I need to help someone running Mac OS X (10.5.8) to create a VPN tunnel to my Cisco ASA5505 firewall in order to access some files that reside on my Windows network. In the past, I have only connected other Windows users using the Cisco VPN Client software. I did obtain the Mac version of the Cisco VPN software (Cisco AnyConnect, which uses SSL), but the user feels that it should not be necessary to install this software on her Mac in order to access the shared drive. I require VPN connections rather than poking a hole in the firewall for VNC, etc. Before I tell this user that my Cisco AnyConnect software *must* be installed, I wanted to see if there are other options, since I know very little about Mac OS X.

Native Cisco VPN on Mac OS X. Confirmed working on OS X High Sierra. The proprietary CiscoVPN Mac client is somewhat buggy.It is possible to use the IPSec VPN software included with Mac OS X instead. Installing the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Note: ONLY Mac OS 10.9.x and newer versions are supported by the CISCO AnyConnect software. Download the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client installer for Mac from: full- vpn.uh.edu.

I contacted Cisco, and they confirmed that other client software besides their own Cisco software can create VPN tunnels on this device, since VPN is built on an open standard like IPSec and SSL. However, they will not provide further details about non-Cisco software.
Does anyone know if Mac OS X comes with VPN tunneling software? What other VPN client software might be recommended for connecting a Mac to a Cisco firewall? Finally, once the VPN tunnel is established, does anyone know the best way to use Mac OS X to map the drive?
Cisco Vpn Client Software For Mac

Thanks,
CSG

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From Cisco Systems:

Simple to deploy and operate, the Cisco VPN Client enables customers to establish secure, end-to-end encrypted tunnels to Cisco remote access VPN devices supporting the Unified Client Framework. This thin design, IPSec implementation is available via Cisco.com for use with any Cisco central site remote access VPN product and is included free of charge with the Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator. The client can be pre-configured for mass deployments and initial logins require very little user intervention. VPN access policies and configurations are downloaded from the central gateway and pushed to the client when a connection is established, allowing simple deployment and management as well as high scalability.

Download Cisco Anyconnect Vpn Client For Mac

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