VPN Client User Guide for Mac OS X, Release 4.0
Navigating the User Interface
Download this chapter
Navigating the User InterfaceNavigating the User Interface
Download the complete book
Cisco VPN Client User Guide for Mac OS X, Release 4.0Cisco VPN Client User Guide for Mac OS X, Release 4.0 (PDF - 3 MB)
give_us_feedback

Table of Contents

Navigating the User Interface
 VPN Client Menu
 Choosing a Run Mode
 Operating in Simple Mode
 Operating in Advanced Mode

Navigating the User Interface

This chapter describes the main VPN Client window and the tools, tabs, menus and icons for navigating the user interface.

VPN Client Menu

Use the VPN Client menu (Figure 3-1) to manage the VPN Client application and main window settings.


Figure 3-1   VPN Client Menu


  • About VPN Client—Displays the current VPN Client version, the VPN Client type (platform), and the copyright information.
  • Preferences—Sets VPN Client window preferences (Figure 3-2).

Figure 3-2   VPN Client Window Preferences


    • Save window settings—Saves changes to the VPN Client window. For example, you can save the window size; the window position; the selected tab; and the view (simple or advanced mode).
    • 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 from your screen. This option does not close the application or minimize the screen.
  • Hide Others—Remove all windows except the VPN Client from your screen.
  • Show All—Displays all windows that were previously hidden.
  • Quit VPN Client—Closes the VPN Client application.

Choosing a Run Mode

You can run the VPN Client in simple mode or in advanced mode. The default is advanced 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-M. Alternately, you can choose your mode from the Options menu.

Operating in Simple Mode

Use simple mode when you only need to establish a connection to a VPN device using the default connection entry.

Note   You must operate in advanced mode to manage certificates and event logging or to make configuration changes to a connection entry.

VPN Client Window—Simple Mode

When you run in simple mode, you are presented with a scaled-down version of the VPN Client user interface (Figure 3-3).


Figure 3-3   VPN Client Window—Simple Mode


The main VPN Client window shows only the version information, the default connection entry, the connect button, and the status bar.

Main Menus—Simple Mode

This section describes the abbreviated menu choices available in simple mode. The Certificates and Log menus are only available in advanced mode.

Connection Entries Menu

Figure 3-4 shows the Connection Entries menu options for simple mode.


Figure 3-4   Simple Mode Connection Entries Menu


  • Connect—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.
  • Import—Import a connection entry configuration file (a file with a .pcf extension, called a profile).
  • Set as Default Connection Entry—Use the selected connection entry as the default. The default connection entry is used for this VPN session unless you select an alternate connection entry.

Status Menu

Figure 3-5 shows the Status Menu options for simple mode.


Figure 3-5   Simple Mode Status Menu


  • Statistics—Open the Statistics window to view tunnel details and route details.
  • Notifications—Open the Notifications window to view notices from the VPN device.

Operating in Advanced Mode

Use Advanced mode to manage the VPN Client; configure connection entries; manage certificates; view and manage event logging; and view tunnel statistics and routing data.

VPN Client Window—Advanced Mode

The following sections describe the main VPN Client window in Advanced Mode, the primary buttons and tabs for navigating the user interface, the main menu options, and the right-click menu options.

Figure 3-6 shows the VPN Client window and the primary navigation areas.


Figure 3-6   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

When connected, the status bar displays information related to the current VPN session:

  • The left side indicates the connection entry name and connection status.
  • The right side lists the amount of time for this session, the client IP address, and the number of bytes through the VPN tunnel.
3

Main tabs for managing the VPN Client.

 

Toolbar Action Buttons—Advanced 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 3-6). If the Certificates tab is forward, the View, Import, Export, Enroll, Verify, and Delete buttons control operations for the selected certificate (Figure 3-7).


Figure 3-7   Toolbar Buttons—Certificates Tab


Main Tabs—Advanced Mode

This section describes the three main tabs for managing the VPN Client (Figure 3-8).


Figure 3-8   VPN Client GUI Main Tabs


The three main tabs include:

  • Connection Entries tab—Displays the list of current connection entries, the host, which is 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 "Enrolling and Managing Certificates" for more details on the Certificates tab.
  • 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, located at the top of your screen, when the VPN Client application is running in advanced mode and active on your desktop.

Connection Entries Menu

Use the Connection Entries menu (Figure 3-9) as a shortcut to frequently-used connection entry operations. The menu option applies to the connection entry that is currently selected on the Connection Entries tab.

Note   A connection entry must be selected to use Connection Entries menu options.

Figure 3-9   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.
  • Modify—Modify the properties of the selected connection entry.
  • Delete—Delete the selected connection entry.
  • 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.
  • Set as Default Connection Entry—Use the selected connection entry as the default. The default connection entry is used for this VPN session unless you select an alternate connection entry.
  • New—Configure a new connection entry.
  • Import—Import a connection entry from a file.

To configure a new connection entry, see "Configuring Connection Entries."

Status Menu

Use the Status menu (Figure 3-10) to display the tunnel and route statistics or to view notifications from the VPN device.


Figure 3-10   Status Menu


  • Statistics—Open the Statistics window to view tunnel details and route details.
  • Notifications—Open the Notifications window to view notices from the VPN device.
  • Reset Stats—Reset the VPN session statistics on the Tunnel Details tab of the Statistics window.

Certificates Menu

Use the Certificates menu (Figure 3-11) as a shortcut to frequently-used certificate operations. The menu option applies to the certificate that is currently selected on the Certificates tab.

Note   A certificate must be selected to use Certificates menu options.

Figure 3-11   Certificates Menu


  • View—View the properties of the selected certificate.
  • Import—Import a certificate from a file.
  • Export—Export the selected certificate to a specified file location
  • Enroll—Enroll a digital certificate for user authentication.
  • Verify—Verify that the selected certificate is valid.
  • Delete—Delete the selected certificate.
  • Change Certificate Password—Change the password used to protect the certificate while it is in the VPN Client certificate store.
  • Retry Certificate Enrollment—Retry a previously started certificate enrollment.
  • Show or Hide CA/RA Certificates—This menu option toggles to Show or Hide root certificates issued by either a Certificate Authority (CA) or a Registration Authority (RA).

Log Menu

Use the Log menu (Figure 3-12) to enable, disable, view or clear the event log, or to adjust the log settings.


Figure 3-12   Log Menu


  • Enable/Disable—Enable or disable event logging.
  • Clear—Clear the event log.
  • Log Settings—Open the Log Settings window to view current settings or make adjustments.
  • Log Window—Open the Log Window, which is a separate window that displays events. From this window you can save the display, edit logging levels by event class, and clear both log displays. The Log Window shows more events than the display area of the main advanced mode window.
  • Search Log—Open the Search Log dialog box (Figure 3-13).

Figure 3-13   Log Search Dialog Box


Enter the exact string to match in the Find entry field. The search string is not case-sensitive and wildcards are not allowed. Matched instances are highlighted on the Log tab.

  • Save—Save the event log to a file.

Right-Click Menus

Use the right-click menus from the Connection Entries tab or the Certificates tab as an alternate method for performing frequent VPN Client operations. If your mouse has only one button, use Ctrl-Click to access the right-click menus.

Connection Entries Tab Right-Click Menu

Figure 3-14 shows the right-click menu options available when the Connection Entries tab is selected.


Figure 3-14   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.
  • Modify—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.

Certificates Tab Right-Click Menu

Figure 3-15 shows the right-click menu options available when the Certificates tab is forward.


Figure 3-15   Certificates Tab Right-Click Menu


  • View—View the properties of the selected certificate.
  • Export—Export the selected certificate to a specified file location
  • Verify—Verify that the selected certificate is valid.
  • Delete—Delete the selected certificate
  • Change Certificate Password—Change the password used to protect the certificate while it is in the VPN Client certificate store.
  • Retry Certificate Enrollment—Retry a previously started certificate enrollment.