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Remote observing instructions, using a Mac with OSX 10.

x

For Mac OSX, the Lowell VPN supports two options.  You can connect using the Mac native VPN client (which is an L2TP over IPSec client), or you can install and use the SonicWall Mobile Connect client (SSL client).  With the latter, you can set up a split VPN that will only direct traffic for Lowell over the VPN, all other traffic will continue to route normally.

A1) Setting up a VPN connection to the Lowell network using the Mac native VPN client

This setup uses the Mac OSX native VPN client.  The way the Lowell VPN setup is configured, it will route all network traffic through Lowell while the connection is in place.  (There are ways to split the traffic up, but they are challenging to set up.)

The connection can be setup using the native Mac VPN client using L2TP over IPsec protocol.

  • Go to Open Network Preferences > Click the + sign (lower left, above the lock) to create a new service. 
  • For Interface, select VPN, select VPN Type of L2TP over IPsec and name the service to your liking (e.g. VPN to Lowell - L2TP).
    • Once the new VPN service has been created, fill out the page along the following lines:  

    14, 10.15 and 11.x

    A) Updated Lowell VPN instructions (as of September 2021):

    Lowell has shifted to a new firewall appliance (2021-Sep), and all users should use the new VPN server.  Instructions for setting up your computer to use the new VPN are at Watchguard SSLVPN Installation.

  • Configuration: Default.
    • Server Address
    • : 207.192.243.66
    (primary) or 4.53.111.130 (backup)
  • Account Name: [Contact your home department or LDT staff for your departmental VPN account name / password / shared secret]
  • Click on Authentication Settings.
    1. Under User Authentication, select Password,  and enter your password [See above].
    2. Under Machine Authentication, select Shared Secret and enter the shared secret [See above].
    3. Then Click OK.
  • Click Apply.
  • Click Advanced.  Under the "DNS" tab and enter the follow information.
    1. DNS Servers: 10.10.100.32
    2. Search Domains: Lowell.edu
    3. Under the "Options" tab, make sure that "Send all traffic over VPN connection" is checked.

    • A2) Setting up a VPN connection to the Lowell network using the SonicWall Mobile Connect VPN client

    This setup uses the SonicWall Mobile Connect VPN client, which is an SSL client.  The way the Lowell VPN setup is configured, it will split route network traffic so that only traffic for Lowell will go through the VPN.

    If you are going to use Mobile Connect, please notify Lowell IT first.

  • Download Mobile Connect from the Apple App Store
    • Once downloaded, and installed the software, launch the Mobile Connect GUI and start filling out the information.
  • Server Address: vpn1.lowell.edu:4433 (IP address: 207.192.243.66:4433) (primary) or 4.53.111.130:4433 (backup)
  • Mobile Connect will complain that it cannot verify the identity of the server. This is because the server's certificate is self-signed. Click continue
  • Mobile Connect does not use the shared-secret (which you might see reference to in other documents).
    • You will need to enter your VPN username and password.  
    •  )

    We no longer support the earlier VPN solutions.  Please review the supported systems information on the VPN installation page to be sure that your system is compatible with the new VPN solution.  If it is not, please get in touch with LDT staff as soon as you can.  The Lowell VPN solution splits the traffic, only routing Lowell specific traffic through the Lowell networks.

    Account Name: [Contact your home department or LDT staff for your departmental VPN account name / password

    ]Domains: Lowell.edu

    / shared secret] This should be the same as before.

    B) Setting up a VNC connection to dct-obs1 or dct-obs2

    Once you have a VPN connection into the Lowell network, you are ready to connect to the VNC server on dct-obs1 or dct-obs2. 

    Note: Contact your TO first to know which machine is free to use at the moment.  All instrument control software and data access is identical on both machines.

    The default option is to use the Apple ScreenSharing client, which is detailed here.  If you want, you can use an alternate VNC client, like RealVNC or tightVNC, see LDT Remote Observing (Linux Specific Steps).

    1. From the Finder menu bar, select the Go menu, and at the bottom click on "Connect to Server ... ⌘-K".
    2. In the top text box that says Server Address enter vnc://dct-obs1.lowell.edu or vnc://dct-obs2.lowell.edu
    3. Click Connect.
    4. You will get a dialogue box that has two fields, Name and Password. The Name field will likely be pre-filled with your local computer login name.  Delete that and enter:
      1. Name: observer
      2. Password: <observer account password> (ask your TO if you don't know this)
      3. Then click "Connect"
    5. At this point, the system will bring up the ScreenSharing window (the MacOSX application that contains the VNC client).  By default, it shows a window that has the entire remote host screen. There is a menu on the left that allows you to select the whole display, or either Screen 1 or 2.  Most observers limit themselves to using Screen 1 only, but both are available.