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Date: Tuesday, 4 January 2005<br>
To: MIT Community: itpartners@mit.edu, winpartners@mit.edu,
macpartners@mit.edu, linux-help@mit.edu, sw-release-announce@mit.edu<br>
From: VPN Client Release Team <vpn-release@mit.edu><br>
Subject: VPN 4.6 Release announcement<br>
Cc: is&t@mit.edu, vpn-release@mit.edu<br>
------------------------------------------------<br><br>
Good day:<br><br>
IS&T is happy to announce a new release of the Virtual Private
Network (VPN). VPN version 4.6 is supported on the Macintosh,
Windows and Linux platforms and is available to assist MIT clients with
connectivity from off campus.<br><br>
About the VPN<br>
-----------------------<br>
The VPN provides a solution to work through various port blocks and other
things that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) do to protect their clients
and attempts to prevent spam, virus outbreaks, and other network abuse.
These preventative measures often interrupt or prevent legitimate work
from happening. The MIT VPN can help resolve a number of problems
associated with e-mail, Windows file sharing, and other network-based
applications without needing to determine the particular preventative
measures your ISP has implemented.<br><br>
Notable features:<br>
---------------------------<br>
MIT Profile included (for connecting to MIT's VPN) within the installer
allowing for a smooth installation.<br>
Solves various e-mail, file sharing and other network problems for
clients connecting from off campus <br>
Utilizes Kerberos principle for authentication, so no separate VPN
password needed <br><br>
Known Issues<br>
----------------------<br>
If you have not changed your Kerberos password in more than three years,
you will need to change it before you will be able to connect to MITnet
via the VPN. For help with determining the age of your current
password or with changing it, contact the Computing Help Desk at
<computing-help@mit.edu>. <br><br>
When connecting to the VPN, all network connections will become severed
for a few seconds. This means that programs which rely on a persistent
network connection (e.g., instant messaging programs, MIT TechTime)
<i>may</i> lose their connection and you may need to manually reconnect
some programs. Therefore, it is recommended that you close any open
applications prior to launching VPN. <br><br>
For a complete list of platform specific known issues, please visit the
VPN 4.6 known issues page:<br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>
<a href="http://itinfo.mit.edu/article?id=7432" eudora="autourl">
http://itinfo.mit.edu/article?id=7432<br><br>
</a>How to obtain VPN<br>
----------------------------------<br>
You can download the VPN client for your platform from the MIT Software
Download site:
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/software/" eudora="autourl">
http://web.mit.edu/software/<br>
</a>Please note that you need a current personal certificate to download
this software. If you do not have a current personal certificate, then
you can obtain one from
<a href="https://ca.mit.edu/" eudora="autourl">https://ca.mit.edu/</a>
.<br><br>
Where to get Help<br>
----------------------------<br>
The Virtual Private Network page is located at:
<a href="http://itinfo.mit.edu/product?name=vpn" eudora="autourl">
http://itinfo.mit.edu/product?name=vpn</a>. <br>
If you need assistance with installing or using the VPN, please contact
the Computing Help Desk at computing-help@mit.edu or (617)
253-1101.<br><br>
All the Best,<br>
Deb & the rest of the VPN Release Team:<br><br>
Tim Brennan<br>
Bill Brids<br>
Jon Hunt<br>
Chris Logan<br>
Jon Reed<br><br>
-----------------------------<br>
Deb Bowser<br>
IS&T Customer Support Services<br>
Software Release Team<br>
W92-176<br>
617-253-3879</body>
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