| 7.3 |  | Cisco VPN 3.5 Client |
| 7.3.1 |  | Overview |

| This section introduces the Cisco VPN Client release 3.5. The free VPN Client is software that enables customers to establish secure, end-to-end encrypted tunnels to any Cisco Easy VPN Server. Figure 1 displays the VPN Client splash window. Users can preconfigure the connection entry and hostname or IP address of remote Easy VPN Servers. Clicking Connect initiates the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Phase 1.

The VPN Client can be preconfigured for mass deployments. Initial logins require very little user intervention. VPN access policies and configurations are downloaded from the Easy VPN Server and pushed to the VPN Client when a connection is established. This software has greatly simplified the remote VPN deployment and management.

Corporations use VPNs to establish secure, end-to-end private network connections over a public networking infrastructure. VPNs have become the logical solution for remote access connectivity. Deploying a remote access VPN enables corporations to reduce communications expenses by leveraging the local dial-up infrastructures of Internet Service Providers. At the same time, VPNs allow mobile workers, telecommuters and day extenders to take advantage of broadband connectivity.
The Cisco VPN Client provides support for Windows 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Linux (Intel), Solaris (UltraSparc 32- and 64-bit), and Mac OS X 10.1 and 10.2 (Jaguar) . The Cisco VPN Client is compatible with the following Cisco products:

- Cisco VPN 3000 Series Concentrator with Software Version 3.0 and later
- Cisco IOS Software Releases 12.2(8)T and later
- Cisco PIX Security Appliance Software Version 6.0 and later (4.0 client requires 6.22 or later)

The latest 4.0 client is shown in Figure . Some of the new features include a Virtual Adapter (Win2K / XP), common graphical interface for Windows and Mac VPN Clients (New GUI), and personal firewall enhancements.

| Web Links

Cisco
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/
secursw/ps2308/index.html