentation is available for Mac users using OSX and Microsoft Vista.

Additional Information

The following ISPs are known to allow access to VPN services:

bt.net, btopenworld.com, blueyonder.co.uk, bulldogdsl.com, claranet.co.uk, demon.co.uk, dircon.co.uk, easynet.co.uk, fast.net.uk, force9.co.uk, freedom2surf.net, global.net.uk, homechoice.co.uk, ndo.com, mistral.co.uk, ntl.com, onetel.net.uk, pipex.com, plus.net, supanet.net.uk, tiscali.com, tiscali.de, ukonline.co.uk, v21.co.uk, virgin.net, wanadoo.fr, zen.co.uk

The following ISP does not allow access to VPN services:

AOL

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