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VPN for iMac G5 and Leopard
- Thread starter bengi3
- Start date
CircuitBored
Well-known member
You shouldn't need a soft-client for a VPN if you have the correct info for it. VPNs can be added natively in the network preferences pane.
cheesestraws
Well-known member
Depends on the VPN. You're going to have to be more specific, I'm afraid. There is a built-in VPN client that will work with some; others, it depends. A VPN is a kind of connection; the term "VPN" doesn't actually specify the protocol or tool used.
The answer, for FortiNet, is almost certainly "no". Apple's built-in VPN client from this era supports PPTP and L2TP and maybe one other things, but as mentioned in the intervening decade, ciphers have been updated.
FortiNet (and Cisco AnyConnect, as another example) is another kind of VPN sometimes referred to as SSLVPNs that talk between a proprietary client and the server via, you guessed it, SSL. (In particular, these often use port 443 to avoid being caught by firewalls that disallow "VPNs". Most of the time, there are not third party alternatives to these kinds of VPNs, and if they were, they wouldn't work on Mac OS X 10.5.
You'll probably need to use a more modern computer for your schoolwork.
Just idly, (this is basically unrelated to the original question here) PPTP is pretty easy to set up as a client on Macs, but it did get dropped out several years ago because, well, it's been cracked for a very long time, so using a PPTP VPN for anything is going to be more about "not opening other ports" than about "actually encrypting traffic."
FortiNet (and Cisco AnyConnect, as another example) is another kind of VPN sometimes referred to as SSLVPNs that talk between a proprietary client and the server via, you guessed it, SSL. (In particular, these often use port 443 to avoid being caught by firewalls that disallow "VPNs". Most of the time, there are not third party alternatives to these kinds of VPNs, and if they were, they wouldn't work on Mac OS X 10.5.
You'll probably need to use a more modern computer for your schoolwork.
Just idly, (this is basically unrelated to the original question here) PPTP is pretty easy to set up as a client on Macs, but it did get dropped out several years ago because, well, it's been cracked for a very long time, so using a PPTP VPN for anything is going to be more about "not opening other ports" than about "actually encrypting traffic."
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cheesestraws
Well-known member
Unfortunately tools/protocols involving cryptography are one of those things that don't translate to older OSes very well.
You can check to see if your computer that does run the VPN will allow you to use internet connection sharing, but in my experience with the VPN in use at my institution (Cisco AnyConnect) - the VPN will refuse to install and/or start if you have ICS on, so, tough to say. You'll also need two network adapters ifyou do that, so you might have [home router] - ethernet - [modern computer] wifi ICS [your G5].
What programs are you running on your G5? Your university almost certainly provides you newer versions that'll run on your faster computers for free or at a very deep discount.
My school, as an example, has SPSS and JMP available to all students/faculty/staff for $0 and SAS on a remote desktop server with a big xeon and on an HPC config for common use, plus lots of vendors (Autodesk comes to mind, but there's SAS University Edition as well) have $0 versions.
SAS University Edition is kind of fun, it's delivered as a virtual machine template, and if you qualify for it you should get it soon, because they're killing it in favor of an $0 cloud service. (I've got a copy but I got the EN-US copy and I don't know if they release it in different languages in different regions, or what.)
What programs are you running on your G5? Your university almost certainly provides you newer versions that'll run on your faster computers for free or at a very deep discount.
My school, as an example, has SPSS and JMP available to all students/faculty/staff for $0 and SAS on a remote desktop server with a big xeon and on an HPC config for common use, plus lots of vendors (Autodesk comes to mind, but there's SAS University Edition as well) have $0 versions.
SAS University Edition is kind of fun, it's delivered as a virtual machine template, and if you qualify for it you should get it soon, because they're killing it in favor of an $0 cloud service. (I've got a copy but I got the EN-US copy and I don't know if they release it in different languages in different regions, or what.)
To add: Not that you shouldn't run stats on a G5, although, any Intel or AMD-based computer around fifteen years old or newer will be faster than it, just that, you can avoid it for practical reasons if you'd like.
Not that I'm good at stats or anything, but out of interest, what software are you using?
Not that I'm good at stats or anything, but out of interest, what software are you using?
MrFahrenheit
Well-known member
There are routers available that offer a VPN client built-in, from “budget” manufactures like the TP-Link. I don’t know the specifics of what your university is using but maybe one of these routers could be the client for your G5 Macs and then your Mac just plugs into it?
Most SSLVPNs don't work with those clients, and their clients aren't built into that class of router. although some of the vendors of these (Cisco in particular) have routers designated as teleworker models. Meraki Z3 series, anything Cisco sells for at or under a kilobuck, FortiGate 30/40 might work that way, but I haven' ever tried it.
For the amount of money you'd spend on that kind of router, you could buy a new M1-based or current Intel-based Mac.
PPTP/L2TP et al are fairly standard though and will work this way, although, PPTP and L2TP are also built into OSX.
(or at least PPTP was until ~10.9 IIRC). (routers that do this are cheaper, admittedly.)
For the amount of money you'd spend on that kind of router, you could buy a new M1-based or current Intel-based Mac.
PPTP/L2TP et al are fairly standard though and will work this way, although, PPTP and L2TP are also built into OSX.
(or at least PPTP was until ~10.9 IIRC). (routers that do this are cheaper, admittedly.)
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