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To make a VPN connection to Princeton University using Windows XP, follow the steps below:

  1. Go to Start->Control Panel and click on Network and Internet Connections.
  2. Click Network Connections.
  3. Under Network Tasks, click Create New Connection and click Next.
  4. Choose Connect to the Network at my Workplace and click Next.
  5. Choose Virtual Private Network connection and click Next.
  6. Under Company Name, type a name like "Princeton VPN" and click Next.
  7. Under Host Name or IP address type vpn.princeton.edu and click Next.
  8. Choose Add a Shortcut to my Desktop and click Finish.
  9. Double-click on the shortcut for the connection on your desktop and in the window that appears, select Properties.
  10. Go to the Networking tab and change the Type of VPN server I am calling to "Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)" and click OK.
  11. Enter your NetID and Windows domain password and click Connect.
  12. If prompted, enter princeton as the domain and click OK.
  13. You should see a window pop up that says "Princeton VPN is now connected".
  14. To connect each time you log onto your computer, double-click the Princeton VPN shortcut on your desktop.
Troubleshooting VPN Connections

  1. You need to use your Windows domain account to connect to vpn.princeton.edu. When authenticating, it may be necessary to specify the Princeton Windows domain, either separately or as part of the user name (i.e. PRINCETONNetID). If you have problems, please verify that you have a valid Windows domain account.
  2. Firewalls often prevent a VPN connection from being established. Firewall software (such as ZoneAlarm) is sometimes installed on individual computers. A router or switch on a local network may also have firewall functionality. To make a VPN connection from behind a firewall, the firewall needs to be reconfigured to open up TCP port 1723 and IP packet type 47 (or UDP port 47). Network administrators should be able to make this change.
  3. Some commercial Internet service providers charge extra for VPN connectivity to networks outside their own; you should contact your ISP to see if you need to purchase an upgraded service package that allows VPN.
  4. If your home machine has a computer name that is already in use by an on-campus machine, you may get the error, "No domain controller could be found." This would prevent access to the Windows domain and certain shared resources. If you change the computer name to something unique, the problem will be resolved. There is no list to check and there are no restrictions on how often you may change computer names. Adding a few letters to the computer name is often effective.

Troubleshooting VPN Slow Connectivity
After establishing a VPN connection to Princeton, you might experience slow down of network speed. This is because your network traffic is now routed through the Princeton VPN server, and the overhead could be significant if you are connecting far away from Princeton. On Windows XP, you could use the following steps to route only the Princeton specific traffic through the Princeton VPN server:

  1. Double-click on the shortcut for the VPN connection on your desktop.
  2. In the window that appears, select Properties.
  3. In the window that appears, select the Networking tab, then select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.
  4. In the window that appears, click on Advanced.
  5. In the window that appears, select the General tab and uncheck "Use default gateway on remote network". Click OK.
  6. Close all previous windows by clicking OK in each.