[c-nsp] Linux VPN client suggestion?

[nsp at sky-haven.net]

Scott Granados wrote:
> Hi all,
> I'm running presently Cisco ASA 5520 hardware with the Cisco VPN client 
> to provide remote users access to network resources.  I have one user 
> who is interested in a client for Linux (specifically CentOS) and not 
> sure what to suggest.  Does anyone have any good pointers for a good 
> client that I can point him to?
> 
> Any pointers would be appreciated.

Have had good luck with VPNC on Linux.  You can try the ShrewSoft Linux
client (http://www.shrew.net/) as well if you're of a mind, but vpnc
tends to win on simplicity.

If yourself (or your user) is a bit of a sick puppy[1], you can actually
get things working with Linux IPsec-tools (e.g. Racoon and XFRM).  But I
advise against it unless the Linux station in question is obligated to
maintain existing IPsec sessions.  In this case, neither vpnc or
ShrewSoft (or probably anything else IPsec-based) will work since both
IPsec-tools and vpnc will insist on binding a listener on 500/udp.

   Best,
   Lance Dryden

[1] For non-Americans, this means something like "a fan of tinkering
with Linux, perhaps to the point of obsession."