IPSec Certificate Creation

I'm trying to setup a Wireless Lan network with security.
I have started the installation of the VPN server on the
Windows 2003 Server. I'm up to the stage of creating
certificates for the remote workstations. It seems that I
have to connect the remote workstation to the server
before I can get a certificate but I can't connect the
workstation until I have a certificate. Catch-22.

Is there a way that I can create a certificate on the
server for the workstation and then transfer by floppy
onto the workstation? I'm hoping to then use the created
certificate on the workstation to access the server via
IPSec with Certificates as the workstations are secure in
their own rights.

I have installed the root CA and certificate services on
the server.

Lance



Lance

I believe that the default web enrollment pages for the CA have a path that
allows the saving of a newly requested cert to disk for exactly this
scenario. There are probably some command line tools that can do the request
as well.
I'd take a look through www.microsoft.com/vpn. I believe there are one or
two deployment whitepapers that discuss different techniques for addressing
this problem.

--
David
Microsoft Windows Networking
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Lance" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0f3e01c3bffc$cb880a20$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I'm trying to setup a Wireless Lan network with security.
> I have started the installation of the VPN server on the
> Windows 2003 Server. I'm up to the stage of creating
> certificates for the remote workstations. It seems that I
> have to connect the remote workstation to the server
> before I can get a certificate but I can't connect the
> workstation until I have a certificate. Catch-22.
>
> Is there a way that I can create a certificate on the
> server for the workstation and then transfer by floppy
> onto the workstation? I'm hoping to then use the created
> certificate on the workstation to access the server via
> IPSec with Certificates as the workstations are secure in
> their own rights.
>
> I have installed the root CA and certificate services on
> the server.
>
> Lance
>