Overview

This page describes how you can establish a special kind of connection called a "secure tunnel" for your VNC client if you wish to use it from outside the UMDNJ network. Net traffic between your VNC client and the VNC server will travel through that tunnel and thus all be encrypted. If you are connecting to University computers from off campus, you need to begin setting up your VNC environment here.

Another page describes how to use the VNC client. Once you have compted the tasks on this page, go back there for more information.

Setting up your SSH Tunnel for VNC - The First Time

What's happening here?

You are creating a special profile (configuration) within your SSH client that will permit re-establishing an SSH tunnel for VNC the every time you use it from your computer.

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Open up SSH Secure Shell

2.  Click on Profiles and type in a profile name (this example uses vnchydrogen2), then click on Add to Profiles.

3.  Click on Profiles -> Edit Profiles… and select the profile you just entered

4.  Click on the Tunneling tab, then click on Add

5.  On the Connection tab, enter in the host name (the example uses hydrogen.umdnj.edu) and your user name

6.  On the Tunneling tab, select the Outgoing sub-tab, then click on Add .  Enter a display name (this example uses the same name as the profile name, vnchydrogen2).

8.  Select TCP as the type, and 59NN for the listen port in which you substitute your assigned VNC display number for NN.  In this example, we have assumed you have been assigned display number :2 on hydrogen.  Thus, in this example, 5902 is the listen port

9.  For the destination host, enter the fully-qualified hostname (hydrogen.umdnj.edu)

10.  For the destination port, enter the same port number as you did for step 8, (in this example, 5902)

11. Click OK, then click OK on the Profiles dialog.

12.  Now, establish an SSH connection to the workstation/server (hydrogen in this example) using the profile you just created. In this example, we would select

Profiles -> vnchydrogen2.

13.  The Connect to Remote Host dialog appears, type in your username and click Connect.  Enter your UNIX password when prompted, and you will now be connected to the host via ssh. 

14. You have now made a tunnel through which you VNC client can view a University UNIX desktop. Please return to the Connecting to a VNC Session instructions

Problems? See the VNC FAQ.