SSL VPN

SSL VPN NetExtender Overview

This section provides an introduction to the SonicOS Enhanced SSL VPN NetExtender feature. This section contains the following subsections:

What is SSL VPN NetExtender?

SonicWALL’s SSL VPN NetExtender feature is a transparent software application for Windows, Mac, and Linux users that enables remote users to securely connect to the remote network. With NetExtender, remote users can securely run any application on the remote network. Users can upload and download files, mount network drives, and access resources as if they were on the local network. The NetExtender connection uses a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) connection.

Benefits

NetExtender provides remote users with full access to your protected internal network. The experience is virtually identical to that of using a traditional IPSec VPN client, but NetExtender does not require any manual client installation. Instead, the NetExtender Windows client is automatically installed on a remote user’s PC by an ActiveX control when using the Internet Explorer browser, or with the XPCOM plugin when using Firefox. On MacOS systems, supported browsers use Java controls to automatically install NetExtender from the Virtual Office portal. Linux systems can also install and use the NetExtender client.

After installation, NetExtender automatically launches and connects a virtual adapter for secure SSL-VPN point-to-point access to permitted hosts and subnets on the internal network.

NetExtender Concepts

The following sections describe advanced NetExtender concepts:

Stand-Alone Client

NetExtender is a browser-installed lightweight application that provides comprehensive remote access without requiring users to manually download and install the application. The first time a user launches NetExtender, the NetExtender stand-alone client is automatically installed on the user’s PC or Mac. The installer creates a profile based on the user’s login information. The installer window then closes and automatically launches NetExtender. If the user has a legacy version of NetExtender installed, the installer will first uninstall the old NetExtender and install the new version.

Once the NetExtender stand-alone client has been installed, Windows users can launch NetExtender from their PC’s Start > Programs menu and configure NetExtender to launch when Windows boots. Mac users can launch NetExtender from their system Applications folder, or drag the icon to the dock for quick access. On Linux systems, the installer creates a desktop shortcut in /usr/share/NetExtender . This can be dragged to the shortcut bar in environments like Gnome and KDE.

Client Routes

NetExtender client routes are used to allow and deny access for SSL VPN users to various network resources. Address objects are used to easily and dynamically configure access to network resources.

Tunnel All Mode

Tunnel All mode routes all traffic to and from the remote user over the SSL VPN NetExtender tunnel—including traffic destined for the remote user’s local network. This is accomplished by adding the following routes to the remote client’s route table:

 

0.0.0.0

0.0.0.0

0.0.0.0

128.0.0.0

128.0.0.0

128.0.0.0

NetExtender also adds routes for the local networks of all connected Network Connections. These routes are configured with higher metrics than any existing routes to force traffic destined for the local network over the SSL VPN tunnel instead. For example, if a remote user is has the IP address 10.0.67.64 on the 10.0.*.* network, the route 10.0.0.0/255.255.0.0 is added to route traffic through the SSL VPN tunnel.

Tunnel All mode is configured on the SSL VPN > Client Routes page.

Connection Scripts

SonicWALL SSL VPN provides users with the ability to run batch file scripts when NetExtender connects and disconnects. The scripts can be used to map or disconnect network drives and printers, launch applications, or open files or Web sites. NetExtender Connection Scripts can support any valid batch file commands.

Proxy Configuration

SonicWALL SSL VPN supports NetExtender sessions using proxy configurations. Currently, only HTTPS proxy is supported. When launching NetExtender from the Web portal, if your browser is already configured for proxy access, NetExtender automatically inherits the proxy settings. The proxy settings can also be manually configured in the NetExtender client preferences. NetExtender can automatically detect proxy settings for proxy servers that support the Web Proxy Auto Discovery (WPAD) Protocol.

NetExtender provides three options for configuring proxy settings:

Automatically detect settings - To use this setting, the proxy server must support Web Proxy Auto Discovery Protocol (WPAD)), which can push the proxy settings script to the client automatically.
Use automatic configuration script - If you know the location of the proxy settings script, you can select this option and provide the URL of the script.
Use proxy server - You can use this option to specify the IP address and port of the proxy server. Optionally, you can enter an IP address or domain in the BypassProxy field to allow direct connections to those addresses and bypass the proxy server. If required, you can enter a user name and password for the proxy server. If the proxy server requires a username and password, but you do not specify them, a NetExtender pop-up window will prompt you to enter them when you first connect.

When NetExtender connects using proxy settings, it establishes an HTTPS connection to the proxy server instead of connecting to the SonicWALL security appliance. server directly. The proxy server then forwards traffic to the SSL VPN server. All traffic is encrypted by SSL with the certificate negotiated by NetExtender, of which the proxy server has no knowledge. The connecting process is identical for proxy and non-proxy users.

Configuring Users for SSL VPN Access

In order for users to be able to access SSL VPN services, they must be assigned to the SSLVPN Services group. Users who attempt to login through the Virtual Office who do not belong to the SSLVPN Services group will be denied access. The following sections describe how to configure user accounts for SSL VPN access:

Configuring SSL VPN Access for Local Users

To configure users in the local user database for SSL VPN access, you must add the users to the SSLVPN Services user group. To do so, perform the following steps:

Step 1
Navigate to the Users > Local Users page.
Step 2
Click on the configure icon for the user you want to edit, or click the Add User button to create a new user. The Edit User window is launched.
Step 3
Click on the Groups tab.
Step 4
In the User Groups column, click on SSLVPN Services and click the right arrow to move it to the Member Of column.
Step 5
Click on the VPN Access tab. The VPN Access tab configures which network resources VPN users (either GVC, NetExtender, or Virtual Office bookmarks) can access. Select one or more network address objects or groups from the Networks list and click the right arrow button (-> ) to move them to the Access List column. To remove the user’s access to a network address objects or groups, select the network from the Access List , and click the left arrow button (<- ).
Note
The VPN access tab affects the ability of remote clients using GVC, NetExtender, and SSL VPN Virtual Office bookmarks to access network resources. To allow GVC, NetExtender, or Virtual Office users to access a network resource, the network address objects or groups must be added to the “allow” list on the VPN Access tab.
Step 6
Click OK .
Note
The feature, One-Time Password, is a two-factor authentication scheme utilizing system- generated, random passwords, in addition to standard user name and password credentials, for users attempting to login through SSL VPN connections. For more information on configuring this feature, see “One-Time Password” section .

Configuring SSL VPN Access for RADIUS Users

To configure RADIUS users for SSL VPN access, you must add the users to the SSLVPN Services user group. To do so, perform the following steps:

Step 1
Navigate to the Users > Settings page.
Step 2
In the Authentication Method for login pulldown menu, select RADIUS or RADIUS + Local Users .
Step 3
Click the Configure button for Authentication Method for login . The RADIUS Configuration window displays.
Step 4
Click on the RADIUS Users tab.
Step 5
In the Default user group to which all RADIUS users belong pulldown menu, select SSLVPN Services .
Note
The VPN Access tab in the Edit User window is also another granular control on access for both Virtual Office Bookmarks and for NetExtender access.
Step 6
Click OK .

Configuring SSL VPN Access for LDAP Users

To configure LDAP users for SSL VPN access, you must add the LDAP user groups to the SSLVPN Services user group. To do so, perform the following steps:

Step 1
Navigate to the Users > Settings page.
Step 2
Set the Authentication method for login to either LDAP or LDAP + Local Users .
Step 3
Click the Configure button to launch the LDAP Configuration window.
Step 4
Click on the LDAP Users tab.
Step 5
In the Default LDAP User Group pulldown menu, select SSLVPN Services .
Note
The VPN Access tab n the Edit User window is also another granular control on access for both Virtual Office Bookmarks and for NetExtender access.
Step 6
Click OK .

SSL VPN > Status

The SSL VPN > Status page displays a summary of active NetExtender sessions, including the name, the PPP IP address, the physical IP address, login time, length of time logged in and logout time.

The following table provides a description of the status items.

 

User Name

The user name.

Client Virtual IP

The IP address assigned to the user from the client IP address

Client WAN IP

The physical IP address of the user.

Login Time

The amount of time since the user first established connection with the SonicWALL SSL VPN appliance expressed as number of days and time (HH:MM:SS).

Inactivity Time

Duration of time that the user has been inactive.

Logged In

The time when the user initially logged in.

Statistics Icon

Mousing over the statistics icon provides a summary of traffic statistics for the user.

Logout

Provides the administrator the ability to logout a NetExtender session.

SSL VPN > Portal Settings

The SSL VPN > Portal Settings page is used to configure the appearance and functionality of the SSL VPN Virtual Office web portal. The Virtual Office portal is the website that uses log in to launch NetExtender. It can be customized to match any existing company website or design style.

The following settings configure the appearance of the Virtual Office portal:

Portal Site Title - The text displayed in the top title of the web browser.
Portal Banner Title - The the text displayed next to the logo at the top of the page.
Home Page Message - The HTML code that is displayed above the NetExtender icon.
Login Message - The HTML code that is displayed when users are prompted to log in to the Virtual Office.
Example Template - Resets the Home Page Message and Login Message fields to the default example template.
Preview - Launch a pop-up window that displays the HTML code.

The following options customize the functionality of the Virtual Office portal:

Launch NetExtender after login - Automatically launches NetExtender after a user logs in.
Display Import Certificate Button - Displays an Import Certificate button on the Virtual Office page. This initiates the process of importing the SonicWALL security appliance’s self-signed certificate onto the web browser. This option only applies to the Internet Explorer browser on PCs running Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Enable HTTP meta tags for cache control - Inserts HTTP tags into the browser that instruct the web browser not to cache the Virtual Office page. SonicWALL recommends enabling this option.

The Customized Logo field is used to display a logo other than the SonicWALL logo at the top of the Virtual Office portal. Enter the URL of the logo in the Customized Logo field. The logo must be in GIF format of size 155 x 36, and a transparent or light background is recommended.

SSL VPN > Client Settings

The SSL VPN > Client Settings page allows the administrator to enable SSL VPN access on zones and configure the client address range information and NetExtender client settings. It also displays which zones have SSL VPN access enabled.

The following tasks are configured on the SSL VPN > Client Settings page:

Configuring Zones for SSL VPN Access

All of the zones on the SonicWALL security appliance are displayed in the SSL VPN Status on Zones section of the SSL VPN > Client Settings page. SSL VPN access must be enabled on a zone before users can access the Virtual Office web portal. A green button to the left of the name of the zone indicates that SSL VPN access is enabled. A red button indicates that SSL VPN access is disabled. To change the SSL VPN access for a zone, simply click the name of the zone on the SSL VPN > Client Settings page.

SSL VPN Access can also be configured on the Network > Zones page by clicking the configure icon for the zone.

Note
WAN management must be enabled on the zone to terminate SSL VPN sessions. Even though the zone has SSL VPN enabled, if the management interface is disabled, SSL VPN will not work correctly.

Configuring the SSL VPN Client Address Range

The SSL VPN Client Address Range defines the IP address pool from which addresses will be assigned to remote users during NetExtender sessions. The range needs to be large enough to accommodate the maximum number of concurrent NetExtender users you wish to support plus one (for example, the range for 15 users requires 16 addresses, such as 192.168.200.100 to 192.168.200.115).

Note
The range must fall within the same subnet as the interface to which the SSL VPN appliance is connected, and in cases where there are other hosts on the same segment as the SSL VPN appliance, it must not overlap or collide with any assigned addresses.

To configure the SSL VPN Client Address Range, perform the following steps:

Step 7
Navigate to the SSL VPN > Client Settings page.In the NetExtender Start IP field, enter the first IP address in the client address range.
Step 8
In the NetExtender End IP field, enter the last IP address in the client address range.
Step 9
In the DNS Server 1 field, enter the IP address of the primary DNS server, or click the Default DNS Settings to use the default settings.
Step 10
(Optional) In the DNS Server 2 field, enter the IP address of the backup DNS server.
Step 11
(Optional) In the DNS Domain field, enter the domain name for the DNS servers.
Step 12
In the User Domain field, enter the domain name for the users. The value of this field must match the domain field in the NetExtender client.
Step 13
(Optional) In the WINS Server 1 field, enter the IP address of the primary WINS server.
Step 14
(Optional) In the WINS Server 2 field, enter the IP address of the backup WINS server.
Step 15
In the Interface pulldown menu, select the interface to be used for SSL VPN services.
Note
Step 16
Step 17
Click Accept .

Configuring NetExtender Client Settings

NetExtender client settings are configured on the bottom of the SSL VPN > Client Settings page. The following settings to customize the behavior of NetExtender when users connect and disconnect.

Default Session Timeout (minutes) - The default timeout value for client inactivity, after which the client’s session is terminated.
Enable NetBIOS Over SSLVPN - Allows NetExtender clients to broadcast NetBIOS to the SSL VPN subnet.
Enable Client Autoupdate - The NetExtender client checks for updates every time it is launched.
Exit Client After Disconnect - The NetExtender client exits when it becomes disconnected from the SSL VPN server. To reconnect, users will have to either return to the SSL VPN portal or launch NetExtender from their Programs menu.
Uninstall Client After Disconnect - The NetExtender client automatically uninstalls when it becomes disconnected from the SSL VPN server. To reconnect, users will have to return to the SSL VPN portal.
Create Client Connection Profile - The NetExtender client will create a connection profile recording the SSL VPN Server name, the Domain name and optionally the username and password.
Communication Between Clients - Enables NetExtender clients that are connected to the same server to communicate.
User Name & Password Caching - Provide flexibility in allowing users to cache their usernames and passwords in the NetExtender client. The three options are Allow saving of user name only , Allow saving of user name & password , and Prohibit saving of user name & password . These options enable administrators to balance security needs against ease of use for users.

SSL VPN > Client Routes

The SSL VPN > Client Routes page allows the administrator to control the network access allowed for SSL VPN users. The NetExtender client routes are passed to all NetExtender clients and are used to govern which private networks and resources remote user can access via the SSL VPN connection.

The following tasks are configured on the SSL VPN > Client Routes page:

Configuring Tunnel All Mode

Select Enabled from the Tunnel All Mode drop-down list to force all traffic for NetExtender users over the SSL VPN NetExtender tunnel—including traffic destined for the remote user’s local network. This is accomplished by adding the following routes to the remote client’s route table:

 

0.0.0.0

0.0.0.0

0.0.0.0

128.0.0.0

128.0.0.0

128.0.0.0

NetExtender also adds routes for the local networks of all connected Network Connections. These routes are configured with higher metrics than any existing routes to force traffic destined for the local network over the SSL VPN tunnel instead. For example, if a remote user is has the IP address 10.0.67.64 on the 10.0.*.* network, the route 10.0.0.0/255.255.0.0 is added to route traffic through the SSL VPN tunnel.

Note
To configure Tunnel All Mode, you must also configure an address object for 0.0.0.0, and assign SSL VPN NetExtender users and groups to have access to this address object.

To configure SSL VPN NetEextender users and groups for Tunnel All Mode, perform the following steps.

Step 1
Navigate to the Users > Local Users or Users > Local Groups page.
Step 2
Click on the Configure button for an SSL VPN NetExtender user or group.
Step 3
Click on the VPN Access tab.
Step 4
Select the WAN RemoteAccess Networks address object and click the right arrow (-> ) button.
Step 5
Click OK .
Step 6

Adding Client Routes

The Add Client Routes pulldown menu is used to configure access to network resources for SSL VPN users. Select the address object to which you want to allow SSL VPN access. Select Create new address object to create a new address object. Creating client routes causes access rules to automatically be created to allow this access. Alternatively, you can manually configure access rules for the SSL VPN zone on the Firewall > Access Rules page. For more information, see “Firewall > Access Rules” .

Note
After configuring Client Routes for SSL VPN, you must also configure all SSL VPN NetExtender users and user groups to be able to access the Client Routes on the Users > Local Users or Users > Local Groups pages.

To configure SSL VPN NetEextender users and groups to access Client Routes, perform the following steps.

Step 1
Navigate to the Users > Local Users or Users > Local Groups page.
Step 2
Click on the Configure button for an SSL VPN NetExtender user or group.
Step 3
Click on the VPN Access tab.
Step 4
Step 5
Click OK .
Step 6