VPNMenu
Requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later
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UPDATE: v0.3 RC1 is now available to download. It is completely (ok fine, mostly) re-written and now uses the VPN API directly instead of wrapping the command line client. You still need the cisco API and KEXT installed to run it though. Version 0.3 adds ability to automatically join networks when your computer connects to them based on server IP and or Hostname.
The provided GUI for the Cisco VPN client is clunky and lacks anything that resembles a macintosh style interface. VPNMenu is an attempt to rectify this. The goal was to create a program which would allow the user to interact with the VPN transparently, and to simplify connection management.
VPNMenu is a wrapper around the Cisco command line VPN client. You must have the official client installed first in order to use it. VPNMenu has the option to attempt to initiate a connection to the network automatically on both it's launch or when the computer wakes from sleep. VPNMenu also let's you switch between profiles, suppress the annoying ITS message dialog and toggle the display of error messages. A console window with the official client's raw output is also available.
Installation Instructions:
If this is your first time connecting to the NIUNET VPN network from your computer, you need to first install the official client and NIU specific profiles. You can download the installer and find instructions for installing it
here. VPNMenu isn't limited to the NIU network, and can be added to any Cisco VPN environment (at least in theory).
Once you have the VPN client installed, simply download the VPNMenu disk image at the bottom of this page. Mount the disk image and drag the VPNMenu application to your applications folder (or anywhere else). You should now be ready to start using it!
If you want to load VPNMenu whenever you login to your account (this will make the connection to the network more transparent) add it to your Startup-Item's in the Accounts section of the System-Preferences.
Usage Instructions:
When you launch VPNMenu an icon will appear in the Menu Bar to the left of the system clock (and other apple provided menu item's). The icon will change depending on the status of the connection. Broken lines means that there is currently no connection to the VPN. Squiggly lines indicate that a connection is in progress, and solid lines represent an established connection. The first time you launch the client make sure that you click on the Menu-bar icon, choose "Preferences" from the pull down menu, and configure it for your username and password.