Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) is one of the VPN protocols supported for Windows 10 Always On VPN deployments. When the VPN server is Windows Server 2016 with the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) role configured, a computer certificate must first be installed on the server to support IKEv2. There are some unique requirements for this certificate, specifically regarding the subject name and Enhanced Key Usage (EKU) configuration. In addition, some deployment scenarios may require a certificate to be provisioned to the client to support IKEv2 VPN connections.

Server Certificate

The IKEv2 certificate on the VPN server must be issued by the organization’s internal private certification authority (CA). It must be installed in the Local Computer/Personal certificate store on the VPN server. The subject name on the certificate must match the public hostname used by VPN clients to connect to the server, not the server’s hostname. For example, if the VPN server’s hostname is VPN1 and the public FQDN is vpn.example.net, the subject field of the certificate must include vpn.example.net, as shown here.

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

In addition, the certificate must include the Server Authentication EKU (1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.1and the IP security IKE intermediate EKU (1.3.6.1.5.5.8.2.2).

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

Client Certificate

Client certificate requirements vary depending on the type of VPN tunnel and authentication method being used.

User Tunnel

No certificates are required on the client to support IKEv2 when using MSCHAPv2, EAP-MSCHAPv2, or Protected EAP (PEAP) with MSCHAPv2. However, if the option to verify the server’s identity by validating the certificate is selected when using PEAP, the client must have the certificates for the root CA and any subordinate CAs installed in its Trusted Root Certification and Intermediate Certificate Authorities certificate stores, respectively.

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

User Tunnel with Certificate Authentication

Using certificate authentication for the user tunnel is the recommended best practice for Always On VPN deployments. A client certificate must be installed in the Current User/Personal store to support PEAP authentication with smart card or certificate authentication. The certificate must include the Client Authentication EKU (1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.2).

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

Device Tunnel

A computer certificate must be installed in the Local Computer/Personal certificate store to support IKEv2 machine certificate authentication and the Always On VPN device tunnel. The certificate must include the Client Authentication EKU (1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.2).

Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

More information about configuring the Always On VPN device tunnel can be found here.

Additional Information

Always On VPN with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Certificates

Always On VPN Protocol Recommendations for Windows Server 2016 RRAS

Always On VPN and Windows Server RRAS

Always On VPN Training

Always On VPN and the Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT)

Always On VPN and the Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT)The Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT) is a function of the Windows client and server operating systems that allows administrators to enable policy-based name resolution request routing. Instead of sending all name resolution requests to the DNS server configured on the computer’s network adapter, the NRPT can be used to define unique DNS servers for specific namespaces.

DirectAccess administrators will be intimately familiar with the NRPT, as it is explicitly required for DirectAccess operation. Use of the NRPT for Windows 10 Always On VPN is optional, however. It is commonly used for deployments where split DNS is enabled. Here the NRPT can define DNS servers for the internal namespace, and exclusions can be configured for FQDNs that should not be routed over the VPN tunnel.

To enable the NRPT for Windows 10 Always On VPN, edit the ProfileXML to include the DomainNameInformation element.

<DomainNameInformation>
   <DomainName>.example.net</DomainName>
   <DnsServers>10.21.12.100,10.21.12.101</DnsServers>
</DomainNameInformation>

Note: Be sure to include the leading “.” in the domain name to ensure that all hosts and subdomains are included.

To create an NRPT exclusion simply omit the DnsServers element. Define additional entries for each hostname to be excluded, as shown here.

<DomainNameInformation>
   <DomainName>www.example.net</DomainName>
</DomainNameInformation>
<DomainNameInformation>
   <DomainName>mail.example.net</DomainName>
</DomainNameInformation>
<DomainNameInformation>
   <DomainName>autodiscover.example.net</DomainName>
</DomainNameInformation>

Additional Information

Windows 10 VPNv2 Configuration Service Provider (CSP) Reference

Windows 10 Always On VPN Protocol Recommendations for Windows Server Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS)

Windows 10 Always On VPN Hands-On Training

Always On VPN RasMan Device Tunnel Failure

Always On VPN RasMan Device Tunnel FailureAn Always On VPN device tunnel is an optional configuration for Windows 10 Enterprise edition clients designed to provide machine-level remote network connectivity. This capability provides feature parity with DirectAccess for domain-joined clients to support scenarios such as logging on without cached credentials and unattended remote support, among others.

Device Tunnel Failure

When configuring a Windows 10 client to use an Always On VPN device tunnel, you may find that the device tunnel works without issue after initial deployment but fails to connect after the computer restarts. In addition, the Windows event log will include an Event ID: 1000 application error with the following error message:

Faulting application name: svchost.exe_RasMan

Always On VPN RasMan Device Tunnel Failure

Known Issue

This can occur when a Windows 10 machine is configured with a device tunnel only (no user tunnel). This is a known issue with Windows 10 v1709. It has been resolved in Windows 10 v1803 (RS4).

Additional Information

Windows 10 Always On VPN Device Tunnel Step-by-Step Configuration using Powershell

Deleting an Always On VPN Device Tunnel