All posts tagged fragmentation

Always On VPN IKEv2 Features and Limitations

Always On VPN IKEv2 Features and LimitationsThe Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) VPN protocol is a popular choice for Windows 10 Always On VPN deployments. IKEv2 is a standards-based IPsec VPN protocol with customizable security parameters that allows administrators to provide the highest level of protection for remote clients. In addition, it provides important interoperability with a variety of VPN devices, including Microsoft Windows Server Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) and non-Microsoft platforms such as Cisco, Checkpoint, Palo Alto, and others.

IKEv2 Limitations

IKEv2 is clearly the protocol of choice in terms of security. It supports modern cryptography and is highly resistant to interception. It’s not without some operational challenges, however. Consider the following.

Firewalls

IKEv2 uses UDP ports 500 and 4500 for communication. Unfortunately, these ports are not always open. Often, they are blocked by network administrators to prevent users from bypassing security controls or attackers from exfiltrating data.

Fragmentation

IKEv2 packets can become quite large at times, especially when using client certificate authentication with the Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP). This can result in fragmentation occurring at the network layer. Unfortunately, many firewalls and network devices are configured to block IP fragments by default. This can result in failed connection attempts from some locations but not others.

Load Balancing

Load balancing IKEv2 connections is not entirely straightforward. Without special configuration, load balancers can cause intermittent connectivity issues for Always On VPN connections. Guidance for configuring IKEv2 load balancing on the Kemp LoadMaster and the F5 BIG-IP can be found here:

IKEv2 Fragmentation

IKEv2 fragmentation can be enabled to avoid IP fragmentation and restore reliable connectivity. IKEv2 fragmentation is supported in Windows 10 and Windows Server beginning with v1803. Guidance for enabling IKEv2 fragmentation on Windows Server RRAS can be found here. Support for IKEv2 fragmentation on non-Microsoft firewall/VPN devices is vendor-specific. Consult with your device manufacturer for more information.

IKEv2 Security and RRAS

Be advised that the default security settings for IKEv2 on Windows Server RRAS are very poor. The minimum recommended security settings and guidelines for implementing them can be found here.

IKEv2 or TLS?

IKEv2 is recommend for deployments where the highest level of security and protection is required for remote connections. In these scenarios, the sacrifice of ubiquitous availability in favor of ultimate security might be desired.

SSTP or another TLS-based VPN protocol is recommended if reliable operation and connectivity are desired. SSTP and TLS VPNs can be configured to provide very good security by following the security and implementation guidelines found here.

IKEv2 with TLS Fallback

In theory, preferring IKEv2 and falling back to the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) or another TLS-based VPN protocol when IKEv2 is unavailable would seem like a logical choice. This would ensure the highest level of protection, while still providing reliable connectivity. Unfortunately, the Windows VPN client doesn’t work this way in practice. Details here.

Additional Information

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 Load Balancing with F5 BIG-IP

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 Load Balancing with Kemp LoadMaster

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 Fragmentation

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 and SSTP Fallback

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 Security Configuration

Windows 10 Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

Windows 10 Always On VPN Protocol Recommendations for Windows Server RRAS

35 Comments
by Richard M. Hicks on April 15, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, application delivery controller, BIG-IP, certificates, Enterprise, enterprise mobility, F5, IKEv2, Kemp, Load Balancing, LoadMaster, local traffic manager, LTM, Mobility, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, SSL, SSL and TLS, SSTP, TLS, VPN, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on April 15, 2019

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2019/04/15/always-on-vpn-ikev2-features-and-limitations/

Troubleshooting Always On VPN Error Code 809

When testing an Always On VPN connection, the administrator may encounter a scenario where the VPN client fails to connect to the VPN server. On the Windows 10 client the error message states the following.

“Can’t connect to [connection name]. The network connection between your computer and the VPN server could not be established because the remote server is not responding. This could be because one of the network devices (e.g. firewalls, NAT, routers, etc.) between your computer and the remote server is not configured to allow VPN connections. Please contact your Administrator or your service provider to determine which device may be causing the problem.”

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

In addition, the Application event log records an error message with Event ID 20227 from the RasClient source. The error message states the following.

“The User [username] dialed a connection named [connection name] with has failed. The error code returned on failure is 809.”

Troubleshooting Always On VPN Error Code 809

Connection Timeout

The error code 809 indicates a VPN timeout, meaning the VPN server failed to respond. Often this is related directly to network connectivity, but sometimes other factors can come in to play.

Troubleshooting VPN Error Code 809

When troubleshooting VPN error code 809 the following items should be carefully checked.

  • Name Resolution – Ensure the VPN server’s public hostname resolves to the correct IP address.
  • Firewall Configuration – Confirm the edge firewall is configured properly. Inbound TCP port 443 is required for the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) and inbound UDP ports 500 and 4500 are required for the Internet Key Exchange version 2 (IKEv2) protocol. Make sure that any NAT rules are forwarding traffic to the correct server.
  • Load Balancer Configuration – If VPN servers are located behind a load balancer, make certain that virtual IP address and ports are configured correctly and that health checks are passing. For IKEv2 specifically, it is crucial that UDP ports 500 and 4500 be delivered to the same backend server. This commonly requires custom configuration. For example, on the KEMP LoadMaster the administrator will configure “port following”. On the F5 BIG-IP a  custom “persistence profile” must be configured. On the Citrix NetScaler a “persistency group” must be defined.

IKEv2 Fragmentation

VPN error code 809 can also be caused by IKE fragmentation when using the IKEv2 VPN protocol. During IKEv2 connection establishment, payload sizes may exceed the IP Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) for the network path between the client and server. This causes the IP packets to be fragmented. However, it is not uncommon for intermediary devices (routers, NAT devices, or firewalls) to block IP fragments. When this occurs, a VPN connection cannot be established. However, looking at a network trace of the connection attempt, the administrator will see that the connection begins but subsequently fails.

Troubleshooting Always On VPN Error Code 809

Enable IKEv2 Fragmentation Support

The IKEv2 protocol includes support for fragmenting packets at the IKE layer. This eliminates the need for fragmenting packets at the IP layer. IKEv2 fragmentation must be configured on both the client and server.

Client

IKEv2 fragmentation was introduced in Windows 10 1803 and is enabled by default. No client-side configuration is required.

Server

IKEv2 is commonly supported on many firewall and VPN devices. Consult the vendor’s documentation for configuration guidance. For Windows Server Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) servers, IKEv2 fragmentation was introduced in Windows Server 1803 and is also supported in Windows Server 2019. It is enabled via a registry key. The following PowerShell command can be used to enable IKEv2 fragmentation on supported servers.

New-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RemoteAccess\Parameters\Ikev2\” -Name EnableServerFragmentation -PropertyType DWORD -Value 1 -Force

Validation

Once IKEv2 fragmentation is configured on the VPN server, a network capture will reveal the IKE_SA_INIT packet now includes the IKEV2_FRAGMENTATION_SUPPORTED notification message.

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

Additional Information

Windows 10 Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 Security Configuration

Windows 10 Always On VPN Hands-On Training Classes

66 Comments
by Richard M. Hicks on February 14, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in ADC, Always On VPN, AOVPN, application delivery controller, enterprise mobility, IKEv2, Load Balancing, Mobility, PowerShell, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, troubleshooting, VPN, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on February 14, 2019

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2019/02/14/troubleshooting-always-on-vpn-error-code-809/

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

The IKEv2 protocol is a popular choice when designing an Always On VPN solution. When configured correctly it provides the best security compared to other protocols. The protocol is not without some unique challenges, however. IKEv2 is often blocked by firewalls, which can prevent connectivity. Another lesser know issue with IKEv2 is that of fragmentation. This can result in failed connectivity that can be difficult to troubleshoot.

IP Fragmentation

IKEv2 uses UDP for transport, and typically most packets are relatively small. The exception to this is when authentication takes place, especially when using client certificate authentication. The problem is further complicated by long certificate chains and by RSA keys, especially those that are greater than 2048 bit. If the payload exceeds 1500 bytes, the IP packet will have to be broken in to smaller fragments to be sent over the network. If an intermediary device in the path is configured to use a smaller Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU), that device may fragment the IP packets.

IP Fragmentation and Firewalls

Many routers and firewalls are configured to drop IP fragments by default. When this happens, IKEv2 communication may begin initially, but subsequently fail. This typically results in an error code 809 with a message stating the following.

“Can’t connect to [connection name]. The network connection between your computer and the VPN server could not be established because the remote server is not responding. This could be because one of the network devices (e.g. firewalls, NAT, routers, etc.) between your computer and the remote server is not configured to allow VPN connections. Please contact your Administrator or your service provider to determine which device may be causing the problem.”

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting potential IKEv2 fragmentation-related connection failures, a network trace should be taken of the connection attempt on the client. Observe the packet sizes during the conversation, especially IKE_AUTH packets. Packet sizes exceeding the path MTU will have to be fragmented, as shown here.

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

Measuring Path MTU

Measuring the path MTU between the client and server can be helpful when troubleshooting fragmentation related issues. The mtupath.exe utility is an excellent and easy to use tool for this task. The tool can be downloaded here.

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

IKEv2 Fragmentation

To address the challenges with IP fragmentation and potential connectivity issues associated with network devices dropping fragmented packets, the IKEv2 protocol itself can be configured to perform fragmentation at the IKE layer. This eliminates the need for IP layer fragmentation, resulting in better reliability for IKEv2 VPN connections.

Both the server and the client must support IKEv2 fragmentation for this to occur. Many firewall and VPN vendors include support for IKEv2 fragmentation. Consult the vendor’s documentation for configuration guidance. For Windows Server Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) servers, the feature was first introduced in Windows Server 1803 and is supported in Windows Server 2019. Windows 10 clients support IKEv2 fragmentation beginning with Windows 10 1803.

Enabling IKEv2 Fragmentation

Windows 10 clients support IKEv2 fragmentation by default. However, it must be enabled on the server via the registry. The following PowerShell command will enable IKEv2 fragmentation support on Windows Server 1803 and later.

New-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\RemoteAccess\Parameters\Ikev2\” -Name EnableServerFragmentation -PropertyType DWORD -Value 1 -Force

A PowerShell script to implement IKEv2 fragmentation can be found on my GitHub here.

Validation Testing

Once IKEv2 fragmentation is configured on the VPN server, a network capture will reveal the IKE_SA_INIT packet now includes the IKEV2_FRAGMENTATION_SUPPORTED notification message.

Always On VPN and IKEv2 Fragmentation

Additional Information

Windows 10 Always On VPN IKEv2 Security Configuration

RFC 7383 – IKEv2 Message Fragmentation

IEA Software MTU Path Scan Utility

Windows 10 Always On VPN Hands-On Training Classes

96 Comments
by Richard M. Hicks on February 11, 2019  •  Permalink
Posted in Always On VPN, AOVPN, authentication, certificates, Encryption, enterprise mobility, IKEv2, Mobility, public key infrastructure, Remote Access, routing and remote access service, RRAS, Security, troubleshooting, VPN, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019
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Posted by Richard M. Hicks on February 11, 2019

https://directaccess.richardhicks.com/2019/02/11/always-on-vpn-and-ikev2-fragmentation/