Ubuntu – CISCO VPN configuration steps

The solution suggested by con-f-use should work but doesn't, due to a long-standing bug:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/network-manager/+bug/280571

There are workarounds though. For recent NetworkManager versions, there is a commandline utitility, nmcli, that can be edited and saved as something like /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/vpn-up:

#! /bin/bash

REQUIRED_CONNECTION_NAME="<name-of-connection>"
VPN_CONNECTION_NAME="<name-of-vpn-connection>"


activ_con=$(nmcli con status | grep "${REQUIRED_CONNECTION_NAME}")
activ_vpn=$(nmcli con status | grep "${VPN_CONNECTION_NAME}")
if [ "${activ_con}" -a ! "${activ_vpn}" ];
then
    nmcli con up id "${VPN_CONNECTION_NAME}"
fi

[I haven't tested this -- please feel free to test and edit according to results]

See: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NetworkManager#Use_dispatcher_to_connect_to_a_vpn_after_a_network-connection_is_established has more info.

Here's how I got this working with Ubuntu 12.10:

First install the following

sudo apt-get install vpnc
sudo apt-get install network-manager-vpnc
sudo apt-get install network-manager-vpnc-gnome

Using the network-manager create a new VPN connection, set at least the following:

Gateway
User name
Group name

If the given group password is encrypted you can decrypt it here (ecrypted password probably will not work):
http://www.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/~massar/bin/cisco-decode

Once these are set if you still have problems connecting try setting the IP address instead of domain name to the Gateway (this is what fixed it for me).

nslookup vpn.provider.com