Always On VPN Discord Channel

I’m excited to announce the launch of a brand-new Discord channel dedicated to administrators working with Always On VPN! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, this community is designed to be your go-to hub for collaboration, troubleshooting, and staying up to date on all things Always On VPN. The channel was established by my good friend Leo D’Arcy, the creator of the popular Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Generator (DPC) software.

Why Discord?

Always On VPN is a powerful solution for secure, seamless remote connectivity, but managing it comes with its own set of challenges. From configuration quirks to deployment strategies, administrators often need a space to share insights, ask questions, and learn from one another in real time. That’s where our new Discord channel comes in.

Community Forum

Discord offers a dynamic, user-friendly platform for instant communication and community building. Unlike forums or email threads, it’s a place where you can start a conversation, jump into live discussions, share resources, ask questions, share important insights or experiences, and much more.

Channels

Today, the Always On VPN Discord channel is part of the Microsoft Remote Access User Group Discord Server. It consists of multiple channels divided into the following topics.

General – This is a great place to introduce yourself and say hello to everyone!

DPC-Development – Here, you can ask questions about DPC, provide feedback, and suggest new features and functionality.

DPC-Chat – This channel is for administrators to discuss all things DPC, including deployment strategies, operation, support, and more.

Aovpn-Chat – If you’ve deployed Always On VPN but aren’t using DPC, this is your channel! Although DPC is fantastic, not everyone is using it. In this channel, you can submit questions and share general information about Always On VPN.

Gsa-Chat – We’ve also included a Microsoft Entra Global Secure Access channel for the new Microsoft Security Service Edge (SSE) solution, which includes Entra Private Access. This channel is pretty quiet right now. Hopefully, it will grow in the future!

DirectAccess-Chat – Yes, we realize some of you are still running DirectAccess, so there’s also a channel for you! Feel free to drop in and ask questions here, hopefully about migrating soon. 😉

Who Is This For?

This channel is open to anyone managing Microsoft secure remote access products. Whether you’re an IT administrator in a small business, an enterprise network engineer, or a consultant helping clients stay connected. If you’re working with Microsoft remote access technologies, this is the place to be!

Why Not Reddit?

Funny story: I tried to create an Always On VPN subreddit a few years ago. It lasted one day before it was banned! No reason was given, and I couldn’t get anyone from Reddit to respond. I answer questions ad hoc on Reddit all the time, but there’s no dedicated space for Always On VPN or Microsoft remote access in general.

How To Join

Joining our Discord channel is easy.

  1. Click this link.
  2. Set up your Discord account if you don’t already have one. It’s free and only takes a minute!
  3. Optionally, you can download the Discord app here.
  4. Say hello and introduce yourself in the #general channel.
  5. Explore the other channels, ask questions, give feedback, and share your expertise!

See You There!

Leo and I, along with many other experienced Always On VPN administrators, are on the forums daily. We encourage you to share your expertise, ask questions, and help others along the way. The more we contribute, the stronger this resource becomes for everyone. Join us today!

Additional Information

Always On VPN Discord Channel

Always On VPN Dynamic Profile Configurator (DPC)

DPC on GitHub

Microsoft Entra Global Secure Access

Last week Microsoft introduced new Security Service Edge (SSE) capabilities as part of the Microsoft Entra suite of technologies. Included in these announcements, Microsoft introduced the public preview of two new secure remote access technologies – Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Microsoft Entra Private Access. The latter of these will particularly interest Microsoft Always On VPN administrators in some deployment scenarios.

Microsoft Entra Internet Access

Microsoft Entra Internet Access is a new Secure Web Gateway (SWG) cloud service solution designed to protect users from threats on the public Internet. Features include web content filtering, malware inspection, TLS inspection, and more. In addition, Entra Internet Access can protect Microsoft 365 applications. Azure Conditional Access policies can be enforced for Internet traffic. Network conditions are now included with Azure Conditional Access, which can further protect against attacks by requiring access from specific trusted or compliant networks. Today, the public preview is available for Microsoft 365 scenarios only. Internet traffic and other SaaS applications will be available later this year.

Microsoft Entra Private Access

Microsoft Entra Private Access is a Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) cloud service solution that leverages the Azure Application Proxy access model. With Azure App Proxy, administrators can easily publish private, on-premises web applications by installing the connector on an on-premises server. Administrators can leverage Azure AD authentication and conditional access policies to ensure device compliance or enforce multifactor authentication (MFA), if required. Microsoft Entra Private Access extends the capabilities of the Azure Application Proxy to support TCP and UDP-based applications.

Private Access vs. Always On VPN

Microsoft Entra Private Access will be a compelling alternative to Always On VPN in the future. Specifically, organizations using native Azure AD join devices could benefit tremendously from this technology. Microsoft Entra Private Access is much simpler to implement than Always On VPN and requires no on-premises infrastructure other than the Azure Application Proxy connector. Using Microsoft Entra Private Access also means that no inbound access from the Internet is required, making the solution inherently more secure and reducing the public attack surface. For organizations using hybrid Azure AD join, Always On VPN continues to be the best Microsoft solution for these scenarios.

References

Microsoft Entra Expands into Security Service Edge (SSE)

Microsoft Entra – Secure Access for a Connected World

Microsoft Entra Internet Access Preview

Microsoft Entra Private Access Preview

What is Zero Trust?

What is Zero Trust Network Access?

What is Security Service Edge (SSE)?

What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

What’s the Difference Between SSE and SASE?

Contact Us

I’ve had the privilege of participating in the private preview for Microsoft Entra Internet Access and Private Access. If you’d like to learn more about these technologies and how they can help your organization, fill out the form below, and I’ll provide more information.