For additional information, refer to the AnyConnect configuration guide.
- Feb 05, 2020 Automatically Start VPN Connections When AnyConnect Starts This feature called Auto Connect On Start, automatically establishes a VPN connection with the secure gateway specified by the VPN client profile when AnyConnect starts. Auto Connect On Start is disabled by default, requiring the user to specify or select a secure gateway.
- OS does not allow profile name to contain special characters so the name must be edited before saving. Please note that it is not possible to offer all AnyConnect features within the UWP framework. Please utilize the full AnyConnect application from your IT Department if additional features are needed.
They could use this access to delete the AnyConnect profile file and thereby circumvent the Always-On feature. Predeploy a group policy object (GPO) for Windows users to prevent users with limited rights from terminating the GUI.
Client Download
Unlike the ASA, the MX does not support web deploy or web launch, a feature that allows end users to access a web page on the AnyConnect server to download the AnyConnect client. With the MX, there are download links to the client software on the AnyConnect settings page on the dashboard, however, the download links are only available to the Meraki dashboard admin and not the end user. We do not recommend sharing the down link with users as the link expires after every five minutes of loading the AnyConnect settings page.
We recommend downloading the AnyConnect client directly from Cisco.com as there may be an updated version in the Cisco repository. Refer to the doc for the AnyConnect clientrelease notes. We also recommend using either Meraki Systems Manager, an equivalent MDM solution, or Active Directory to seamlessly push the AnyConnect software client to the end user's device.
AnyConnect requires a VPN client to be installed on a client device. The AnyConnect client for Windows, MacOS, and Linux are available on the Client Connection section of the AnyConnect configuration page on the dashboard and can be downloaded by a Meraki dashboard administrator. Please note, the download links on the Meraki dashboard expire after five minutes. The AnyConnect client for mobile devices can be downloaded via the respective mobile stores. You can also download other versions (must be version 4.8 or higher) of the AnyConnect client from Cisco.com if you have an existing AnyConnect license. AnyConnect web deploy is not supported on the MX at this time.
- Installing the AnyConnect client
- You only need the VPN box checked. Once the client has been installed on the device, open the AnyConnect application and specify the hostname or IP address of the MX (AnyConnect server) you need to connect to.
AnyConnect Profiles
An AnyConnect profile is a crucial piece for ensuring easy configuration of the AnyConnect client software, once installed. The MX does not support the use of custom hostnames for certificates (e.g. vpn.xyz.com). The MX only supports use of the Meraki DDNS hostname for auto-enrollment and use on the MX. With the Meraki DDNS hostname (e.g. mx450-xyuhsygsvge.dynamic-m.com) not as simply as a custom hostname, the need for AnyConnect profiles cannot be overemphasized. Profiles can be used to create hostname aliases, thereby masking the Meraki DDNS with a friendly name for the end user.
Cisco AnyConnect client features are enabled in AnyConnect profiles. These profiles can contain configuration settings like server list, backup server list, authentication time out, etc., for client VPN functionality, in addition to other optional client modules like Network Access Manager, ISE posture, customer experience feedback, and web security. It is important to note that at this time, the Meraki MX does not support other optional client modules that require AnyConnect head-end support. For more details, see AnyConnect profiles.
When a profile is created, it needs to get pushed to the end user's device. There are three ways to do this.
1. Through the AnyConnect server (MX): If profiles are configured on the dashboard, the MX will push the configured profile to the user's device after successful authentication.
2. Through an MDM solution: Systems Manager, an equivalent MDM solution, or Active Directory can be used push files to specific destinations on the end user's device. Profiles can also be pushed to the following paths:
Windows
%ProgramData%CiscoCisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility ClientProfile
Mac OS X
/opt/cisco/anyconnect/profile
Linux
/opt/cisco/anyconnect/profile
3. Manually: Profiles can also be preloaded manually to the same paths as listed above.
How to Create a Profile
Profiles can be created using the AnyConnect profile editor. The profile editor can be downloaded from the AnyConnect Settings page on dashboard or on cisco.com. Refer to this link for more details on AnyConnect profiles.
Using the profile editor: The profile editor can be downloaded from the AnyConnect Settings page on dashboard or on Cisco.com. The profile editor only runs on Windows operating systems. The screenshot below shows a configured server ton the Server List Entry option.
When configuration is complete, save the profile. It is recommended to use a unique file name to avoid profile overrides by other AnyConnect servers, then you can upload the file to the profile update section on the AnyConnect settings page.
Please note that only VPN profiles are supported on the MX at this time. This means you cannot push NVM, NAM, or Umbrella profiles via the MX.
- Select enable profiles, upload your xml file, and save your configuration
- After a user successfully authenticates, the configured profile gets pushed to the user's device automatically
- The result of the .xml can be seen below, after successful authentication to the AnyConnect server; this gives users the ease of selecting VPN servers on the AnyConnect client
The Meraki DDNS hostname is not easy to remember, therefore end users are not expected to use it directly. Profiles should be used to make connecting to the AnyConnect server easy for end users.
Contents
Introduction
With Start Before Logon (SBL) enabled, the user sees the AnyConnect GUI logon dialog before the Windows® logon dialog box appears. This establishes the VPN connection first. Available only for Windows platforms, Start Before Logon lets the administrator control the use of login scripts, password caching, mapping network drives to local drives, and more. You can use the SBL feature to activate the VPN as part of the logon sequence. SBL is disabled by default.
For more information on configuring AnyConnect VPN Client features, refer to the section Configuring AnyConnect Client Features.
Note: Within the AnyConnect client, the only configuration you do for SBL is to enable the feature. Network administrators handle the processing that goes on before logon based upon the requirements of their situation. Logon scripts can be assigned to a domain or to individual users. Generally, the administrators of the domain have batch files or the like defined with users or groups in Active Directory. As soon as the user logs on, the login script is executed.
Prerequisites
Requirements
There are no specific requirements for this document.
Components Used
The information in this document is based on these software and hardware versions:
Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances that run software version 8.x
Cisco AnyConnect VPN version 2.0
The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, make sure that you understand the potential impact of any command.
Conventions
Refer to the Cisco Technical Tips Conventions for more information on document conventions.
Background Information
The point of SBL is that it connects a remote computer to the company infrastructure prior to logon to the PC. For example, a user can be outside the physical corporate network, unable to access corporate resources until his or her PC has joined the corporate network. With SBL enabled, the AnyConnect client connects before the user sees the Microsoft login window. The user must also log in, as usual, to Windows when the Microsoft login window appears.
These are several reasons to use SBL:
The PC of the user is joined to an Active Directory infrastructure.
The user cannot have cached credentials on the PC, that is, if the group policy disallows cached credentials.
The user must run login scripts that execute from a network resource or that require access to a network resource.
A user has network-mapped drives that require authentication with the Active Directory infrastructure.
Networking components, such as MS NAP/CS NAC, can require connection to the infrastructure.
SBL creates a network that is equivalent to inclusion on the local corporate LAN. With SBL enabled, since the user has access to the local infrastructure, the logon scripts that normally run for a user in the office are also available to the remote user.
For information about how to create logon scripts, refer to this Microsoft TechNet article .
For information about how to use local logon scripts in Windows XP, refer to this Microsoft article .
In another example, a system can be configured to disallow cached credentials for logon to the PC. In this scenario, users must be able to communicate with a domain controller on the corporate network for their credentials to be validated prior to access to the PC. SBL requires a network connection to be present at the time it is invoked. In some cases, this is not possible because a wireless connection can depend on user credentials to connect to the wireless infrastructure. Since SBL mode precedes the credential phase of a login, a connection is not available in this scenario. In this case, the wireless connection needs to be configured to cache the credentials across login, or another wireless authentication needs to be configured for SBL to work.
Install Start Before Logon Components (Windows Only)
The Start Before Logon components must be installed after the core client has been installed. Additionally, the AnyConnect 2.2 Start Before Logon components require that version 2.2, or later, of the core AnyConnect client software be installed. If you pre-deploy the AnyConnect client and the Start Before Logon components with the MSI files (for example, you are at a big company that has its own software deployment (Altiris, Active Directory, or SMS), you must get the order right. The order of the installation is handled automatically when the administrator loads AnyConnect if it is web deployed and/or web updated. For complete installation information, refer to Release Notes for Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client, Release 2.2.
Differences Between Windows-VistaWindows 7 and Pre-Vista Start Before Logon
The procedures to enable SBL differ slightly on Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems. Pre-Vista systems use a component called virtual private network graphical identification and authentication (VPNGINA) to implement SBL. Vista and Windows 7 systems use a component called PLAP to implement SBL.
In the AnyConnect client, the Windows Vista Start Before Logon feature is known as the Pre-Login Access Provider (PLAP), which is a connectable credential provider. This feature lets network administrators perform specific tasks, such as the collection of credentials or connection to network resources, prior to login. PLAP provides Start Before Logon functions on Windows Vista, Windows 7 and the Windows 2008 server. PLAP supports 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the operating system with vpnplap.dll and vpnplap64.dll, respectively. The PLAP function supports Windows Vista x86 and x64 versions.
Note: In this section, VPNGINA refers to the Start Before Logon feature for pre-Vista platforms, and PLAP refers to the Start Before Logon feature for Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems.
In pre-Vista systems, Start Before Logon uses a component known as the VPN Graphical Identification and Authentication Dynamic Link Library (vpngina.dll) to provide Start Before Logon capabilities. The Windows PLAP component, which is part of Windows Vista, replaces the Windows GINA component.
A GINA is activated when a user presses the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination. With PLAP, the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination opens a window where the user can choose either to log in to the system or activate any Network Connections (PLAP components) with the Network Connect button in the lower-right corner of the window.
The sections that immediately follow describe the settings and procedures for both VPNGINA and PLAP SBL. For a complete description of enablement and use of the SBL feature (PLAP) on a Windows Vista platform, refer to Configuring Start Before Logon (PLAP) on Windows Vista Systems.
XML Settings to Enable SBL
The element value for UseStartBeforeLogon allows this feature to be turned on (true) or off (false). If you set this value to true in the profile, additional processing occurs as part of the logon sequence. See the Start Before Logon description for additional details. Set the <UseStartBefore Logon> value in the CiscoAnyConnect.xml file to true to enable SBL:
In order to disable SBL, set the same value to false.
In order to enable the UserControllable feature, use this statement when you enable SBL:
Any user setting associated with this attribute is stored elsewhere.
Enable SBL
In order to minimize download time, the AnyConnect client requests downloads (from the security appliance) only of core modules that it needs for each feature that it supports. In order to enable new features, such as SBL, you must specify the module name with the svc modules command from group policy WebVPN or username WebVPN configuration mode:
The string value for SBL is vpngina.
In this example, the network administrator enters group-policy attributes mode for the group policy telecommuters; enters WebVPN configuration mode for the group policy; and specifies the string VPNGINA to enable SBL:
In addition, the administrator must ensure that the AnyConnect <profile.xml> file, where <profile.xml> is the name that the network administrator has assigned to the XML file, has the <UseStartBeforeLogon> statement set to true, for example:
The system must be rebooted before Start Before Logon takes effect. You must also specify on the security appliance that you want to allow SBL, or any other modules for additional features. Refer to the description in the Enabling Modules for Additional AnyConnect Features, page 2-5 (ASDM) section or Enabling Modules for Additional AnyConnect Features, page 3-4 (CLI) for more information.
Start Before Logon Configuration with CLI
This scenario shows you how to set up the XML file with CLI:
Create a profile to be pushed down to the client PCs that looks similar to this:
Copy the file to the Flash on the security appliance:
On the security appliance, add the profile as an available profile to the WebVPN global section, as long as everything else is set up correctly for AnyConnect connections:
Edit the group policy that you use, and add the svc modules and svc profile commands:
Start Before Logon Configuration with ASDM
Complete these steps to configure the SBL with ASDM:
Create a profile to be pushed down to the client PCs that looks similar to this:
Save the profile as AnyConnectProfile.xml in the local computer.
Launch the ASDM, and go to the Home page.
Go to Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > Group Policies > Add , and click the Internal Group Policy.
Enter the name of the group policy, for example, SBL.
Go to Advanced > SSL VPN Client. Remove the Inherit check mark in the Optional Client Module to Download, and choose vpngina from the drop-down box.
In order to transfer the profile AnyConnectProfile.xml from the local computer to Flash, go to Tools, and click File Management.
Click the File Transfer button.
In order to transfer the profile from the local computer to ASA Flash memory, choose the Source File, path of the XML file (local computer), and the Destination File path as per your requirement.
After the transfer, click the Refresh button to verify whether the profile file is in the Flash memory.
Assign the profile to the internal group policy (SBL).
Follow this path, Configuration > Remote Access VPN > Network (Client) Access > Group Policies > Edit SBL ( Internal Group Policy ) > Advanced > SSL VPN Client > Client Profile to Download, and click the New button.
In the Add SSL VPN Client Profiles, click the Browse button to choose the location of the profile(AnyConnectProfile.xml) stored in the ASA Flash memory. Assign the Name for the profile, for example, SBL. Click OK to complete.
Remove the Inherit check box and choose SBL in the Client Profile to Download field. Click OK.
Click Apply to complete.
Use the Manifest File
The AnyConnect package that is uploaded on the security appliance contains a file called VPNManifest.xml. This example shows a sample content of this file:
The security appliance has stored on it configured profiles, as explained in Step 1, and it also stores one or multiple AnyConnect packages that contain the AnyConnect client itself, downloader utility, manifest file, and any other optional modules or support files.
When a remote user connects to the security appliance with WebLaunch or a current standalone client, the downloader is downloaded first and run. It uses the manifest file to ascertain whether there is a current client on the remote user PC that needs to be upgraded, or a fresh installation is required. The manifest file also contains information about whether there are any optional modules that must be downloaded and installed, in this case, the VPNGINA. The client profile also is pushed down from the security appliance. The installation of VPNGINA is activated by the command svc modules value vpngina configured under the group-policy (webvpn) command mode as explained in Step 4. The AnyConnect client and VPNGINA are installed, and the user sees the AnyConnect Client at the next reboot, prior to Windows Domain logon.
When the user connects, the client and profile are passed down to the user PC; the client and VPNGINA are installed; and the user sees the AnyConnect client at the next reboot, prior to logon.
A sample profile is provided on the client PC when AnyConnect is installed: C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataCiscoCiscoAnyConnect VPN ClientProfileAnyConnectProfile.
Troubleshoot SBL
Use this procedure if you encounter a problem with SBL:
Ensure that the profile is pushed.
Delete prior profiles; search for them on the hard drive to find the location: *.xml.
When you go to the Add/Remove programs, do you have both an AnyConnect installation and AnyConnect VPNGINA installation?
Uninstall the AnyConnect client.
Clear the AnyConnect log of the user in the Event Viewer and retest.
Web browse back to the security appliance to reinstall the client.
Make sure that the profile also appears.
Reboot once. On the next reboot, you are prompted with the Start Before Logon prompt.
Send the AnyConnect event log to Cisco in .evt format .
If you see this error, delete the user profile and use the default profile:
Problem 1
Cisco AnyConnect VPN Issue | AT&T Community Forums
This error message is seen while trying to upload the AnyConnect profile: Error in validating the XML file against the latest schema. How is this error resolved?
Solution 1
This error message mostly occurs due to the syntax or configuration issues in the AnyConnect profile. In order to resolve this issue, make sure that the AnyConnect profile configured is similar to the Sample AnyConnect Profile present in the Sample AnyConnect Profile and XML Schema section of the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client Administrator Guide.
Cisco Anyconnect Keeps Reconnecting
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