Always On VPN DPC Demonstration

Recently I wrote about PowerON Platforms’ Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC). This software solution enables administrators to natively provision and manage Always On VPN client configuration settings using Active Directory and group policy. In that post, I provided some high-level details about the product, along with a brief overview of its advanced features.

Demonstration Video

I have recorded a video demonstrating how to install and configure Always On VPN DPC and use its basic features. You will find that demonstration video here.

Advanced Features

Soon I will share more details about Always On VPN DPC and using its advanced capabilities to solve some common challenges faced by Always On VPN administrators. Stay tuned!

Learn More

Are you interested in learning more about PowerON Platforms Always On VPN DPC? Fill out the form below, and I’ll contact you with more information. In addition, you can visit aovpndpc.com to register for an evaluation license.

Additional Information

Always On VPN with Active Directory Group Policy

Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC)

Always On VPN Trusted Network Detection

Always On VPN Trusted Network DetectionWhen deploying Windows 10 Always On VPN, administrators can configure Trusted Network Detection (TND) which enables clients to detect when they are on the internal network. With this option set, the client will only automatically establish a VPN connection when it is outside the trusted network. Trusted network detection can be configured on both device tunnel and user tunnel connections.

TND Operation

When trusted network detection is configured, the VPN client will evaluate the DNS suffix assigned to all physical (non-virtual or tunnel) adapters that are active. If any of them match the administrator-defined trusted network setting, the client is determined to be on the internal network and the VPN connection will not connect. If the DNS suffix is not present on any of these adapters, the client is determined to be outside the internal network and the VPN connection will establish automatically.

TND Configuration

Trusted network detection is defined in the Intune UI or in ProfileXML as a string that matches the DNS suffix assigned to clients on the internal network. In this example, the DNS suffix on the internal network is lab.richardhicks.net.

Always On VPN Trusted Network Detection

Note: Your organization might have more than one DNS suffix. Ensure that the trusted network detection configuration includes all DNS suffixes in use in the environment to ensure reliable operation.

Intune

Follow the steps below to configured trusted network detection in Microsoft Intune.

  1. Open the Intune management portal (https://devicemanagement.microsoft.com/).
  2. Navigate to Devices > Configuration Profiles > [Profile Name] > Properties > Settings.
  3. Click on Trusted Network Detection.
  4. Enter the DNS suffix(es) used on the internal network.

Always On VPN Trusted Network Detection

ProfileXML

To define Trusted Network Detection in ProfileXML, add the TrustedNetworkDetection element as follows.

Always On VPN Trusted Network Detection

Caveats

In some instances, an Always On VPN client connection may persist, even if the client is connected to the internal network. A common scenario is when a client device connects to a Wi-Fi network that is not connected to the corporate network (for example guest Wi-Fi), then connects to the internal network with Ethernet via a docking station. If the Wi-Fi connection is still available, the Always On VPN connection will persist, even though the machine is connected to the internal network. This is expected and by design.

Workaround

To address this specific scenario, administrators can implement changes via group policy to the way Windows handles multiple connections to the same network. For example, beginning with Windows 10 1709, group policy can be configured to ensure that Windows 10 clients prefer wired Ethernet network connections over Wi-Fi, and to ensure that Wi-Fi connections disconnect when an Ethernet connection is detected.

GPO Configuration

Open the Group Policy management console (gpmc.msc) and perform the following steps to create the required group policy objects.

  1. Create a new Group Policy Object (GPO).
  2. Right-click the new GPO and choose Edit.
  3. Expand Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Network > Windows Connection Manager.
  4. Double-click the policy Minimize the number of simultaneous connections to the Internet or a Windows Domain.
  5. Select Enabled.
  6. From the Minimize Policy Options drop-down list choose 1 = Minimize simultaneous connections. Optionally you can choose to disable Wi-Fi whenever connected to Ethernet by choosing 3 = Prevent Wi-Fi when on Ethernet.
  7. Click Ok.Always On VPN Trusted Network Detection
  8. Double-click the policy Enable Windows to soft-disconnect a computer from a network.
  9. Select Disabled.
  10. Click Ok.Always On VPN Trusted Network Detection

Additional Information

Understanding and Configuring Windows Connection Manager

DirectAccess IPv6 Support for WorkSite and iManage Work

DirectAccess IPv6 Support for WorkSite and iManage WorkiManage Work (formerly WorkSite) is a popular document management system commonly used in the legal, accounting, and financial services industries. Historically, there have been issues getting WorkSite to function over DirectAccess, because WorkSite used IPv4 addresses and DirectAccess clients use IPv6. When a DirectAccess client is outside of the office, it communicates with the DirectAccess server using IPv6 exclusively, so applications that make calls directly to IPv4 addresses won’t work.

One way DirectAccess administrators could make WorkSite function was to use portproxy to create v4tov6 address and port mappings on the client. However, this method is error prone, difficult to troubleshoot and support, and doesn’t scale effectively.

The good news is that beginning with release 9, the iManage Work client application has been upgraded to support IPv6. However, it is not enabled by default. To enable IPv6 support for iManage Work, add the following registry key on the client side (not the server!). No other changes are required.

HKLM\Software\Wow6432Node\Interwoven\WorkSite\Server Common\

Type: REG_SZ
String: IP Address Family
Value: IPv6

DirectAccess IPv6 Support for WorkSite and iManage Work

You can also use the following PowerShell command to add this registry entry.

New-Item -Path “HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Interwoven\WorkSite\Server Common\” -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Interwoven\WorkSite\Server Common\”-Name “IP Address Family” -PropertyType String -Value IPv6 -Force

After validation testing is complete, deploy the registry setting via Active Directory group policy preferences to all DirectAccess clients and iManage Work will function perfectly over DirectAccess!

Additional Resources

Active Directory Group Policy Preferences on Microsoft TechNet

iManage Web Site

Implementing DirectAccess with Windows Server 2016