Identifying a mobile VPN client that best fits your needs can be a challenging task. Fortunately, there are several simple steps you can take to guide you through the decision process. In short, you need to clearly define your requirements, set up a test environment, and systematically evaluate each VPN client you are considering.

Prerequisites

To best evaluate a VPN client, you should have some networking experience as well as at least a passing knowledge of how VPNs work and the features they offer. If you’re using mobile devices with Wi-Fi networking, you’ll need to understand how to configure the Wi-Fi connection to work with a wireless access point. A good introduction to VPN technology and concepts can be found on the “How Stuff Works” Web site (howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm). You’ll also ideally need to have a set up that includes the following:

• Access to one or more VPN concentrators
• User accounts (usernames and passwords) on these concentrators to test with
• The group password(s) for the concentrator(s)
• The IP address(es) of the VPN concentrator(s) you will be using
• One or more mobile devices to test with which have Wi-Fi or cellular access

Step 1: Define your requirements

Understanding your requirements is one of the key steps you need to do. Take the time to do this up front and it will help you focus in on the right solution very quickly. Some points to consider are:

• What VPN concentrators do you need to support? Some VPN clients support only certain VPN concentrators and may not work with your equipment.
• Is the VPN concentrator you are using an IPsec VPN or an SSL VPN? IPsec VPN clients have the advantage of transparently supporting all applications and encrypting all network traffic. SSL concentrators sometimes do not require a client at all and can work with the browser on your mobile device; however, they are limited to browser-based applications.
• What mobile devices does your organization support? There are several different operating systems used today on mobile devices and smartphones, including Symbian, Windows Mobile, and RIM. Your choice of VPN client will be largely driven by the platform it is going to run on.
• How will users authenticate to the VPN concentrator you are using? Most VPN clients will support a simple username/password scheme as a baseline. If you are using smart cards, certificates, or performing two-factor or biometric authentication, you’ll want to make sure the VPN clients you evaluate support these features.