Always On VPN and Windows Server 2019 NPS Bug

Note: This post updated March 19,2019 to reflect new workaround configuration guidance.

When deploying a Windows Server 2019 Network Policy Server (NPS) to support a Windows 10 Always On VPN implementation, administrators may encounter the following error when attempting to establish a VPN connection on a remote Windows 10 client.

Can’t connect to [connection name].

The connection was prevented because of a policy configured on your RAS/VPN server. Specifically, the authentication method used by the server to verify your username and password may not match the authentication method configured in your connection profile. Please contact the Administrator of the RAS server and notify them of this error.

Always On VPN and Windows Server 2019 Network Policy Server Bug
In addition, an event ID 20227 from the RasClient will be recorded in the application event log with the following error message.

The user [username] dialed a connection named [connection name] which has failed. The error code returned on failure is 812.

Always On VPN and Windows Server 2019 Network Policy Server Bug

Common Causes

Always On VPN error code 812 indicates an authentication policy mismatch between the client and the server. This often occurs when, for example, the server is configured to use Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP), but the client is configured to use Microsoft CHAP Version 2 (MS-CHAP v2).

Troubleshooting

Carefully review the authentication policy on both the client and server to ensure they match. Next, enable firewall logging on the NPS server to log both allowed and dropped packets. Attempt another VPN connection and observe the firewall logs. In this example the firewall is dropping packets inbound on UDP port 1812.

Always On VPN and Windows Server 2019 Network Policy Server Bug

Interestingly, the default Windows firewall rule allowing inbound UDP port 1812 is enabled and set to allow for all profiles.

Always On VPN and Windows Server 2019 Network Policy Server Bug

Windows Server 2019 Bug

It appears that Microsoft’s recently released Windows Server 2019 has a bug that prevents NPS from working correctly out of the box. Specifically, it looks like the default Windows firewall rules to allow inbound UDP port 1812 (RADIUS authentication) and inbound UDP port 1813 (RADIUS accounting) do not work.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, open an elevated command window and enter the following command.

sc.exe sidtype IAS unrestricted

Once complete, restart the server and the default Windows Firewall rules for NPS traffic will work correctly.

Additional Information

Windows 10 Always On VPN NPS Load Balancing Strategies

Comparing DirectAccess and NetMotion Mobility

Comparing DirectAccess and NetMotion Mobility With DirectAccess approaching the end of its useful lifetime, many organizations are considering alternative solutions to provide seamless, transparent, always on remote connectivity for their field-based workers. Microsoft is positioning Windows 10 Always On VPN as the replacement for DirectAccess. While it provides many new features that were missing from DirectAccess, it has its own unique limitations and shortcomings.

NetMotion Mobility Purpose-Built Enterprise VPN

NetMotion Mobility Purpose-Built Enterprise VPN Advanced Features

NetMotion Mobility

Comparing DirectAccess and NetMotion Mobility NetMotion Mobility is an excellent alternative to DirectAccess and Always On VPN, and it has many advantages over both native Microsoft offerings. NetMotion Mobility offers better security and performance. It provides deep visibility with broad client support, and the solution is easier to support than DirectAccess.

Comparing DirectAccess and NetMotion Mobility

If you’d like to learn more about how NetMotion Mobility compares with DirectAccess, you will find detailed comparison information in my Comparing NetMotion Mobility and DirectAccess article series on the NetMotion blog.

Comparing NetMotion Mobility and DirectAccess – Security
Comparing NetMotion Mobility and DirectAccess – Performance
Comparing NetMotion Mobility and DirectAccess – Visibility
Comparing NetMotion Mobility and DirectAccess – Supported Clients
Comparing NetMotion Mobility and DirectAccess – Support

NetMotion Mobility in Action

Watch the following videos to see NetMotion Mobility in action.

NetMotion Mobility Demonstration Video
NetMotion Mobility and Skype for Business Demonstration Video

DirectAccess Alternative

NetMotion Mobility is a premium remote access solution with many of the same characteristics as DirectAccess; seamless, transparent, and always on. It is feature rich with numerous compelling benefits over native Microsoft remote access technologies. Organizations seeking a solution to replace Microsoft DirectAccess would benefit greatly from NetMotion Mobility.

Learn More

If you’d like to learn more about NetMotion Mobility, or if you’d like to evaluate their solution, fill out the form below and I’ll respond with more information.

 

Always On VPN Client DNS Server Configuration

Always On VPN Client DNS Server ConfigurationDNS server configuration for Windows 10 Always On VPN clients is crucial to ensuring full access to internal resources. For Always On VPN, there are a few different ways to assign a DNS server to VPN clients.

Default DNS Servers

By default, Windows 10 clients use the same DNS server the VPN server is configured to use. This is true even if the VPN client IP address assignment method is DHCP.

Always On VPN Client DNS Server Configuration

There may be some scenarios in which this is not appropriate. For example, if the DNS server is in a DMZ network and is not configured to use internal Active Directory domain DNS servers, clients will be unable to access internal resources.

DNS Server Assignment

To configure Windows 10 Always On VPN clients to use DNS servers other than those configured on the VPN server, configure the DomainNameInformation element in the ProfileXML, as shown here.

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

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

Always On VPN Client DNS Server Configuration

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/vpnv2-csp

DNS and NRPT

Once the DomainNameInformation element has been defined, the new DNS server assignment does NOT appear on the VPN virtual adapters interface. In fact, it will still be configured to use the DNS server assigned to the VPN server, just as before. Using the DomainNameInformation element instead configures the Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT) and assigns the new DNS server to the namespace defined by the administrator. You can view the NRPT running the Get-DnsClientNrptPolicy PowerShell command.

Always On VPN Client DNS Server Configuration

Additional Information

Windows 10 Always On VPN and the Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT)

Deploying Windows 10 Always On VPN with Microsoft Intune

Windows 10 Always On VPN Certificate Requirements for IKEv2

Windows 10 Always On VPN Hands-On Training