Configure a pre-shared key on a remote access server

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To configure a pre-shared key on a remote access server

Open Routing and Remote Access.
Right-click the name of the server on which you want to configure a pre-shared key, and then click Properties.
On the Security tab, select the Allow custom IPSec policy for L2TP connection check box.
Type the pre-shared key in Pre-shared Key.
Click Apply.

Notes

To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group. As a security best practice, consider using the Run As command rather than logging on with administrative credentials. If you have logged on with administrative credentials, you can also open Routing and Remote Access by clicking Start, clicking Control Panel, double-clicking Administrative Tools, and then double-clicking Routing and Remote Access. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.
A pre-shared key can be any non-null string of any combination of up to 255 characters. Use care when typing the pre-shared key because any differences between the pre-shared key configured on the client and the pre-shared key configured on the server will prevent connections from being made.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.