This chapter describes the main VPN client window and the tools, tabs, menus, and icons for navigating the user interface.
Choosing a Run Mode
You can run the VPN client in Simple mode or in Advanced mode. The default is Simple mode.
Use Simple mode if you only want to start the VPN client application and establish a connection to a VPN device using the default connection entry.
Use Advanced mode to manage the VPN client, configure connection entries, manage certificates, to view and manage event logging, or to view tunnel routing data.
To toggle between advanced mode and simple mode, press Command-T. Alternately, you can choose your mode from the View menu.
VPN Client Window—Simple Mode
When you run in simple mode, a scaled-down version of the VPN client user interface appears (Figure 3-1).
Figure 3-1 VPN Client Window—Simple Mode
The main VPN client window shows the version information, the default connection entry, the Connect button, and the status bar.
The Connection Entries menu also changes according to which mode you are running in (Figure 3-2).
Figure 3-2 Simple Mode Connection Entries Menu
In Simple mode, only the Connect/Disconnect choices are available. You can choose to connect or disconnect the default connection entry.
VPN Client Window—Advanced Mode
The following sections describe the main VPN client window in Advanced mode, the action buttons and tabs for navigating the user interface, the main menu options, and the right-click menu options.
Figure 3-3 shows the VPN client window and the primary navigation areas.
Figure 3-3 Main VPN Client Window
1
VPN client version information.
4
Display area for the main tabs.
2
Toolbar action buttons. The buttons that are available depend on which tab is forward.
5
Connection status bar. The left side of the status bar indicates the connection entry name and connection status. When connected, the right side displays the amount of time that this VPN session has been established.
3
Main tabs for managing the VPN client.
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Toolbar Action Buttons—Advanced Mode
This section describes the toolbar action buttons in Advanced mode. These buttons are not available in Simple mode.
The action buttons at the top of the VPN client window vary depending on which tab is forward.
For example, if the Connections tab is forward, the Connect, New, Import, Modify, and Delete buttons control operations for the selected connection entry (see Figure 3-3). If the Certificates tab is forward, the View, Import, Export, Enroll, Verify, and Delete buttons control operations for the selected certificate (Figure 3-4).
Figure 3-4 Toolbar Buttons—Certificates Tab
Main Tabs—Advanced Mode
This section describes the four main tabs in Advanced mode for managing the VPN client (Figure 3-5). There are no tabls in Simple mode.
Figure 3-5 VPN Client GUI Main Tabs
The four main tabs include:
Connection Entries tab—Displays the list of current connection entries, the host (the VPN device each connection entry uses to gain access to the private network), and the transport properties that are set for each connection entry. Refer to "Configuring Connection Entries" for more details on the Connection Entries tab.
Certificates tab—Displays the list of certificates in the VPN client certificate store. Use this tab to manage certificates. Refer to "Managing Certificates" for more details on the Certificates tab.
Tunnel Details tab—Displays information related to the active VPN session. This includes IP addresses assigned for this session, byte and packet transfer statistics, encryption and authentication algorithms, and tunneling options. Refer to "Managing the VPN Client" for more information.
Log tab—Displays event messages from all processes that contribute to the client-peer connection, including enabling logging, clearing the event log, viewing the event log in an external window, and setting logging levels. Refer to "Managing the VPN Client" for more information.
Main Menus—Advanced Mode
The following sections describe the main VPN client menus for Advanced mode, located at the top of the window, when the VPN client application is active on your desktop. In Simple mode, only the Connection Entries menu is available.
VPN Client Menu
Use the VPN client menu (Figure 3-6) to manage the VPN client application and main window settings.
Figure 3-6 VPN Client Menu
About VPN Client—Displays the current VPN client version, the VPN client type (platform), and the copyright information.
Save window settings—Saves any changes you make to the VPN client window
Minimize upon connect—Places the VPN client window in the dock when the VPN connection is established
Enable tooltips—Enables tool tips for the toolbar action buttons
Services—Access standard Mac OS X services.
Hide VPN Client—Remove the VPN client window. This option does not close the application or minimize the window.
Hide Others—Remove all windows except the VPN client window.
Show All—Displays all windows that were previously hidden.
Quit VPN Client—Closes the VPN client application.
Connection Entries Menu
Use the Connection Entries menu (Figure 3-8) as a shortcut to frequently-used connection entry operations.
Figure 3-8 Connection Entries Menu
Connect to—Establish a VPN connection using the selected connection entry. If the Connections tab is not selected, a submenu, which lists all available connection entries, is displayed.
Disconnect—Disconnect the current VPN session.
Reset Stats—Reset the VPN session statistics on the Tunnel Details tab.
Delete—Delete the selected connection entry.
Properties—Display the properties of the selected connection entry. This action opens the VPN Client Properties window.
Duplicate—Duplicate the selected connection entry. This menu choice allows you to create a new connection entry using the configuration from a current connection entry as a template.
Erase Saved User Password—Erases the user password that is saved on the VPN client workstation, forcing the VPN client to prompt you for a password each time you establish a connection.
Set as Default Connection Entry—Use the selected connection entry as the default.
Use the View menu (Figure 3-9) to display the event log or tunnel details in a separate window.
Figure 3-9 View Menu
Notifications—Open the Notifications window to view notices from the VPN device.
Routes—Open the Routes window to view excluded and secured routes for the current VPN session.
Show Log Viewer—Open the External Log View window.
Simple Mode/Advanced Mode—Toggle between Simple Mode and Advanced Mode.
Note The Help menu is not available with Release 3.7.
Right-Click Menus—Advanced Mode
Use the right-click menus from the Connection Entries tab or the Certificates tab as an alternate method to perform frequent VPN client operations in Advanced mode. If your mouse has only one button, use Ctrl-Click to access the right-click menus. The right-click menus are not available in Simple mode.
Connection Entries Tab Right-Click Menu
Figure 3-10 shows the right-click menu options that are available when the Connection Entries tab is selected.
Figure 3-10 Connection Entries Right-Click Menu
Connect—Establish a VPN connection using the selected connection entry.
Disconnect—Disconnect the current VPN session.
Duplicate—Duplicate the selected connection entry. This action allows you to create a new connection entry using the configuration from a current connection entry as a template.
Delete—Delete the selected connection entry.
Properties—Display the properties of the selected connection entry. This action opens the VPN Client Properties window.
Erase Saved User Password—Erases the user password that is saved on the VPN client workstation, forcing the VPN client to prompt you for a password each time you establish a connection.
Set as Default Connection Entry—Use the selected connection entry as the default.
Certificates Tab Right-Click Menu
Figure 3-11 shows the right-click menu options that are available when the Certificates tab is forward.
Figure 3-11 Certificates Tab Right-Click Menu
Verify—Verify that the selected certificate is valid.
View—View the properties of the selected certificate.
Delete—Delete the selected certificate
Export—Export the selected certificate to a specified file location
Change Certificate Password—Change the password used to protect the certificate while it is in the VPN client certificate store.
Resume Certificate Enrollment—Resume a previously started certificate enrollment.
