Connecting to different VPNs with a single PC

We use Nortel’s Contivity VPN Client (v04_65.09) to connect to Company A. We have to connect to Company B using another version of the VPN client (V02_62.33). Can we maintain both connections to both companies using one PC? Is it possible to use just one version of the VPN client to establish connections to both companies?

Maintaining both VPN connections simultaneously might not be possible, but you should be able to connect to either site using the newer version of the Contivity client if Company B’s extranet access switch is using IP Security and ISAKMP/Oakley Key Exchange protocol (which v04_65.09 expects).

If Company B’s extranet access switch has been kept up to date and patched to support the latest IPSec key exchange standards, then you can connect to the site using the newer client software simply by creating a new connection.

If Company B’s switch runs software older than Version 3.50 and still uses single Data Encryption Standard in IPSec IKE Phase 1, you might be forced to install and use the earlier version of the Contivity client to connect to the site, because some older switches were not upgradeable and do not support the newer IPSec implementation.