All posts in category device tunnel

Always On VPN DPC Open Source

Recently, I wrote about the demise of PowerON Platforms, the company behind the popular Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC) software that allows administrators to deploy and manage Always On VPN client configuration settings using Active Directory Group Policy or Microsoft Intune with custom ADMX/ADML. Initially, the future of DPC was uncertain. However, I’m happy to announce that DPC will continue to be developed.

We’re on Discord! Join the conversation: https://discord.aovpndpc.com/.

DPC Open Source

The lead developer of DPC and my good friend Leo D’Arcy retained the source code for the product and has been working diligently to decommercialize the software. That work has been completed, and Always On VPN DPC is now available via open source. You can find the source code for DPC on GitHub here.

DPC Features

This initial open-source release (version 5.0.0) contains no significant new features or functionality. Most of the development efforts focused on removing references to PowerON Platforms (registry paths, binary names, etc.).

Support

Today, DPC support is community-based. You can report issues on the GitHub issues page for DPC. In addition, you can ask questions about DPC on Discord in the Microsoft Remote Access UG. Leo and I will monitor the group closely and answer any questions you might have there.

Deployment

If you’re not a DPC user today, I encourage you to have a look at its impressive feature set. Not only does DPC make Always On VPN deployment and management easier, but it also includes many advanced capabilities that will make connections more stable and reliable. Here are some links to articles outlining some of those advanced features.

Migration

If you already have a previous commercial release of Always On VPN DPC deployed, migrating to the new open-source DPC is straightforward. You will find guidance for migrating your existing DPC configuration here.

Contribute

Now that DPC is open source, we encourage everyone to contribute. If you have development skills, feel free to help. If you have feedback or feature requests, don’t hesitate to submit them!

Learn More

Are you interested in learning more about Always On VPN DPC? Would you like a personal demonstration of DPC’s features and capabilities? Do you need help migrating from a previous release to the new open-source software? Fill out the form below, and I’ll contact you with more information.

Additional Information

Always On VPN DPC

Always On VPN DPC Open Source on GitHub

PowerON Platforms Are No More

8 Comments
by Richard M. Hicks on December 2, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in Active Directory, administration, Always On VPN, Always On VPN DPC, AOVPN, AovpnDPC, Deployment, Device Management, device tunnel, DPC, Dynamic Profile Configurator, Endpoint Manager, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, GitHub, Group Policy, Intune, MDM, MEM, MEMCM, Microsoft, Microsoft Endpoint Manager, Microsoft Intune, Mobile Device Management, Mobility, Open Source, Operational Support, Remote Access, user tunnel, Windows 10, Windows 11
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on December 2, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/12/02/always-on-vpn-dpc-open-source/

PowerON Platforms are No More

If you’re a follower of this website, you are undoubtedly familiar with PowerON Platforms as I have promoted their products extensively over the years. Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC) is a clever solution that enables Always On VPN client configuration provisioning and management using Active Directory group policy. They recently introduced a cloud-based centralized reporting solution for organizations with multiple VPN servers. I worked closely with PowerON and influenced many of the features of these great technologies.

Out of Business

Sadly, I learned recently that PowerON Platforms has entered insolvency. Effective October 16, 2024, PowerON Platforms now cease to exist. If you are a current customer of theirs, you likely have received a notification email already.

The Future

Many of my customers have asked what will become of DPC and their cloud-based reporting solution. Here is some additional information.

DPC

Fortunately, DPC will live on through open source. My good friend and primary developer of DPC, Leo D’Arcy, is currently working on refactoring the software to meet open-source specifications. Although I don’t have a timeline for when the software will be available for download, I hope it will be soon.

You can follow the GitHub repository for the open-source DPC here.

If you have a current DPC license, the product should continue to work without issue. You can upgrade to the open-source version of DPC in the future if you choose to. You will likely encounter problems if you use DPC with a trial license. If this happens, contact me directly, and I’ll assist you.

Reporting

The PowerON Platforms Always On VPN reporting solution is dead and will not continue. If you were using this product, I would suggest deleting the resource group you created in Azure for this and the PowerBI application installed for it.

In addition, Always On VPN administrators should remove the reporting agent software from their VPN servers. You can do this on GUI installations using the Add or Remove Programs control panel app.

If you’ve installed the reporting agent on Server Core systems, you can remove it by running the following PowerShell command.

Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object {$_.IdentifyingNumber -Match ‘{FFFC6424-82BB-49C5-9112-2C1436717C9C}’ } |  Invoke-WmiMethod -Name Uninstall

Support

With PowerON Platforms out of business, their products are no longer supported. However, if you have issues with DPC or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll provide as much support as I can.

Additional Information

Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC) Open Source on GitHub

2 Comments
by Richard M. Hicks on October 29, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in Active Directory, Always On VPN, Always On VPN DPC, AOVPN, AovpnDPC, Deployment, Device Management, device tunnel, DPC, Dynamic Profile Configurator, end of life, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, GitHub, Group Policy, Infrastructure, Mobility, Open Source, PowerShell, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Server Core, user tunnel, VPN, Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2025, XML
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on October 29, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/10/29/poweron-platforms-are-no-more/

Always On VPN Device Tunnel Fails to Connect Automatically

After the April 2024 Microsoft security updates were released, many Always On VPN administrators noticed that the device tunnel suddenly stopped connecting automatically for many, if not all, their endpoints.

Note: There were additional problems with the April 2024 security update that affected the Always On VPN device tunnel. Details here.

Troubleshooting

When this problem occurs, administrators can establish the device tunnel connection successfully if it is initiated manually. This indicates that there are no issues with the IKEv2 VPN connection or security configuration.

Subscription Activation

The root cause of this issue is related to a subscription activation issue broken in the April 2024 security updates. In this case, Windows 10/11 Enterprise Edition devices that were initially provisioned using Professional Edition and used a step-up upgrade (subscription activation) to Enterprise Edition are reverting to Professional Edition. The Always On VPN device tunnel requires Enterprise Edition to work correctly. Although you can deploy a device tunnel to Windows Professional, it will not connect automatically. It will, however, connect manually.

KB5040527

On July 25, 2024, Microsoft released a preview of updates (KB5040527), including a fix for this subscription activation issue. Administrators experiencing problems with Always On VPN device tunnels where their devices revert to Professional Edition can install this update to resolve this issue.

Additional Information

Always On VPN Device Tunnel Issue with the Microsoft April 2024 Security Update

Always On VPN Device Tunnel Status Indicator

Always On VPN Devcie Tunnel Only Deployment Considerations

4 Comments
by Richard M. Hicks on August 5, 2024  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, device tunnel, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, Hotfix, Microsoft, Mobility, Remote Access, VPN, Windows 10, Windows 11
Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Richard M. Hicks on August 5, 2024

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2024/08/05/always-on-vpn-device-tunnel-fails-to-connect-automatically/

« Older Posts
Newer Posts »