UMKC Information Services →  Macintosh Support - Creating a VPN Connection to the UMKC Campus Network

OS X (v. 10.2 and above) has a built-in Virtual Private Network (VPN) client that allows you to establish a secure connection to UMKC's local area netowrk. There is no VPN client native to earlier versions of the Mac OS. If you use an earlier version of MacOS, you should upgrade to OS X. 

*Important Note:  OS X Leopard Users!  The instructions for OS X 10.5 are different from previous versions.  Please see your specific instructions below.

For Apple OS X 10.2 to 10.4, do the following:

1. Open Internet Connect. It is located inside the Applications folder on the primary hard drive.
2. Open the File menu and select 'New VPN Connection Window (or just press Shift-Command-P). A VPN Connection window will appear.
3. For the VPN type select 'PPTP' and click 'Continue'
4. In the space next to 'Server address', type: sstp.umkc.edu
5. In the space next to 'User name', type your Exchange username.
6. In the space next to 'Password', type your Exchange password.
7. Check the 'Add to keychain' box if you wish the computer to save your password for the next time you want to start a VPN connection to UMKC. (If this is a computer you share with others, you may not want to do this!)
8. Click 'Connect'. The VPN Connection window will display the status of the connection process. A timer will also indicate the amount of time the connection has been active.
9. You may now use Entourage or any other software that requires a secure connection to the campus network.
10. When you no longer need the VPN connection, close it by clicking the Disconnect button in the VPN Connection window. (If you accidentally closed this window before, you can view it again by following steps 1 and 2 above.
    

For Apple OS X 10.5, do the following:

1. Open System Preferences.  It can be accessed by clicking the Apple menu in the top left corner and selecting System Preferences.
2. Open the Network tab.
3. Unlock the Network pane by clicking the lock in the lower left and entering an administrator name and password.
4. Once unlocked, click the "+" button in the lower left to bring up the Add Service screen.  Select VPN from the drop-down menu. 
5. For the VPN type select 'PPTP' and click 'Create'
6. In the space next to 'Server address', type: sstp.umkc.edu
7. In the space next to 'Account name', type your Exchange username.
8. In the space next to 'Authentication', leave it set to Automatic (128 bit or 40 bit).
9. Click 'Connect'. The VPN Connection window will prompt you for your password.  Check the 'Add to keychain' box if you wish the computer to save your password for the next time you want to start a VPN connection to UMKC. (If this is a computer you share with others, you may not want to do this!) A timer will also indicate the amount of time the connection has been active.
10. You may now use Entourage or any other software that requires a secure connection to the campus network.
11. When you no longer need the VPN connection, close it by clicking the Disconnect button in the VPN Connection window.
    

Optional:  If you would like to save a link to the VPN app in the menu bar, make sure to check the "Show VPN status in menu bar" selection while performing step 6 above.