Cisco VPN under x64 (XP, Vista and Win7)
This guide is no longer needed for x64 Windows.
Cisco has finally pulled their heads out of their asses and released a real 64-bit client for Windows.
Do a search for vpnclient-winx64-msi-5.0.07.0290-k9.exe if you wish to get a 64-bit client.
If you would rather not use Cisco, there is a free 64-bit VPN client from Shrew Soft.
I’ve connected under x64 Windows now with VMware, Sun’s VirtualBox, and Microsoft VirtualPC.
The original guide I saw for VMware made it seem like a big, complicated mess to get VPN working.
VirtualBox and VirtualPC are a lot easier to install, set up, and get working.
I am using the following:
Host OS: Vista Ultimate x64
Guest OS: XP SP3 (32-bit)
I have the Guest OS configured with ONE network device, using Host Interface.
This is the default configuration under VirtualPC, but you have to select “Host Interface” with VirtualBox.
Now, before you try to jump in and start working with your VPN connection, you need to make sure some other things are working first:
- Make sure the VM/Guest can access the Internet. Test the connection by loading up Google or something.
- Make sure the VM/Guest can connect to the VPN.
- Make sure the VM/Guest has its Firewall turned off. I recommend using Windows Updates to make sure the system is fully patched first.
Open up your “Network Connections” folder. If this isn’t on the Start Menu, check Control Panel (in the “Classic” view).
By default, the Cisco-added network may have a name like “Local Area Connection 2″ or something. I renamed mine to say Cisco VPN Connection, as that makes it easier to recognize.
Right click on Cisco VPN Connection and click Properties. Click the “Advanced” tab, then check off “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection”.
This will automatically change your “Local Area Connection” to use 192.168.0.1.
I didn’t want this, as I wanted the Guest OS to be on the same network as the Host OS.
To change this, go to “Local Area Connection” properties, “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)” properties, and change the “192.168.0.1″ IP to something static. Fill in your correct Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS settings.
(I used 192.168.1.25 since my computer is on the 192.168.1.0 network).
(192.168.1.5 is the IP of my Router.)
Now, in the HOST OS, open an elevated command prompt.
See if you can PING the IP of the VM/Guest OS.
Next, if you can ping the Guest OS, add the route for the VPN network you wish to access. This tells the Host OS to use the Guest OS to access the VPN network. The numbers in green are for the network you are trying to connect to, and the numbers in blue is the interface you’re connecting through.
route -p add 10.10.1.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.25
(I use 10.10.1.0 network at work, and 192.168.1.25 is the IP of the VM/Guest OS.)
Once the static route is added, and the VPN connection is established in the Guest OS, see if you can ping the IP address of a system on the network you just added a route for.
Sun VirtualBox info added January 17th, 2009.
Below is the older way that I was told how to connect with VMware:
I RECOMMEND USING THE INFORMATION ABOVE FOR VIRTUALPC AND VIRTUAL BOX.
It’s a lot neater and easier than using VMware.
I got the solution here:
http://geekswithblogs.net/evjen/archive/2007/01/01/102429.aspx
(just search for the post that mentions “192.168.0.1″ in it).
This drove me crazy.
Cisco must really hate their customers. Windows Vista came out in 2006, and we’re heading into 2009 and they still don’t fully support Windows Vista.
Stuff I used:
VMware Player, free and works with Vista x64
http://www.vmware.com/products/player/
VMX Builder, free tool to create VMware images. Works in Vista x64.
http://petruska.stardock.net/Software/VMware.html
Daemon Tools Lite. Free CD Image mounting tool. Free and works in Vista x64. Make sure you don’t install the adware stuff during its installation unless you really want it.
http://www.daemon-tools.cc/
Here is my crummy guide. I will try to update it later. It’s like 5AM now, and I’ve spent too much time with this. :(
* Create a Virtual Machine for Windows XP (or Windows 2000) as the guest. I recommend giving it 256 Megs RAM.
* Set it to have TWO network adapters. One “Bridged” and one “Host Only“.
If you have it, install VMware Tools for best performance with the VM (VMware Tools are included in the free VMware Server download, but not with VMware Player). VMware Tools improves the performance of the guest OS.
Once the VM/Guest OS is running, verify your network and Internet connection is working while in the Guest OS. If the Internet connection doesn’t work in the Guest OS, then the VPN connection won’t work.
* Install the Cisco VPN software.
Reboot the guest after install. Once the Guest OS is back in Windows, make your connection with the Cisco VPN software and verify that works.
In the HOST OS (Windows Vista x64):
Open up your “Network Connections” folder. There are a few ways to do this.
* If you are using the default Vista Control Panel, you can open that and just type “Network Connections” to view the folder.
* If you use XdN Tweaker, that can add the folder to Control Panel’s Classic View.
* You can also go to Control Panel -> “Network and Sharing Center” -> “Manage network connections” (on the left) if using Control Panel’s Classic View.
You will have two VMware network adapters installed from VMware Player:
Mine were named something like this:
“VMware Network Adapter VMnet1″
“VMware Network Adapter VMnet8″
For short, I will call them “VMnet1″ and “VMnet8″.
Go to their properties:
Change their IPs:
“VMnet1″: 192.168.10.1 / 255.255.255.0
“VMnet8″: 192.168.20.1 / 255.255.255.0
In the GUEST OS (Windows XP or 2000)
You may have network connections like these:
“Local Area Connection” (for the Bridged VMnet adapter).
“Local Area Connection 2″ (for the Host-Only VMnet adapter).
“Local Area Connection 3″ (from the Cisco VPN adapter).
I found it was easier to rename them to something like this:
“LAN1 (Bridged)”
“LAN2 (Host)”
“Cisco VPN Connection”
* Connect the Cisco VPN software and make sure your VPN connection works! *
“LAN1″ is what the guest OS connects to the network/internet through.
“LAN2″ is what we want to change:
Give it an IP on the same network as “VMnet8″ has in the Host OS, such as: 192.168.20.2 / 255.255.255.0
(don’t set Gateway or DNS).
Now go to Cisco VPN Connection’s Properties, click Advanced, and then share it, and pick the “LAN2 (Host)” connection.
Windows will warn you that it is changing the IPs of some adapters to 192.168.0.1. Dismiss that dialog.
Go back to “LAN2″ and change it from the 192.168.0.1 Windows just set it to back to 192.168.20.2.
If the Cisco VPN connection is established, disconnect and reconnect.
In the HOST OS (Vista)
Go to the properties of your main network connection,
Manually set a static IP, Subnet, and Gateway
For DNS1, put in 192.168.20.2 (the Guest OS LAN2)
For DNS2, put in your normal one.
Disable and re-enable the “VMnet8″ adapter.
Once re-enabled, see if you can PING the host-only adapter LAN2 in the Guest (192.168.20.2) from the Host.
If you are able to ping it, then you are connected to the guest properly.
Now you have to add a route (tell the Host to look to the Guest for connection).
I used this command to connect to MY network:
route -p add 10.10.1.0 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.20.2
(run the command in an *elevated* command prompt!)
Change the 10.10.1.0 and 255.255.255.0 parts to the IP and subnet of the network you are wanting to connect to through VPN.
I got the information here:
http://geekswithblogs.net/evjen/archive/2007/01/01/102429.aspx
