Configuring a VPN Connection
You configure VPN connection in Mac OS X using the Internet Connect application (located in the Applications folder). If there is no VPN connection configured on a particular Mac, when you open Internet Connect you will see a generic VPN icon in the toolbar (along with icons for AirPort, Bluetooth, and Dialup if the Mac contains the appropriate hardware for them). If you click on this icon (or select New VPN Connection form the File menu if you are adding additional VPN configurations), you will see a dialog box asking whether you will be creating an L2TP or PPTP connection. Once you specify the VPN protocol, the name of the VPN connection will change to include that protocol. You can then configure the connection. You will also notice that the VPN status icon appears in the menu bar.
Exactly what needs to be configured will depend both on the protocol and the configuration of the VPN server to which you will connect. In the most basic configuration for either protocol, you need to enter only the IP address or domain name of the VPN server and your username and password (it might be the same username and password you use to log in to the remote network or it might be something different) in the main Internet Connect window, as shown in Figure 1. You can then click the connect button to connect to the VPN. There is also a checkbox that displays or does not display the VPN icon in the menu bar.
Figure 1 A VPN configuration in Internet Connect