Release Notes for VPN Client, Release 4.0 through Release 4.0.5.D

Note You can find the most current documentation for the VPN Client at http://www.cisco.com or http://cco.cisco.com. These electronic documents may contain updates and changes made after the hard copy documents were printed.

These release notes support VPN Client software Release 4.0 through Release 4.0.5.D. These release notes describe new features, limitations and restrictions, caveats, and related documentation. Please read the release notes carefully prior to installation. The section, "Usage Notes," describes interoperability considerations and other issues you should be aware of when installing and using the VPN Client.

Introduction

The VPN Client is an application that runs on a Microsoft^� Windows^�-based PC, a Sun ultraSPARC workstations, a Linux desktop, or a Macintosh (Mac) personal computer that meets the system requirements stated in the next section. In this document, the term "PC" applies generically to all these computers, unless specified otherwise.

The VPN Client on a remote PC, communicating with a Cisco VPN device at an enterprise or service provider, creates a secure connection over the Internet that lets you access a private network as if you were an on-site user. This secure connection is a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

System Requirements

Refer to Chapter 2, "Installing the VPN Client," in the VPN Client User Guide for Windows, Release 4.0 or Cisco VPN Client User Guide for Mac OS X, as appropriate for your platform, for a complete list of system requirements and installation instructions.

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The following table indicates the system requirements to install the VPN Client on each of the supported platforms.


Computer	Operating System	Requirements
Computer with a Pentium�-class processor or greater	•Microsoft� Windows� 98 or Windows 98 (second edition) •Windows ME •Windows NT� 4.0 (with Service Pack 6, or higher) •Windows 2000 •Windows XP	•Microsoft TCP/IP installed. (Confirm via Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network > Protocols or Configuration.) •50 MB hard disk space. •RAM: –32 MB for Windows 98 –64 MB for Windows NT and Windows ME –64 MB for Windows 2000 (128 MB recommended) –128 MB for Windows XP (256 MB recommended)
Computer with and Intel x86 processor	RedHat Version 6.2 or later Linux (Intel), or compatible libraries with glibc Version 2.1.1-6 or later, using kernel Versions 2.2.12 or later Note The VPN Client does not support SMP (multiprocessor) kernels.	•32 MB Ram •50 MB hard disk space
Sun UltraSPARC computer	32-bit or 64-bit Solaris kernel OS Version 2.6 or later	•32 MB Ram •50 MB hard disk space
Macintosh� computer	Mac OS� X, Version 10.2.0 or later	50 MB hard disk space

Installation Notes

Because of platform differences, the installation instructions for Windows and non-Windows platforms also differ.

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Refer to the VPN Client User Guide for Windows, Release 4.0, Chapter 2, for complete installation instructions for Windows users.

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Refer to the Cisco VPN Client user Guide for Mac OS X, Chapter 2, for complete installation information for those platforms.

The following notes are important for users who are upgrading to Windows XP and users who want to downgrade to an earlier version of the VPN Client software.

Installing Release 4.0.3

Release 4.0.3 on Windows operating systems is localized for Canadian French and Japanese, as well as English. The following sections describe how to install this version on a Windows system.

Overriding the MSI Installation Language.

To perform this action you must already have Windows Installer Version 2.0 installed. You can determine which version you have by executing msiexec.exe without parameters. If the version is lower than 2.0, execute instmsiw.exe, which updates the software to the correct version.

Note You must run the following commands from the command line, and the current directory must be the install source.

The default installation is in English. To specify a language other than English, enter the following command, all on the same line:

msiexec /i vpnclient_setup.msi TRANSFORMS=vpnclient_<language>.mst;vpnclient_help_<language>.mst

To force a Canadian French language installation, enter the following command, all on the same line:

To force a Japanese language installation, enter the following command, all on the same line:

Overriding IS Installation Language:

The install image must contain a vpnclient.ini file with the following two lines:

Non-localized Features

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Any text pushed down from the VPN 3000 Concentrator. This includes the banner and the user authentication request text message (which most often appears as "Enter User Name and Password").

Installation Notes - Windows Platforms

In addition to the installation considerations for Release 4.0.3, Release 4.0.x includes the following installation considerations for Windows users:

Installing the VPN Client Software Using InstallShield

Installing the VPN Client software on Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP with InstallShield requires Administrator privileges. If you do not have Administrator privileges, you must have someone who has Administrator privileges install the product for you.

Note The VPN Client Installer does not allow installations from a network drive (CSCeb43490).

Installing the VPN Client Software Using the MSI Installer

If you are using the MSI installer, you must have Windows NT-based products such as Windows NT 4.0 (with SP6), Windows 2000, or Windows XP. Installing with MSI also requires Administrator privileges.

Note Windows Installer 2.0 must be installed on a Windows NT or Windows 2000 PC before configuring the PC for a Restricted User with Elevated Privileges (CSCea37900).

VPN Client Installation Using Windows Installer (MSI) Requires Windows NT SP6

When you attempt to install the VPN Client using MSI install (vpnclient_en.exe) on NT SP3, SP4, or SP5, the error messages do not indicate that the VPN Client cannot be installed on those operating systems because they are unsupported. Once the errors occur, no other messages are displayed and the installation is aborted.

When you attempt to run vpnclient_en.exe on Windows NT SP3, SP4, or SP5 you see the following messages:

"Cannot find the file instmsiw.exe (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all the required libraries are available."

"Cannot find the file MSIEXEC (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are correct and that all the required libraries are available."

The Windows Installer (MSI) can be installed only on NT SP6, so the error messages you see using earlier service packs are due to an MSI incompatibility (CSCdy05049).

Installation Notes - Solaris Platforms

The following sections describe actions you must take when installing the VPN Client on a Solaris platform.

Uninstall an Older VPN Client If Present on a Solaris Platform

If you have a previous version of the VPN Client running under Solaris, you must uninstall the older VPN Client before installing a new VPN Client. You are not required to uninstall an old VPN Client, if one is present, before installing a new VPN Client for Linux or Mac OS X.

Refer to the Cisco VPN Client User Guide for Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X, Chapter 2, for complete uninstallation information.

Disable the ipfilter Firewall Kernel Module Before Installing the VPN Client on a Solaris Platform

If you have an IP firewall installed on your workstation, the reboot after installation of the VPN Client takes an inordinate amount of time. This is caused by a conflict between the vpnclient kernel module cipsec and the ipfilter firewall module. To work around this issue, disable the ipfilter firewall kernel module before you install the VPN Client (CSCdw27781).

Using the VPN Client

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Direct network connection (cable or DSL modem and network adapter/interface card), or

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To connect using a digital certificate for authentication, you need a digital certificate signed by one of the following Certificate Authorities (CAs) installed on your PC:

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A digital certificate stored on a smart card. The VPN Client supports smart cards via the MS CAPI Interface.

New Features in Release 4.0.5

Mutual Group Authentication

Note This feature addresses a VPN Client group password vulnerability identified in the following Security Notice: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk583/tk372/
technologies_security_notice09186a0080215981.html (CSCed41329).

Group Authentication is a method that uses pre-shared keys for mutual authentication. In this method, the VPN Client and the VPN central-site device use a group name and password to validate the connection. This is a symmetrical form of authentication since both sides use the same authentication method during their negotiations.

Mutual group authentication is asymmetrical in that each side uses a different method to authenticate the other while establishing a secure tunnel to form the basis for group authentication. In this method, authentication happens in two stages. During the first stage, the VPN central-site device authenticates itself using public-key techniques (digital signature) and the two sides negotiate to establish a secure channel for communication. During the second stage, the actual authentication of the VPN Client user by the central-site VPN device takes place. Since this approach does not use pre-shared keys for peer authentication, it provides greater security than group authentication alone, as it is not vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle attack.

To use mutual group authentication, the remote user's VPN Client system must have a root certificate installed. If needed, you can install a root certificate automatically by placing it on the VPN Client system during installation. The certificate must be in a file named rootcert, with no extension, and must be placed in the installation directory for the remote user's VPN Client system.

For more information on mutual group authentication, see the VPN Client Administrator Guide, Chapter 1.

You must configure both the VPN Client and the VPN Concentrator to allow mutual group authentication (Hybrid mode). Ensure that the Certificate Authority being used on both the VPN Client and the VPN Concentrator is the same. Configure the VPN Concentrator in a similar fashion to the use of User Certificates.

Select an IKE Proposal that allows HYBRID mode authentication such as those listed in Table 8-3 of the VPN Client Administrator's Guide. HYBRID-AES256-SHA-RSA for example.

Configure an IPSec SA to use the appropriate Identity Certificate to be authenticated with the CA certifcate of the VPN Client. If certificates have not yet been obtained for the VPN Concentrator, please refer to the VPN 3000 Series Concentrator Reference Volume I: Configuration Release 4.1.

Configure a VPN Group to use the new IPSec SA from step 2. The VPN Clients under test for Mutual Group Authentication will be connecting to this group.

New Features in Release 4.0

Virtual Adapter

A virtual adapter is a software-only driver that acts as a valid interface in the system. Its purpose is to solve protocol incompatibility problems. The virtual adapter appears in the network properties list just like a physical adapter.

Note When installing the Release 4.0 VPN Client on a Windows 2000 system, the following warning appears during the virtual adapter installation, indicating that no digital signature was found and asking whether to continue the installation:

The Microsoft digital signature affirms that software has been tested with Windows and that the software has not been altered since it was tested.

The software you are about to install does not have a Microsoft digital signature. Therefore, there is no guarantee that this software works correctly with Windows.

Cisco Systems VPN Adapter

If you want to search for Microsoft digitally signed software, visit the Windows Update Web site at http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com to see if one is available.

Do you want to continue the installation?

If you see this message, click "Yes" to continue (CSCdz14583).

Common Graphical Interface for Windows and Mac VPN Clients

In Release 4.0, the VPN Client provides a consistent graphical user interface across all supported Windows operating systems and Mac OS X, recognizing that the Windows and Mac operating systems follow different conventions, and that the Windows version has additional features. The VPN Client documentation is based on this new user interface.

Alerts (Delete With Reason)

In Release 4.0, the VPN Client can display to the user the reason for a VPN 3000 Concentrator-initiated disconnection. If the VPN 3000 Concentrator, Release 4.0, disconnects the VPN Client and tears down the tunnel, the VPN Client, Release 4.0, displays a popup window showing the reason for the disconnect and also logs a message to the Notifications log and the IPSec log file. For IPSec deletes that do not tear down the connection, the event message appears only in the log file.

The administrator on the VPN 3000 Concentrator can enable or disable this feature, called Alerts in the VPN Concentrator configuration. It is not configurable on the VPN Client. When this feature is enabled, the VPN 3000 Concentrator and the VPN Client negotiate whether to display these messages. See the Cisco VPN Client User Guide, Release 4.0, for a description of the conditions that can cause such disconnects.

Single IPSec-SA

Rather than creating a host-to-network security association (SA) pair for each split-tunneling network, this feature provides a host-to-ALL approach, creating one tunnel for all appropriate network traffic apart from whether split-tunneling is in use. With this feature, the VPN Client supports a single SA per VPN connection and directs all the appropriate traffic through this tunnel, regardless of whether split tunneling is in use. The Statistics page on the VPN Client reflects the traffic for this single SA.

Personal Firewall Enhancements

In Release 4.0, the VPN Client supports Sygate Personal Firewall and Sygate Personal Firewall Pro, Version 5.0, Build 1175 and higher. Other supported features new with this release include:

Coexistence with Third-Party VPN Vendors

In Release 4.0, the VPN Client is compatible with VPN clients from Microsoft, Nortel, Checkpoint, Intel, and others. This feature offers the ability to use other VPN products while the Cisco VPN Client is installed.

Improved RADIUS SDI XAuth Request Handling

The VPN Client, Release 4.0, includes improvements in RADIUS SDI XAuth handling, which may improve performance. Administrators can configure this feature in the .pcf file and the .ini file. For information, see VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 4.0, Chapter 2.

New, ISO-Standard Format for Log File Names

The format of the names of log files generated by the VPN Client GUI has changed to LOG-yyyy-MM-dd-hh-mm-ss.txt from MMM-d-yyyy-hh-mm-ss.log. This new format complies with the ISO 8601 extended specification for representations of dates and times and avoids issues with localization.

The new log file names have a chronological order that is the same as their alphanumeric order. This provides for a method of enumerating only the log files generated by the GUI.

Enhancements to GINA

Release 4.0.2 includes an improved application launch verification mechanism employed by the Graphical Identification and Authentication (GINA) dynamic-link library (DLL). This affects only the Windows NT4, Windows 2000, and Windows XP platforms (CSCeb12179).

Usage Notes

This section lists issues to consider before installing Release 4.0.x of the VPN Client software.

In addition, you should be aware of the open caveats regarding this release. Refer to "Open Caveats" on page 37 of these Release Notes for the list of known problems.

Potential Application Compatibility Issues

You might encounter the following compatibility issues when using the VPN Client with specific applications. Whenever possible, this list describes the circumstances under which an issue might occur and workarounds for potential problems.

Windows Interoperability Issues

The following known issues might occur with the indicated Microsoft Windows operating systems and applications software.

WINS Support

On Windows 95 and Windows 98, dynamic WINS support works with DHCP-enabled adapters (for example, PPP or NIC adapters that get their IP information dynamically). For static configurations, users must manually configure the adapters with WINS information.

Windows NT

Importing a Microsoft Certificate Using Windows NT SP3

When using the Client with digital certificates stored in the Microsoft certificate store, the Client may fail to connect. This is accompanied by the following Client event in the Log Viewer:

4101 13:41:48.557 01/05/01 Sev=Warning/2 CERT/0xA3600002
Could not load certificate (null) from the store.

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Import the certificate from the Microsoft certificate store into the Cisco certificate store using the Cisco Certificate Manager. Refer to "Importing a Certificate" in the VPN Client User Guide for Windows, Release 4.0,
Chapter 6.

VPN Client Cannot Launch Microsoft Connection Manager

The VPN Client does not see a dialup connection made with Microsoft Connection Manager because of incompatibilities between the requirements of the two applications (CSCdx85663).

Windows 98 Might Hang on Shutdown

On some Windows 98 PCs with the VPN Client installed, if you restart the PC, it may stop responding (that is, "hang") on the screen that says "Windows is shutting down".

Wait a minute. If the PC is still not responding, press the reset button. When the PC reboots, it should not run through ScanDisk, indicating the shutdown was successful in closing all open files. This problem may occur on some PCs and not on others, and we are looking for a solution. Windows 98 shutdown has numerous issues, as can be seen the following Microsoft Knowledge Base Article:

"Q238096 - How to Troubleshoot Windows 98 Second Edition Shutdown Problems" (CSCdt00729).

Windows 2000 (only) Requires Adding Client for MS Networks for Dialup Connections

For the Cisco VPN Client running on a Windows 2000 system, you cannot access Microsoft resources unless you add the Client for Microsoft Networks for the Dial-up adapter.

Aladdin Runtime Environment (RTE) Issue with Windows NT and Windows 2000

Using versions of the Aladdin Runtime Environment (RTE) on Windows NT and Windows 2000 can cause the following behavior. The login prompt that is posted by the Aladdin etoken when connecting the VPN Client can get hidden in the background. If this happens, the VPN connection can timeout and fail with the following event:

A side effect of this is that the VPN Client's service and dialer might become out of synch, and the PC might need to be restarted (CSCdv47999). To avoid this issue, use the Aladdin Runtime Environment (RTE) version 2.65 or later.

Microsoft MSN Installation

Microsoft's MSN installation fails if you have already installed the VPN Client. Uninstall the VPN Client before you install MSN. After MSN has completed installation, you can install the VPN Client.

WINS Information Might Not Be Removed from Windows Servers If Not Disconnected Before Shutdown

If the VPN Concentrator is configured to send WINS server addresses down to the VPN Client and the PC is shut down or restarted without first disconnecting the VPN Client, the WINS servers are not removed from the network properties. This might cause local PC registration and name resolution problems while not connected with VPN.

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Be sure to disconnect the VPN Client before shutting down. If you are having problems, check your network properties and remove the WINS entries if they are not correct for your network.

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Alternatively, enable "Disconnect VPN connection when logging off". Go to Options > Windows Logon Properties, check Disconnect VPN connection when logging off (CSCdv65165).

VPN Client May Falsely Trigger Auto Initiation Connection Event though the NIC Card Has Been Removed

The 4.0 VPN Client with Auto Initiation enabled on a Windows NT system may exhibit the following behavior. After removing a NIC card, the VPN Client may continue to trigger an Auto Initiation connection event though the NIC card has been removed. To stop its connection attempts, you can place the VPN Client in Suspended mode after a failed or canceled VPN connection. You can also disable this feature from the GUI by using Options > Automatic VPN Initiation, and unchecking "Enable". If you add a new NIC, the problem goes away. (CSCdx46812).

DNS

For DNS resolution, if the DOMAIN NAME is not configured on the network interface, you need to enter the fully qualified domain name of the host that needs to be resolved.

Network Interfaces

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The VPN Client cannot establish tunnels over Token Ring. However, it does not conflict with an installed Token Ring interface.

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DELL Docking Station users running the VPN Client on Windows NT may experience bluescreen failures if the latest version of Softex Docking Services has not been installed. The Softex Docking Service utilities are available directly from the DELL Support Web site, http://search.dell.com/index.asp. Select the checkbox for the File Library and search for the term "Softex Docking Services".

Network ICE BlackICE Defender Configuration

Network ICE's BlackICE Defender is a traffic monitoring security product. If you properly configure it, BlackICE Defender can work with the VPN Client. You must configure BlackICE Defender for Trusting, Nervous, or Cautious mode. If you use Nervous or Cautious mode, add the public IP address of the VPN Concentrator to the list of trusted addresses. You can now configure the VPN Client to work with BlackICE Defender configured for Paranoid mode when in Tunnel-everything mode. Split Tunneling requires BlackICE to be in Trusting, Nervous, or Cautious mode.

The Cisco VPN Client firewall has the following requirements for BlackICE (BlackICE Defender 2.5 or greater or BlackICE Agent 2.5 or greater). For BlackICE Defender 2.5, copy the BICTRL.DLL file from the Cisco installation release medium to the BlackICE installation directory on the VPN Client PC. This is a mandatory step for making a connection requiring BlackICE.

BlackICE Defender version 2.9 and greater includes the BICTRL.DLL file in the Network ICE distribution medium, so that you do not need to copy it from the Cisco installation release medium.

Microsoft Outlook Error Occurs on Connection or Disconnect

The following Microsoft Outlook error might occur when the VPN Client connects or disconnects:

"Either there is no default mail client, or the current mail client cannot fulfill the messaging request. Run Microsoft Outlook and set it as the default mail client."

This message does not affect operation of the VPN Client. The issue occurs when Microsoft Outlook is installed but not configured for email, although it is the default mail client. It is caused by a Registry Key that is set when the user installs Outlook.

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Right-click the Outlook icon, go to Properties, and configure it to use Microsoft Exchange or Internet Mail as the default mail client.

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Use Internet Explorer to configure the system to have no default mail client.

Adjusting the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) Value - Windows Only

VPN Encapsulation adds to the overall message length. To avoid refragmentation of packets, the VPN Client must reduce the MTU settings. The default MTU adjusted value is 1300 for all adapters. If the default adjustments are not sufficient, you may experience problems sending and receiving data. To avoid fragmented packets, you can change the MTU size, usually to a lower value than the default. To change the MTU size, use the VPN Client SetMTU utility. If you are using PPPoE, you may also have to set the MTU in other locations. Refer to the following table for the specific procedures for each type of connection.

The MTU is the largest number of bytes a frame can carry, not counting the frame's header and trailer. A frame is a single unit of transportation on the Data Link Layer. It consists of header data, plus data that was passed down from the Network Layer, plus (sometimes) trailer data. An Ethernet frame has an MTU of 1500 bytes, but the actual size of the frame can be up to 1526 bytes (22-byte header, 4-byte CRC trailer).

Recognizing a Potential MTU Problem

If you can connect with the Cisco VPN Client but cannot send or receive data, this is likely an MTU problem. Common failure indications include the following:

Setting the MTU Value

If you are not experiencing a problem, do not change the MTU value. Usually, an MTU value of 1300 works. If it doesn't, the end user must decrease the value until the Cisco VPN Client passes data. Decrement the MaxFrameSize value by 50 or 100 until it works.


Connection Type	Procedure
Physical Adapters	Use the SetMTU utility supplied with the Cisco VPN Client.
Dial-up	Use the SetMTU utility supplied with the Cisco VPN Client.
PPPoE - All Vendors	Windows XP only Use SetMTU
PPPoE - EnterNet	Windows 98 •On the main desktop, right click on My Network Places and go to Properties. The Network window opens. •Double-click the Network TeleSystems PPPoE Adapter. •On the Network TeleSystems window, click the Advanced tab, and then click MaxFrameSize. Change the value here. The value varies from case to case. The range can be from 1200 to 1400.
PPPoE - EnterNet	Windows 2000 •On the main desktop, right-click My Network Places and go to Properties. The Network and Dial-Up Connections window opens. •Right-click and go to Properties on each connection until you find the connection that has the NTS EnterNet PPPoE Adapter. •Once you find the correct connection, click Configure on the right side of the window. •On the next window, click the Advanced tab, then click MaxFrameSize. Change the value here. The value varies from case to case. The range can be from 1200 to 1400.
PPPoE - WinPoet	Windows 98: WinPoet does not provide user control over the PPPoE MTU under Windows 98. Windows 2000 WinPoet does not provide a user interface to control the MTU size, but you can control it by explicitly setting the following registry key: HKLM/system/currentcontrolset/control/class/<guid>/<adapternumber> adapter(000x): Value: MaxFrameSize Value type: DWORD Data: 1300 (or less) The GUID and adapter number can vary on different systems. Browse through the registry, looking for the MaxFrameSize value (CSCdu80463). Caution Edit the registry only if you are comfortable doing so. Incorrect registry entries can make your PC unstable or unusable.
PPPoE - RasPPPoE	Windows 98 •On the main desktop, right-click My Network Places and go to Properties. The Network window opens. •Find the PPP over Ethernet Protocol that is bound to the Network card that is in your PC, then double click on it. •In the General Tab check Override Maximum Transfer Unit. Change the value here. The value varies from case to case. The range can be from 1200 to 1400.
PPPoE - RasPPPoE	Windows 2000 •On the main desktop, right-click My Network Places and go to properties. The Network and Dial-Up Connections window opens. •Right-click the connection the PPPoE Protocol was installed to, and go to properties. •When the window opens, double-click PPP over Ethernet Protocol. •In the General Tab, check Override Maximum Transfer Unit. Change the value here. The value varies from case to case. The range can be from 1200 to 1400.

Asante FR3004 Cable/DSL Routers Require Asante Firmware Version 2.15 or Later

Versions of the Asante firmware caused a problem with rekeying and keepalives when a VPN Client had an all-or-nothing connection to a VPN Concentrator through an Asante FR3004 Cable/DSL router. Version 2.15 (or later) of the Asante firmware resolves these issues. For more information about Asante cable/DSL routers, see the following Web sites:

Using Nexland Cable/DSL Routers for Multiple Client Connections

All Nexland Pro routers support passing multiple IPSec sessions through to Cisco VPN 3000 Series Concentrators. To enable this function, the Nexland user must select IPSec Type 2SPI-C on the Nexland options page.

The discontinued Nexland ISB2LAN product correctly handles a single connection, but problems can occur when attempting to make multiple client connections to the same Secure Gateway from behind an ISB2LAN Nexland Cable/DSL router. Nexland has fixed this problem in the Nexland Pro series of routers (CSCdt10266).

Cert DN Matching Cannot Match on Email Field EA

You cannot match on the Cert DN field (EA) when using the Peer Cert DN Verification feature because the VPN Concentrator does not assign a value to that field (CSCdx25994).

VPN Dialer Application Can Load During OS Shutdown or Restart

When using the VPN Client's Start Before Logon feature (Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP) in "fallback" mode, the VPN dialer application loads during a shutdown or restart of the operating system. This will not cause any problems and can be ignored (CSCdu02071).

America Online (AOL) Interoperability Issues

AOL Versions 5.0 and 6.0

The VPN Client supports AOL Version 5.0. AOL Version 6.0 is also supported, with one limitation: when connected, browsing in the network neighborhood is not available.

AOL Version 7.0

AOL Version 7.0 uses a proprietary heartbeat polling of connected clients. This requires the use of split tunneling to support the polling mechanism. Without split tunneling, AOL disconnects after a period of time between 5 and 30 minutes.

AOL 7 Disconnects after VPN Authentication

When making a dialup connection with AOL 7.0 Revision 4114.537 (for Windows 95, 98, ME, Windows 2000 and XP), then attempting to connect with the VPN Client, AOL might disconnect while the user is being authenticated. This is an AOL issue, not a VPN Client problem (CSCdy45351).

VPN Client Fails to Connect over Some AOL Dialup Connections

The Cisco VPN Client connecting over an AOL dialup connection fails to complete the connection, particularly when using AOL 7.0 and 8.0.

The AOL dialup process uses a fallback method which, if your initial attempt to connect fails, resorts to a different connection type for the second attempt. This second attempt can sometimes cause AOL to communicate over two PPP adapters (visible in ipconfig /all output). When this happens, the VPN Client cannot connect. This is a known issue, and AOL is investigating the problem.

The workaround is to try to reconnect the dialup connection to try to avoid getting two PPP adapters (CSCea29056).

Browser Interoperability Issues

The following known issues might occur when using the VPN Client with the indicated browser software.

Issues Loading Digital Certificate from Microsoft Certificate Store on Windows NT SP5 and on IE 4.0 SP2

The following error occurs in the VPN Client log when using a Digital Certificate from the Microsoft Certificate Store. This can occur on Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5 and on Internet Explorer 4.0 with SP2 and using the VPN Client v3.1 or v3.5:

"Could not load certificate cn=Joe Smith,ou=Engineering,o=MyCompany,l=Buffalo, st=new york,c=US,e=jsmith@mycompany.com from the Unsupported Store store"

Both the VPN Client and the Certificate Manager can see and validate the Certificate, but when you try to connect using that Certificate, you get a message in the Connection History dialog that says, "Failed to establish a secure connection to the security gateway".

Requirements for using VPN Client for Windows Using Digital Certificate With Non-exportable Keys

To use certificates with non-exportable keys, you must have the VPN Client, Release 3.6 or 4.0, and your PC must have Internet Explorer version 5.0 SP2 or later installed to function properly. (CSCdx90228).

Entrust Entelligence Issues

The following known issues might occur when using Entrust Entelligence software with the VPN Client.

Potential Connection Delay

Using the VPN Client with Entrust Entelligence might result in a delay of approximately 30 seconds if you are trying to connect while Entrust is "online" with the CA. This delay varies, depending on your Entrust CA configuration. If the Entrust CA is on the private network, then the chance of Entrust being online are low, since the VPN connection is needed to communicate with the CA.

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Before initiating the VPN Client connection, log out of Entrust. The VPN Client will initiate the Entrust Login Interface with the "work offline" checkbox checked, which alleviates the problem. The easiest way to log out of Entrust is to right-click on the Entrust tray icon (gold key) and select "Log out of Entrust" (CSCdu25495).

Entrust System Tray Icon Might Erroneously Indicate Logout

When using VPN Client with Start Before Logon (Windows NT and 2000) and Entrust Entelligence, the Entrust system tray icon indicates that it is "logged out" once in Windows. It is really logged in, just not in the normal Windows desktop. The reason for this is that the context that Entrust was logged into was on the "Logon desktop". This is an Entrust issue, not a VPN Client problem.

Entrust Client May Appear Offline

After establishing a VPN connection with Entrust Entelligence certificates, the Entrust client may appear offline. It may appear this way even after the Entrust client has successfully communicated with the Entrust i500 directory.

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Once connected, right click on the Entrust tray icon (gold key) and uncheck "Work Offline". This manually puts Entrust online (CSCdu33638).

Use Entrust Entelligence 4.0 with VPN Client Release 3.5.1 or 3.1 Start Before Logon

When using the Release 3.5.1 or 3.1 VPN Client with the Entrust Entelligence 4.0 software, the Start Before Logon feature does not function properly. Upgrading to Entrust Entelligence 5.1 resolves this problem (CSCdu61926).

Some Entrust Dialogs Do Not Display Properly When Using VPN Client Start Before Logon

When using the VPN Client with Start Before Logon and Entrust Entelligence, some Entrust dialogs do not display properly on the logon desktop that displays before going into Windows NT or Windows 2000. The first time the VPN Client dialer and service access the Entrust certificates, it prompts for a security check. This prompt displays in Windows, but not at the logon screen.

To work around this problem, connect the VPN Client once, while in Windows and after installing, to register the VPN applications (ipsecdialer.exe and cvpnd.exe) with Entrust. Once you have done this you can use it at the logon desktop (CSCdu62212).

Renewing Entrust Entelligence Certificate (Key Update) Requires Entrust Version 5.1 SP 3 or Later

Entrust Entelligence certificate renewal (key update) will not work over a VPN Client connection unless Entrust Entelligence version 5.1 SP3 or later is being used. Other Entrust Entelligence operations using older versions work properly.

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Computers need to have Entrust digital certificates renewed by placing them directly on the network during the renewal period to get updated (CSCdu84038).

Accessing Online Glossary Requires Connection to Cisco.com

The Glossary button at the top of all Help screens tries to contact univercd at www.cisco.com (the Cisco documentation site). This connection requires connectivity to Cisco's main web site. If your PC does not have a corporate Internet connection or your firewall blocks access, the following error appears when you attempt to access the Glossary:

ZoneAlarm Plus Versions 3.1.274 and Earlier Are Incompatible with VPN Client

The following known incompatibility exists between the Cisco VPN Client and Zone Labs ZoneAlarm Plus version 3.1.274 and earlier. If you are using such a version of ZoneAlarm Plus, please visit http://www.zonelabs.com or contact your Zone Labs representative for an update.

On a PC with ZoneAlarm Plus version 3.1.274 (or earlier) and the VPN Client, the following errors occur when the PC boots:

ZAPLUS.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the program.

The application, ZAPLUS.EXE, generated an application error. The error occurred on 7/23/2002... The exception was c0000005 at address 00401881 (<nosymbols>).

The result of this error is that the ZoneAlarm GUI does not run, and therefore a user can not change any settings in ZoneAlarm Plus or allow new programs to access the Internet.(CSCdy16607).

ZoneLabs Automatically Adds Loopback and VPN 3000 Concentrator Addresses to Trusted Zone for Windows NT PCs

The Loopback address and the VPN 3000 Concentrator's address are automatically added to the ZoneLabs "Trusted Zone" on Windows NT-based systems.

If a Windows NT based-PC has ZoneAlarm, ZoneAlarm Pro, or Zone Labs Integrity Agent, and the VPN Client Release 4.0 installed on it, the loopback address (127.0.0.1) is automatically added to Zone Labs "Trusted Zone" when the Client service is started. Additionally, the VPN 3000 Concentrator's address is automatically added to the "Trusted Zone" when a connection is made (CSCea61272).

Upgrading Zone-Alarm Pro to Version 3.7.098 Causes Error When VPN Client Is Already Installed on the PC

Upgrading ZoneAlarm Pro version 3.5.xxx to ZoneAlarm Pro version 3.7.098 when the VPN Client is installed on the PC might cause the following error to appear:

"The procedure entry point DbgProcessReset could not be located in the dynamic link library VSUTIL.dll."

Click OK, and the installation continues (CSCea25991). See ZoneLabs' bug number 10182.

Harmless Warning Might Occur with Linux Kernel 2.4

Linux users running 2.4 kernels may encounter the following warning when the VPN Client kernel module is loaded:

Warning: loading /lib/modules/2.4.18-3/CiscoVPN/cisco_ipsec will taint the kernel: no license

This message indicates that the VPN Client kernel module is not licensed under the GPL, so the Linux kernel developers will not debug any kernel problems that occur while this kernel module is loaded. This message does not affect the operation of the VPN Client in any way (CSCdy31826).

DHCP Route Renewal in Windows 2000 and Windows XP

In a Windows 2000 or Windows XP environment, if the public network matches the private network (for example, a public IP address of 192.168.1.5, with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0, and an identical private IP address) and the public network's route metric is 1, then traffic might not be tunneled to the private network (CSCdz88896). The same problem can occur if you are using a virtual adapter and the public metric is smaller than the virtual adapter metric.

In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, you can increase the metric of the public network by doing the following steps:

Step 1

Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network and Dial-up Connections.

Step 2

Select the public interface and click properties for the public interface.

Step 3

Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and get the properties for the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP).

Solaris Client Using Routed RIP Might Lose Connectivity

If the VPN Client running in the Solaris environment uses routed RIP to learn its default route, you might lose connectivity. This is because RIP is blocked when the VPN Client is connected in all tunneling mode (CSCdv75825).

Data Meant for Private Network Stays Local if VPN Client's Local Network Is on Same IP Subnet as Remote Private Network

This problem occurs only with the VPN Client, Release 4.0 and only with Virtual Adapter (Windows 2000 and Windows XP), when the VPN Client's local network is on the same IP subnet as the remote private network. When a VPN connection is up, data meant for the private network stays local. For example: 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0

The VPN Client, Release 4.0, with Virtual Adapter attempts to modify local route metrics to allow data to pass over the VPN tunnel. In some cases, it is impossible for the VPN Client to make this modification (CSCdz38680).

To work around this problem, make the change manually, using the following procedure:

Step 3

From the Adapter Properties dialog, select TCP/IP from the list and click Properties.

Step 4

Click Advanced and increase the number in the "Interface metric" box by 1 (it is usually 1, so making it 2 works).

DNS Server on Private Network with Split DNS Causes Problems

When an ISP's DNS server is included in the Split Tunneling Network List and Split DNS Names are configured, all DNS queries to domains other than those in the Split DNS Names list are not resolved.

By definition, split DNS is used so that only certain domains get resolved by corporate DNS servers, while rest go to public (ISP-assigned) DNS servers. To enforce this feature, the VPN Client direcds DNS queries that are about hosts on the Split DNS Names list to corporate DNS servers, and discards all DNS queries that are not part of the Split DNS Names list.

The problem is when the ISP-assigned DNS servers are in the range of the Split Tunneling Network List. In that case, all DNS queries for non-split-DNS domains are discarded by the VPN Client.

To avoid this problem, remove the ISP-assigned DNS server from the range of the Split Tunneling Network List, or do not configure split DNS (CSCee66180).

VPN Client Supports Sygate Personal Firewall V. 5.0, Build 1175

The supported version of Sygate Personal Firewall is version 5.0, build 1175. Earlier versions might cause the following Blue screen to occur on a Windows NT-based system that has made many connects/disconnects with the VPN Client (CSCdy62426):

The 4.0 VPN Client Is Not Supported on Windows 95

The VPN Client for Windows, Release 4.0, requires the use of the Windows 98 or later operating system. We recommend updating your Operating system to a newer version of Windows (CSCea06231).

VPN Client Not Supported on Windows NT Servers

The VPN Client is not supported on any Windows NT server version (including Windows 2000 and Windows XP/.NET/2003 servers). Only Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Windows 2000 Workstation are the supported platforms.

No Limit to Size of Log File

When logging is enabled on the VPN Client, all of the log files are placed in the Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN Client\logs directory and are date and time stamped. There is no limit to the size of the log when logging is enabled. The file will continue to grow in size until logging is disabled or the VPN Client program is closed. The log is still available for viewing until the VPN Client program is re-launched, at which time the display on the log tab and log window are cleared (CSCdy87504). The log file remains on the system and a new log file is created when the VPN Client, with logging enabled, is launched.

Start Before Logon and Microsoft Certificate with Private Key Protect Fails

Trying to connect the VPN client using Start Before Logon (SBL) and Microsoft Machine-based certificates fails. This is a Microsoft issue, not a VPN Client problem.

If your certificate has private key protection enabled, every time you use the certificate keys you are either prompted for a password to access the key, or notified with a dialog and asked to click OK.

The prompt displayed when using a certificate with private key protection appears on the Windows Desktop. You do not see this message while at the "Logon" desktop, therefore the VPN Client cannot gain the access to the certificate needed to connect.

•

Get a certificate without private key protection (just make sure it is machine-based, otherwise it won't be accessible before logging on).

•

Instead of using Start Before Logon, log on to the PC using cached credentials, make the VPN connection, and— using the "stay connected at logoff" feature—logoff/logon with the VPN established to complete the domain logon (CSCea03349).

Downgrading VPN Client from Release 4.0 Causes Start Before Logon Failure

Start Before Logon fails if the VPN Client is downgraded from Release 4.0 to 3.6. The reason for this is that the file csgina.dll is upgraded when the VPN Client version 4.0 is installed. If the VPN Client is downgraded to version 3.6, the csgina.dll file for version 4.0 is not replaced, and this breaks ability in the VPN Client version 3.6 to Start Before Logon (CSCea03685).

Follow this procedure to drop back to the VPN Client version 3.6 from version 4.0.

Step 2

After rebooting, search for csgina.dll. This file is found in the System32 directory.

Linksys Wireless AP Cable/DSL Router Version 1.44 or Higher Firmware Requirement

To use the VPN Client behind a Linsksys Wireless AP Cable/DSL router model BEFW11S4, the Linksys router must be running version 1.44 or higher firmware. The VPN Client cannot connect when located behind a Linsksys Wireless AP Cable/DSL router model BEFW11S4 running version 1.42.7 firmware. The VPN Client may see the prompt for username/password, then it disappears (CSCdz52156).

Faultlog.txt File Logs Severity 1 Events

The faultlog.txt file is created when severity 1 events occur. It logs only severity 1 events. All severity 1 log messages go to the logs and also to faultlog.txt. This file exists in the installation directory of the VPN Client.

The advantage that the faultlog.txt file provides is that messages are logged even when the log viewer is not running. For example, errors during service initialization can't be logged to the log viewer, because these errors happen even before the service has attached itself to the log viewer.

Certificates exported from Netscape 7 do not import into the VPN Client Macintosh Version

This incompatibility exists with Netscape 7.0 and the Release 3.7.x Macintosh versions of the VPN Client. Netscape 7.0 uses the latest RSA libraries that are not compatible with the previous RSA libraries that the Clients are using. Previous versions of Netscape are still compatible with the VPN Client.

To work around this issue, export the certificate using a browser other than Netscape 7.

On the Mac OS X platform, Internet Explorer 5.2 that comes installed does not allow certificates to be exported. The best course of action for these users is to either enroll and export the certificate from a Windows workstation and email it to the Mac user or to use direct enrollment from the Client itself.

Verisign works fine with the Macintosh version of the VPN Client. But the "browsers" available on the Macintosh don't export certificates (Verisign or others) in the proper format for the VPN Client to receive them, or they don't allow the export of certificates at all (IE). This is because IE is a Windows product and doesn't support on the Macintosh platform everything the normal Windows IE does (CSCdz23397).

VPN Client Can Require Smart Card When Using Certificates

For Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems, you can configure the VPN Client to require the presence of a Smart Card when Certificates are used. If this feature is configured, the VPN Client displays an error message if a Smart Card is not present. The Certificates need not be present on the Smart Card itself. To configure this feature, add the following line to the user's client profile, specifying the appropriate vendor for your Smart Card:

If you are using pre-shared keys instead of Certificates, this requirement is not enforced, even if configured.

To disable the Smart Card verification function, completely delete the entry: SmartCardName=<text> from the user's client profile (CSCec82220).

VPN Client GUI Connection History Display Lists Certificate Used

In Release 4.0.3.C, the VPN Client GUI connection history dialog box now displays as the first entry the name of the certificate used for establishing the connection (CSCec79691).

Use Zone Labs Integrity Server 2.1.052.0 or Higher with VPN Client 4.0

Versions of the Zone Labs Integrity Server earlier than 2.1.052.0 exhibit the following problem. If two or more VPN Clients (running on Windows 2000 or XP) are connected to a VPN 3000 Series Concentrator and receive firewall policy from a ZoneLabs Integrity Server, the Integrity Server registers only one connection.

On the Integrity Flex (client agent), under "Policies", the "Integrity Server" column flashes "Connected" then "Disconnected" over and over. Also, the VPN Client log includes the following event: "The firewall, configured for Client/Server, returned a status of lost connection to server." Zone Labs Integrity Server version 2.1.052.0 fixes this issue (CSCea66549).

Restart VPN Client Service If You Install VPN Client Before Zone Alarm

The Firewall Enhancement, "Prevent VPN Traffic Blocking", automatically adds the Loopback address (127.0.0.1) and the address of the VPN 3000 Concentrator to the ZoneAlarm or ZoneAlarmPro trusted zone.

An exception to this, however, occurs if the VPN Client is installed before Zone Alarm. Then the VPN Client's service must be restarted by rebooting the PC or stopping and restarting the service through the Control Panel (on Windows NT-based PCs) (CSCea16012).

InstallShield Error Might occur during VPN Client Installation

The instruction at "0x771c741a" referenced memory at "0x00163648". The memory could not be "read".

This error is caused by an InstallShield component, possibly because of a run-once stale remnant. To recover, you must reboot.

The InstallShield Knowledge base article q108020 addresses this problem. To view this article go to the following URL (CSCea43117):

Microsoft has a fix for this issue. For more information and to obtain the fix, go to the following URL:

VPN Client cTCP Connection Fails If Checkpoint Client Is Installed

When the Checkpoint VPN-1 Securemote client is installed with the 4.0 VPN Client, and the VPN Client attempts to connect using cTCP, the 4.0 VPN Client cannot make the connection. Connections do work with UDP, NAT-T, and non-NAT connections.

To make a connection with cTCP when the Checkpoint VPN-1 Securemote is installed, you must disable the Check Point SecuRemote driver in the Connections Properties. To do this, you must be administrator. Follow these steps:

Step 1

Click Start > Settings > Control Panel >Network and Dial-up Connections.

Open Caveats

Caveats describe unexpected behavior or defects in Cisco software releases. The following lists are sorted by identifier number.

This section lists open caveats for the VPN Client running on a Windows platform.

The VPN Client may swap Primary and Secondary WINS received from the Concentrator. In a few cases, the VPN Client receives a Primary and a Secondary WINS server from the Concentrator but swaps them when they are added to the IP Configuration. If this happens, it may cause browsing problems if the Secondary WINS server is not as populated as the Primary. Disconnecting and reconnecting may fix the problem.

When the VPN Client is installed on a Windows 2000 PC with the Efficient Networks NTS EnterNet 300 PPPoE version 1.41 or 1.5c, the following message appears:

"EnterNet could not find the (adapter) for complete pc management NIC (adapter). But it did locate the (adapter) for complete pc management NIC (adapter) - Deterministic Network Enhancer Miniport adapter through which your network server is reachable. Do you want to switch to this adapter?"

Answer Yes every time this question appears. The installation then continues normally.

"EnterNet could not find the (adapter). But it did locate the (adapter) through which your network server is reachable. Do you want to switch? Yes No"

If the VPN Client is uninstalled, the next time the NTS EnterNet 300 PPPoE version 1.41 is used the message, "EnterNet could not find the (adapter). But it did locate the (adapter) through which your network server is reachable. Do you want to switch? Yes No"

Problems have occurred when an ISA legacy NIC card (IBM Etherjet 10MB) is used in a PC with PnP OS enabled. The WINS servers did not function correctly when a VPN Client connection was made. This could be an issue with other legacy NIC cards as well.

The end results are that the WINS servers sent from the Secure Gateway cannot be viewed in the Network configuration, and problems with browsing/logon over the VPN connection may occur.

When you connect the VPN Client to a VPN 3000 Concentrator that issues two DNS servers, both appear under ipconfig /all, but only one appears under the Network settings TCP/IP Properties. DNS server appears to be missing under TCP/IP Properties (Advanced button, DNS TAB). We do not know whether this causes any problems.

You might see the following problem on systems running Windows NT and Windows 2000 when you are using the Start Before Logon feature of the VPN Client with third-party dialer. If the third-party dialer does not get set to the foreground when launched, add the following parameter to the vpnclient.ini file in the VPN Client directory (\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN Client\Profiles):

The value is the time in milliseconds that the VPN Client waits for the third party dialer to load before attempting to place it in the foreground. The default time is 1000 milliseconds.

SCEP enrollment might fail to complete successfully after the PKI administrator has granted your request.

To delete the request, click the Certificate tab, select the failed request, and click Delete on the toolbar. Alternatively, open the Certificates menu and select Delete.

The following issue can exist when using the VPN Client Start Before Logon feature with Entrust SignOn. Entrust SignOn is an add-on to the Entrust Entelligence client that allows logging into the Entrust profile and the NT domain from a single login.

The Entrust SignOn GINA dll does not support chaining to other GINA dll files. To make the Entrust SignOn product and the VPN Client with Start Before Logon function properly together, install the VPN Client after Entrust SignOn. The VPN Client replaces the Entrust GINA (etabcgin.dll) with its own (csgina.dll).

In version 3.1, the potential exists for the VPN Client Connection Manager and the VPN dialer to get out of sync with each other. This occurs only after a VPN Client upgrade on the first time the VPN Client accesses a given Entrust profile. The following sequence outlines how a user could get the connection into this state:

Step 2

Entrust prompts for password and security hash check. The user clicks Yes.

If the user waits here or walks away from PC, the VPN Connection times out in 3 minutes.

Step 4

The user returns and enters the Entrust password, then clicks Yes to the security hash check question.

Step 5

The VPN connection completes, and data can be passed. The VPN dialer appears as not connected.

Step 6

Clicking Connect returns "A connection already exists". The user clicks Cancel, and the dialer appears connected in the system tray.

This issue occurs on a Windows NT PC that is running ZoneAlarm or Sygate Personal Firewall, if the VPN Client is set to Start Before Logon and an upgrade to the VPN Client is implemented. Do not attempt a connection before the logon when you reboot, because both firewalls do not automatically give the VPN Client permission to access the Internet. Both firewalls see the upgrade as a new application attempting to access the Internet, and it requires user permission through its pop-up menus. The user must logon to the Windows NT PC using cached credentials, then launch a VPN connection. The firewall then asks permission to allow the VPN Client to connect. Answer yes to each connection. After that, Start Before Logon works fine.

The message, "The necessary VPN sub-system is not available. You will not be able to make a connection to the remote IPSec server." might appear on a PC when Start Before Logon is enabled on the Client and ZoneAlarm is also running. The message appears when the ctrl+alt+del key combination is pressed. This has happened because the Cisco Systems VPN Service has terminated unexpectedly.

Logon to the PC with cached credentials, open "Services" in control panel and start the VPN service. A connection to the VPN Concentrator will be possible once the service has started.

When connecting to a VPN 3000 Concentrator over PPPoE using the EnterNet 300 client software from Efficient Networks, Inc., if a firewall is required by the VPN Concentrator, the following message might appear:

If this message appears, click OK and then click Connect. The connection to the VPN Concentrator then proceeds successfully.

If you make connections from the command line interface, the following problem can occur. When a firewall is required to connect and the firewall fails or is shut down, you do not see any message giving the reason for the lost connection.

If you use the VPN Client with a Digital Certificate and your Client sits behind a Cable/DSL router or some other NAT device, you might not be able to connect to your VPN Gateway device (that is, the VPN 3000 Concentrator). The problem is not with the VPN Client or the Gateway; it is with the Cable/DSL router. When the VPN Client uses a Digital Certificate, it sends the Certificate to the VPN Gateway. Most of the time, the packet with the Certificate is too big for a standard Ethernet frame (1500), so it is fragmented. Many Cable/DSL routers do not transmit fragmented packets, so the connection negotiation fails (IKE negotiation).

This problem might not occur if the Digital Certificate you are using is small enough, but this is only in rare cases. This fragmentation problem happens with the D-Link DI-704 and many other Cable/DSL routers on the market. We have been in contact with a few of these vendors to try to resolve the issue.

Testing with the VPN Client Release 3.1 indicates that VPN Client connections using Digital Certificates can be made using the following Cable/DSL routers with the following firmware:

Others like 3COM 3C510, and D-Link DI-704 either had updated firmware that was tested and failed, or had Beta firmware that was NOT tested because the firmware notes did not indicate a fix specifically for fragmentation.

The following message might appear when a connection using the EnterNet 300 version 1.4 PPPoE software and transferring via FTP:

93 09:42:06.020 08/02/01 Sev=Warning/2 IPSEC/0xE3700002
Function CniInjectSend() failed with an error code of 0xe4510000 (IPSecDrvCB:517)

When Zone Alarm's Internet setting is set to high and the VPN Concentrator sends a CPP firewall policy that allows inbound traffic on a specific port, the CPP rule takes precedence over the Zone Alarm rule allowing the specified port to be open.

Importing a PKCS12 (*.p12 or *.pfx) certificate using the Certificate Manager that has not been password protected will fail with the following error:

"Please make sure your import password and your certificate protection password (if for file based enrollment) are correct and try again."

Attempting to install/uninstall Gemplus Workstation version 2.x or earlier while the Cisco VPN Client and its GINA (csgina.dll) is installed will cause the following error, and Gemplus will not install/uninstall:

"A 3rd party GINA has been detected on your system. Please uninstall it before installing this product."

When a CPP Firewall policy is in place that drops all inbound and outbound traffic and no WINS address is sent to the VPN Client from the 3000 series Concentrator, Start Before Logon fails. If a WINS address is in place, Start Before Logon works fine. Also, if a WINS address is sent and the CPP rule drops all inbound traffic, but allows all outbound traffic, Start Before Logon works fine.

Using the Aladdin "R2" model etoken, certain functions can be performed using the certificate even after the R2 token has been detached from the system (USB port). The VPN Client, for instance, can perform an IKE rekey without the token attached to the system. The reason for this is the design of the "R2" etoken: it does not contain the RSA key functions needed and must upload the private key to the system for these functions.

In contrast, the Aladdin "PRO" etoken must be connected to the USB port during an IKE rekey, otherwise the VPN Client connection terminates. This is Aladdin's problem; it is not a VPN Client problem.

Using the Solaris VPN Client, some applications are unable to operate properly. A possible indicator of the problem is that a large ping is unable to pass through the VPN Tunnel.

No problem exists when passing large packets using cTcp or normal IPSec. When using IPSec over UDP, Path MTU Discovery problems exist, as a result of which large packets cannot be transmitted.

An MTU issue currently exists with the Solaris VPN Client that causes fragmentation errors that might affect applications passing traffic through the VPN Tunnel.

To identify whether the VPN Client is properly fragmenting packets, use the following commands:

The first command ensures that the target is reachable, and the second determines whether fragmentation is an issue.

Step 1

Before opening the tunnel, bring down the MTU of the point-to-point interface to the MTU of the rest of the path to the concentrator (generally 1500). This would allow large packets to pass through, when using IPSec over UDP. No problems exist when using normal IPSec or cTcp.

Step 2

Set IP Compression to "LZS" in the VPN Group on the Concentrator. This decreases the size of the encrypted packet and might allow the smaller packet to avoid fragmentation. If you are using NAT, switching the NAT method of the client from cTCP (TunnelingMode=1) to UDP (TunnelingMode=0) might also reduce the size of the packet.

When you have multiple VPN Client connections behind Linksys Cable/DSL router, the following problem can occur. Due to a Linksys problem with firmware versions 1.39 and 1.40.1, making multiple VPN Client connections enabling the feature "Allow IPSec over UDP" (transparent tunneling) may cause data transfer problems.

Allow IPSec over UDP is a VPN Client feature that allows ESP packets to be encapsulated in UDP packets so they traverse firewall and NAT/PAT devices. Some or all of the clients may not be able to send data. This is due to a Linksys port mapping problem, that Linksys has been notified of.

Use a newer version of Linksys code (higher than firmware version 1.40.1). If you must use one of the problem versions, do not use the "Allow IPSec over UDP" (transparent tunneling) feature when you have multiple VPN Client connections behind Linksys Cable/DSL router.

The following Microsoft Outlook error might occur when the VPN Client connects or disconnects. This occurs when Microsoft Outlook is installed but not configured.

To set Microsoft Outlook as the default mail client, right-click on the Outlook icon, go to Properties, and configure it to use Microsoft Exchange or Internet Mail.

The module build process must use the same configuration information as your running kernel. To work around this problem, do one of the following:

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If you are running the kernels from Red Hat, you must install the corresponding kernel-sources rpm. On a Red Hat system with kernel-sources installed, there is a symlink from /lib/modules/2.4.2-2/build to the source directory. The VPN Client looks for this link first, and it should appear as the default value at the kernel source prompt.

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If you are running your own kernel, you must use the build tree from the running kernel to build the VPN Client. Merely unpacking the source code for the version of the kernel you are running is insufficient.

Getting Entrust certificates using SCEP does not get the Root CA certificate. The Entrust CA does not send the whole certificate chain when enrolling with SCEP. Therefore, making a VPN Client connection might require the manual installation of the Root certificate before or after SCEP enrollment. Without the existence of the Root CA certificate, the VPN Client fails to validate the certificate and fails with the following VPN Client event/error messages:

"Get certificate validity failed"
"System Error: Unable to perform validation of certificate <certificate_name>."

If an attempt to load the VPN Client is made before the Clients Service loads, the following error occurs: "The necessary VPN sub-system is not available. You will not be able to make a connection to the remote IPSec server."

A customer had problems enrolling the Mac OS version of the VPN Client. Following some troublesome attempts at debugging the enrollment of the MacOS VPN Client with a Baltimore CA, it was felt that the Documentation should be improved and the Certificate Manager enhanced.

It seems that the critical thing as far as Baltimore is concerned is to put either or both of the challenge phrase (-chall) and the host's FQDN (-dn) in the request. This appears to be similar for the successful SCEP enrolment in a Verisign Onsite PKI. Perhaps there's a case for tweaking the interface a bit, or at least making some notes in the manual!

Just doing cisco_cert_mgr -U -op enroll only asks for a Common Name, which is not enough. The request that succeeded on two separate Baltimore installations, one of which had an expired RA certificate, was as follows (switches only shown for brevity):

The ou is required for connecting to a Cisco 3030 VPN Concentrator and is the group name. On almost every attempt, the certificate manager dies after starting to poll the CA, with an error in the log: "Could not get data portion of HTTP request".

If this happens, it is possible to resume the enrollment with cisco_cert_mgr -E -op enroll_resume. The last attempt didn't fail at all though, and the certificate manager kept running until the request was approved, which is how it should behave.

If the computer is powered off or loses power during an MSI installation of the VPN Client, the VPN Client may not be registered in Control Panel, and the following may occur when attempting to reinstall:

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A message may appear stating:
Deterministic Network Enhancer Add Plugin Failed
Click the "OK" button.

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Error 1722. There is a problem with this Windows Installer package. A program as part of the setup did not finish as expected. Contact your Support personnel or package vendor. Click the "OK" button.

–

Error 1101. Error reading from file c:\config.msi\laff4.rbs. Verify that the file exits and you can access it. Click the "OK" button.

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Error 1712. One or more of the files required to restore your computer to its previous state could not be found. Restoration is not possible. Click the "OK" button.

After clearing the last message box, restart MSI installation. It should successfully install the VPN Client.

If IOS sends a split tunnel attribute that is host-based (255.255.255.255 mask), the VPN Client uses the host in a QM, but it passes the IPV4_ADDR_SUBNET in the ID payload.

The VPN Client's xauth dialog always stays in the foreground so it doesn't get "lost" (on XP it goes to the background and then jumps forward within seconds). The xauth dialog does not have focus, however, and it can be difficult to enter the username/password without first clicking on it with the mouse. This was observed on Windows 2000 and Windows XP; we have not checked Windows 98.

Installing the VPN Client using the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) displays "Time Remaining" for the installation. This time is not very accurate and should be ignored.

Microsoft article Q234859 states that for the resiliency feature to work on Windows 4.0, IE 4.01 sp1 and shell32.dll version 4.72.3110.0 or greater must be installed on the computer.

The Microsoft Installer (MSI) resiliency (self healing) feature does not restore all files that are installed with the VPN Client. The files that will be restored are files that are associated with the shortcuts under Start | Program Files | Cisco Systems VPN Client.

An issue can occur when using the Release 4.0VPN Client with Start Before Logon (SBL), after enabling SBL. The first time you log out of Windows, the VPN Client does not load after you press the CTRL+ALT+DEL key combination at the Windows logon prompt.

Reboot the PC after enabling Start Before Logon; after a subsequent logout, the VPN Client should operate properly.

The following error occurs after the resiliency feature has reinstalled a missing file on Windows NT 4.0:

When you click OK, the PC reboots and the file is restored. The resiliency feature is working, but the error should not appear.

When attempting to launch the dialer when the dialer is already running on the logon desktop (due to SBL or SBL and AI), the following error occurs instead of the VPN Client dialer loading:

This is most likely to happen when Start Before Logon and Auto Initiate are being used on a Windows NT/2000/XP system.

This is due to the fact that the VPN Client dialer is already running on the "logon desktop". Most likely during Windows logon the dialer launched and posted an error, the Windows logon was completed and the error was never closed. To work around this error, do the following:

Step 3

Press ESC to return to the normal Windows desktop; the VPN Client should load normally.

During installation of the VPN Client on a PC that already has the Enternet v.1.5c or v. 1.5c SP2, the following error might appear:

If this message appears, click OK, then reboot the PC when the VPN Client prompts for the reboot. After this, The message does not reappear and all connections work fine.

InstallShield's "Tuner" application produces warnings and errors when validating the Cisco MSI installation package.

On a Windows 98 PC that has the Sygate Personal Firewall, the following message may appear in the VPN Client log file:

This message does not interfere with the VPN Client's ability to pass data and can be ignored.

A user with the VPN Client cannot establish an IPSec tunnel to a VPN Concentrator running over an Internet satellite connection.

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After successfully authenticating, the user cannot transmit/receive any data.

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After successfully transmitting data for approximately 5 minutes, the VPN session is disconnected regardless of the user activity at the time of disconnect.

The following error might occur on Windows 98 when making many VPN connections without closing the VPN Client between connections:

The VPN Client on Windows XP using native XP PPPoE client fails to connect when using IPSec/TCP.

Make sure that the Windows XP Internet Connection Firewall is disabled for the PPPoE connection. This feature defaults to enabled when the connection entry is created. To disable it do the following:

Step 2

Right click on the PPPoE connection entry (may be called "Broadband") and select "Properties".

Step 3

Change to the Advanced Tab and uncheck the "Internet Connection Firewall" option.

Some AOL applications might not be usable while a 4.0 VPN Client connection is active. These include the AOL integrated web browser and some internal links. Using external web browsers and other applications should work over the VPN. These issues were seen most recently using AOL version 7.0 and 8.0.

To connect to a VPN 3000 Concentrator requiring Sygate Personal Firewall, Sygate Personal Firewall Pro, using Are You There (AYT), the version of the firewall must be 5.0, build 1175 or later. The VPN Client might not detect an earlier version of the Sygate Personal Firewall and therefore, a connection will not be allowed.

After upgrading, the VPN Client is unable to connect to the VPN 3000 Concentrator. The ability for the VPN Client to negotiate an AES-192 IKE Proposal has been removed. This change affects all VPN Client versions greater than 3.7.2.

Reconfigure the VPN Concentrator so that it does not require an AES-192 IKE Proposal for VPN Client connections.

The Equant remote access dialer does not automatically connect the Release 4.0 VPN Client, as it could when using the Release 3.x VPN Client. If you have the Equant dialer configured to establish your VPN connection, the VPN Client appears, but you must manually click Connect to connect. An updated, Cisco-specific .dll file is available from Equant to fix this problem.

The 4.0 VPN Client (on Windows 2000 or Windows XP) connects but is unable to pass data over the VPN tunnel. Viewing the routing table using "route print" at a command prompt shows the default gateway has been modified incorrectly as in the example below.

This is due to a misconfiguration on the VPN3000 at the central site. Make sure that the Group | Client Config settings for Split Tunneling Policy are correct. If the group is set to "Only tunnel networks in the list" and the Split Tunneling Network List is the predefined "VPN CLient Local LAN" list this problem will occur.

If split tunneling is the desired result, change the Split Tunneling Network List to an appropriate list, otherwise make sure that the Split Tunneling Policy is set to "Tunnel Everything" and check "Allow the networks in the list to bypass the tunnel". This allows for proper Local LAN function.

When the VPN Client is installed and Start before Logon is configured, logging into an Active Directory Domain might take a long time, with or without a VPN connection.

–

You are logging in to a Windows Active Directory domain (not an NT 4 Domain).

This problem occurs because of a fix that was added for CSCdu20804. This fix adds the following parameter to the registry every time Start before Logon is enabled:

Removing "ExpectedDialupDelay" from the registry (then rebooting) should fix the problem with slow logons to an Active Directory Domain.

Note

If you disable, then re-enable Start before Logon, this entry is added again and must be removed.

If the Digital Certificate you are using has expired, the Windows VPN Client GUI does not popup with an error message indicating it has expired. The only indication you have is in the log file.

A message does appear if you are using the VPN Client command line - vpnclient.exe

If a ZoneLabs product such as ZoneAlarm or ZoneAlarm Pro is installed on the PC and the VPN Client is installed or upgraded, ZoneAlarm blocks the VPN Client service (cvpnd.exe). The VPN Client's splash screen appears, but the GUI does not. ZoneAlarm does not ask the user whether to allow the VPN Client to access the Internet. Additionally, the following error appears after about two minutes:

"The necessary VPN sub-system is not available. You can not connect to the remote VPN server."

Step 3

Cisco Systems VPN Client's Access permission is a ?. Click under "Trusted" and select "Allow". The ? mark changes change to a Check mark.

The following Notification might occur if the Cisco Systems Integrated Client is required to make a connection:

"The Client did not match the firewall configured on the central site VPN device. Cisco Systems Integrated Client should be enabled or installed on your computer."

When this occurs, the connection is not allowed. If this Notification appears, click Close and attempt to reconnect. If this second attempt to connect fails, reboot the PC. The connection should succeed at this point.

This problem has two facets. You cannot select text from the VPN Client log tab, and trying to save the VPN Client log results in an empty (zero byte) file. This problem might occur if the VPN Client logging has been enabled, disabled, or cleared.

If the all or part of the log must saved, you can select the text with the mouse or by using CTRL+A, and then copy it using CTRL+C. You can then paste it as usual using CTRL+V in Notepad or your favorite editor.

As an alternative, the VPN Client log files are saved to the directory c:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN Client\Logs by default and can be opened and viewed using a text editor and saved as a different name if needed.

After the user enters the username and password, the VPN Client machine might go blank for a moment and then continue. This behavior has not shown any negative effect on the tunnel connection or the user's ability to use the PC.

The VPN Client does not put any limit to the number of log files that are saved in the \VPN Client\Logs directory. Users must manually delete these files to remove all or some of them.

Using the 4.0 VPN Client with Entrust Entelligence certificates, the "Send CA Certificate Chain" option should be grayed out and unavailable, but it is not.

Checking the "Send CA Certificate Chain" option when using Entrust Entelligence certificates makes the VPN Client connection fail to complete, leave this option unchecked.

If you uninstall the VPN Client from a Windows 2000 or Windows XP Computer with RASPPPOE, the following message box might appear:

The following problem has occurred with non-Windows VPN Clients. While connected to the VPN Client, DNS resolution to the internal network works at first but fails later in the connection.

If the workstation is set to use DHCP and receives a DNS address from the DHCP server, the new DNS overwrites the VPN Concentrator's pushed DNS that had been resolving internal network devices. Once the new DNS has overwritten the Concentrator-pushed DNS, internal devices are no longer resolved properly.

After connecting to the ISP, record the DNS addresses assigned by the DHCP server and hard code them into the workstation. This prevents the workstation from accepting the DHCP-pushed DNS addresses in the future but still allows resolution when not connected over VPN.

The drawback of this is that if the ISP changes their DNS server addresses, the user must find out the hard way and hard code these new addresses once more.

The PKCS#10 thumbprint for the certificate request is missing on 4.x VPN Client, so it is impossible for the CA to verify the user's request by comparing the thumbprint.

Performance issues exist with H.323 and the 4.0 VPN Client virtual adapter. These performance issues could be related to MTU.

To use this workaround, you need to be running VPN Client Release 4.0.3.C or later. Set the Virtual Adapter MTU at the MAC layer to 1500 (default value is 1300). To do this, run the command "SetMTU.exe /va 1500", then re-establishing the tunnel. (A reboot is not required.) SetMTU.exe should be located in the VPN Client installation directory. Please use "SetMTU.exe /?" for other options.

The `vpnclient stat firewall' command cannot be run while not connected. This command should return the state of the firewall at all times, not just when the VPN Client is connected.

CVPND does not free file handles when it disconnects from the VPN gateway. This might cause an out-of-resources situation. This problem occurred under Windows NT, running VPN Client version 4.0. No problem running with Windows 2000.

The following problem occurs when using the VPN Client, Release 4.0 running on MS Windows 2000 or Windows XP. After connecting, a "classfull" route is installed in the routing table, due to not receiving a subnet mask.

IPSec SA rekeying fails on VPN Client 4.0.2A/B. The VPN4.0.2A/B and IPSec SA Lifetime Measurement is configured as Data on the VPN 3000 Concentrator.

After the Cisco VPN Client is connected, the PC stops receiving the local multicast traffic. The "Allow Local LAN Access" check box is checked, and the multicast addresses are also included in the bypass list on the VPN 3000 Concentrator.

The ForceNetLogin feature might not work properly with Entrust Intelligence client version 6.1.

VPN Client sends the first ESP packet after IKE negotiation is successful using an SPI number that doesn't exist. Then the central-site Concentrator sends back a delete notification, which the client ignores because the SPI doesn't actually exist in the VPN Client. This does not affect any functions.

A customer installed an RSA Keon CA server with root and subordinate CA. When we are using the VPN Client, Release 3.1 with the certificates, we can connect to VPN 3000 Concentrator running either 3.x or 4.0.1D (Concentrator code does not matter).

Once I upgrade the VPN Client to 3.6.x or 4.0.x, I can no longer get a connection to VPN 3000 Concentrator.

I play around all the settings including "check uncheck CA chain" on the Client end, as well as the Concentrator end, "Certificate Group Matching", IKE group 1 or group2, no matter what I do, it does not work.

With the VPN Client, Release 4.0.x installed on a Windows XP (tablet edition) system, whenever the VPN dialer is opened we get an error "System Error: IPC Socket allocation failed with error ffffffff8h" and then it cannot go out to the DHCP server and get an IP address.

When installing a customized VPN Client InstallPath, a pop-up box appears during the installation with the following message:

i - installs the Virtual Adapter
r - removes the Virtual Adapter
f - finds if the Virtual Adapter in installed

If the installation path includes $BASEDIR\Program Files\, then the InstallPath works.

Using VPN Client, Release 4.0.3.C running under Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows ME, we can not log in to the Microsoft network using the Command-Line Interface to connect VPN communication. NetBIOS packets fail to be encrypted.

Mac OS X VPN Client Release 4.0.3.E and higher no longer supports Mac OS X 10.1.5. VPN Client Release 4.0.2.C is the last released client compatible with Mac OS X 10.1.5.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.5.D

If a user is member of at least 500 groups in the domain (Win2000), the VPN Client cannot open a connection. A message in the log says that the certificate could not be retrieved because the store is empty. The same user can connect without a problem if the number of groups he belongs to is less than 500.

An error is generated on the VPN Client when trying to connect after a certificate renewal is performed:

"Error 31: The certificate "User Name" associated with this Connection Entry no longer exists or failed to open. Please select another certificate."

This was introduced in 4.0.3.C. If the user has more than 10 certificates, and wants to select a certificate number 10 or higher, the wrong certificate is selected.

The VPN Client's DPD processing is correct, but it was logging the wrong DPD sequence number in the logs.

In rare cases in which IKE packets are fragmented and received out of order, it is possible for the Cisco VPN Client to terminate abruptly.

If Netopia's NetOctopus is installed on the host, the Cisco VPN Client cannot disable the Virtual Adapter at tunnel disconnect.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.5.C

Can't Install the Virtual Adapter after removing a VPN 5000 client. This happens because some of the VPN 5000 Registry keys are not removed by the Uninstall.

Client fails when Sygate firewall is installed and the system is not configured with correct DNS servers.

If Ethernet or wireless is connected after logging into Windows and the DNS server is not reachable, you get warning201 on the GUI, and then you get the XAuth prompt. You are eventually connected, but after the connection, you cannot pass any traffic. But from the second connection onwards, everything works just fine.

There is currently no way to differentiate certificates that have the same common name and reside in the same store. The VPN GUI does not allow users to associate a different certificate with same name in the profile.

The parent suffix is not appended by VPN Client even if "AppendOriginalSuffix" value is present in vpnclient.ini under [DNS] section. This could be seen by a DEBUG log message that the correct value was present in vpnclient.ini. Windows network connection property pages also had the right checkbox selected to append the parent suffix.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.5.B

When the VPN Client and the head-end device are using different subordinate digital certificates, IKE authentication fails.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.5.A

Cisco-proprietary NAT Transparency can be enabled in environments where NAT/PAT is not used, but perhaps a firewall allows UDP but not ESP packets. The standards-based implementation does not allow for this option, since it is autodetecting the need for NAT transparency based on whether or not the client is in a NAT/PAT environment.

Requesting a mechanism per profile to force use of NAT-T even if the VPN Client or VPN Concentrator do not detect that they are behind a NAT/PAT device.

When trying to import a certificate, on the GUI, the "Unable to import certificate" message is displayed. A password has been provided when generating the Certificate request file. This password has been correctly re-entered in the "Import Password" field.

When a connection is made with the VPN Client using a certificate in the Cisco store that does not contain a password, the GUI still prompts the user for a password. This problem happens only if the certificate is in Cisco store.

Using the VPN Client with multiple-monitor display enabled on a Windows XP machine, the VPN Client authentication dialog box appears split between the two monitors rather than completely in one side or the other.

If entrust certificates are used with the VPN Client, the Client writes the timeout values to entrust.ini file. The VPN Client deletes comments in the entrust.ini file when it writes the timeout values.

When fast user switching is enabled in Windows XP and multiple users log in, the VPN username/password prompt window always shows up in the first user's desktop. All other users cannot see this window when opening a VPN connection. They may think the VPN Client is stuck.

When connecting from the VPN Client to the VPN 3000 Concentrator, with Cisco Pushed Policy enabled, the Firewall tab on the VPN Client is disabled and is therefore unusable.

The VPN Client cannot load a certificate that has an incorrect value for the CRL Distribution Point extension. Since this field is not used by the VPN Client, it should ignore this field.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.5

Rebranding of the Cisco VPN Client (4.0.3) does not update the VPN Client title bar correctly and/or automatically. When the steps are followed, the VPN Client installation creates a folder called oem.ini and then put the actual "oem.ini" file within this folder.

The title bar is correctly rebranded if the oem.ini file is moved from the previously mentioned directory to the C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN Client\ folder (which is the default client installation folder) or whatever folder the client was installed on.

When the 4.0.3.F VPN Client is installed in a directory other than the default (C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN Client), the virtual adapter can not be installed on Windows 2000 or Windows XP. The installation displays the following error message:

Failed to install Cisco Network Adapter. Error: 0x3.
Please uninstall this client and try the install again.

If the connection profile uses certificates, the VPN Client requires users to enter the CertSubjectName field in the profile. This happens to be fairly large, something like:

CertSubjectName=cn=Test1,ou=rootou,o=cisco,l=city,st=state,c=US,e=some@email.com

The client should allow users to just enter the CertName field in the profile. The VPN Client should not force the use of SubjectName, as it is long and hard to enter in the profile. The CertName field for the above subject name looks like:

If you want the DNS suffix to be appended to the actual list, you will have to add AppendOriginalSuffix=1 in the vpnclient.ini file. Otherwise the existing DNS suffixes are overwritten by default. The purpose of this DDTS is to change this default.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.4.D

When connected over a PPP connection using any of the Linux, Solaris, or Mac VPN Clients, the Excluded networks do not allow traffic to the network directly connected to the workstations ethernet adapters.

The EnableLocalLan keyword combined with the proper Concentrator Group configuration should allow the client to pass traffic to the workstations local ethernet network. An issue with the client prevents traffic only to the network directly attached to the workstation. Other networks excluded from the tunnel pass traffic normally.

The VPN Client feature to push the 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0 wildcard during the excluded networks negotiation only excludes the network currently connected to the VPN Concentrator. The client SHOULD be excluding ALL local interfaces and networks.

If a user has Ethernet and PPP and dials in to connect to a group with a wildcard exclude, they will only exclude their PPP interfaces network. The Ethernet network is NOT excluded.

With this change, ALL interface networks will be excluded so that the user will be able to access their home network over Ethernet while connected to the tunnel over PPP. Should they have two Ethernets, the same would apply.

Prior to this change, the admin would have to push individual networks along with the wildcard to support home networks with more than one interface.

Split tunneling from network X.X.14.0/23 (255.255.254.0) and tunneling in to a Concentrator that assigns a Y.Y.A.B address and includes X.X.0.0/16 (255.255.0.0) in the split tunneling list. With all versions of the client prior to 4.x on Windows, the customer could access the X.X.14.0/23 network across the tunnel, this no longer works with 4.x and the virtual adapter.

The issue appears to be that when the concentrator passes down the less specific mask, the routing table entry for the specific mask (X.X.14.0/23) is not modified, so it is always preferred.

The client should be looking at the routing table and adding more specific metric routes for any specific masks covered under a split tunneling list when a user connects/disconnects.

If the customer changes the split tunneling list specifically to X.X.14.0/23, then this network is accessible via the tunnel, however, this does not work for production since all networks under X.X.0.0/16 must go through the tunnel.

When the Windows 2000 VPN Client is updated with an installation of VPN Client Release 4.0.4, problems can occur if the InstallShield installation method is chosen.

During the installation process, the old version is automatically uninstalled prior to installation of the new version. However, sometimes the prior "Cisco Systems VPN adapter" does not get uninstalled, and Release 4.0.4 installs a second "Cisco Systems VPN adapter."

If the VPN Client Release 4.0.4 is installed a second time, the duplicate "Cisco Systems VPN adapter" is gone.

When trying to install the 4.0.4 version of the VPN Client on a Windows 2000 PC which was built with a ghost image, we get the error,

Split-tunneling does not work under certain circumstances for 4.0.4.C version of the VPN Client.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.4.B

You may see a problem with FTP file transfers over a long period of time (hours) while connected with the VPN Client. The symptom is that the FTP session never starts (no response to the 'open' command) and the Client Log Viewer shows the following events:

74 22:31:08.704 02/08/01 Sev=Warning/2 IPSEC/0xE370000C
Failed to acquire a TCP control resource, the queue is empty.

75 22:31:08.704 02/08/01 Sev=Warning/2 IPSEC/0xA370001A
VRS processing failed, discarding packet

Other applications like PING and HTTP should work fine, but for FTP to work again, you must disconnect and reconnect the VPN Client.

While attempting to connect a Linux VPN Client, the client seems to lock up after the certificate password has been entered. Beginning with the Release 4.0.3.B Linux VPN Client, if the VerifyCertDN field is in use within the profile and it does not match the server certificate sent by the VPN 3000 Concentrator, the client will hang.

When the VPN Client Release 4.0.3.F is installed, uninstalled, and reinstalled, the VPN Client cannot establish a tunnel. The client logs have the message:

Certificate import screens introduced in the 4.0 VPN Client that say that a password is optional may be confusing to some users. Customer would like the message changed to say that a password may be required instead of that a password is optional.

At SBL (Start Before Login), the VPN Client checks to see if any supported firewalls (Zone, BlackIce, etc.) are installed on the system. If they are, the client checks to see if they are up and running. If they are not up and running, the client displays a dialog box letting the user know that we are waiting for the firewall to start before continuing with the VPN connection. Users have an option for canceling this dialog box and continuing even though the firewall has not started. This happens before the client has sent any messages to the VPN 3000 Concentrator; therefore, the client has no idea if a firewall is in fact required by the VPN 3000 Concentrator. We wait because we don't want to start a connection to the VPN 3000 Concentrator until an installed firewall is up and running, for security reasons.

This needs to be done because sometimes at SBL, the Cisco VPN Service would come up before other services (like the firewall), or the TCP stack. This is seen more often on Windows XP, because XP has the fast boot option where a user is allowed to log on the system even before all the services are up. If a firewall is required by the VPN 3000 Concentrator device, we want to make sure that the firewall is up.

The problem is, the client installs the stateful firewall on the machine. It trips over stateful firewall (if it is not started) even when customers don't have the stateful firewall turned on. As a fix, if the stateful firewall is not started by end-users, and if that is the only firewall installed on the system, the client will not display a dialog box.

If stateful firewall is turned on, and if it is not started at SBL, the VPN Client still displays the dialog box. If there are other Cisco supported firewalls on the system that are not started, we display the dialog box.

On Windows 2000 machines the operating system adds routes (routes that are added by default when an interface comes up). These routes have a metric of 1, and we do not increment the metric of the original route. We do not see this issue in Windows XP.

The VPN Client graphical user interface hangs or displays "Warning 201: The Cisco Vpn service is not responding" at Start Before Login.

This happens only when Zone service (vsmon.exe) is installed on the system. This service is installed by Zone Alarm Pro or Zone Integrity Agent.

Cisco VPN service adds a rule to the Zone service to allow VPN traffic when Cisco VPN service is first started. But it is possible that the OS starts the Cisco VPN service before the Zone service is started. In that case, the Cisco service gets blocked while trying to add those rules.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.4

If an IPSec SA has expired and has not been renewed by the VPN 3000 Concentrator, the system displays an INTERNAL ERROR: INVALID REASON CODE message when you issue the VPN Client stat command.

On a Linux machine running version 2.6.2 kernel or higher, the Cisco Linux VPN Client 4.0.3(B) hangs when trying to connect.

The VPN Client stat repeat command produces the following error when the client disconnects:

This is only a message from theVPN Client stat command and does not indicate any problems with the VPN Client.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3.F

There are MTU-related performance issues with H.323 and the VPN Client virtual adapter.

Using the CLI under Windows XP, if you try to connect when the VPN Client is already connected, the existing tunnel connection fails.

When using Radius with Expiry, the user is prompted for a username, password, and domain. If the domain name is 15 chararcters long, it is truncated to 14 characters in the VPN Client profile.

If a central-site concentrator with DPD keepalives disabled deletes an ISAKMP SA, VPN Clients are not updated. The client repeatedly tries to negotiate new IPSEC SAs using the old ISAKMP SA.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3.E

The silent disconnect option of VPN Client for Windows does not suppress the message:

For VPN Client Release 4.0.2, the behavior is somewhat different. The sd flag suppresses the message, but the dialup connection remains in place. Disconnecting the connection requires user intervention when the VPN Client exits.

Using VPN Client Release 4.0.2.C for MacOS X on MacOS X 10.3, after installing the Mac VPN Client on MacOS X 10.3 (Panther), you get an error message that the "VPN SubSystem [is] not available." Restarting the Mac causes the message to go away, as does manually starting the service.

When using the Release 4.0.3.C VPN Client for MacOS X under Panther (MacOS X 10.3), you might see drop-down lists appear in odd places on the screen. For example, the Profile list in Simple mode appear in a different part of the screen when you click the drop-down list.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3.D

The 4.0 VPN Client running on Windows 2000 or Windows XP is unable to connect. The following event appears in the log:

"The Client was unable to enable the Virtual Adapter because it could not open the device."

This can happen as a result of the VPN Client's virtual adapter not being installed.

A VPN Client, version 4.0.1, can't initialize the virtual adapter while attempting an IPSEC connection after "undocking" from a docking station. When attempting a connection the following message appears in the VPN Client logs:

When the VPN Client connection is initiated via CLI from Terminal Server client, and no one is logged on the Terminal server, then the VPN Connection fails.

Release 4.x VPN Client for Windows with Auto-initiation prompts to disconnect or suspend when the Windows machine is shutdown. This happens with all Release 4.x VPN Clients with auto-initiation turned on.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3.C

With Datakey Smart Cards, after a user logs off a Windows session and logs back in, the user is not prompted to re-enter the Smart Card credentials by receiving a prompt for a password.

Using the 4.0 VPN Client with the virtual adapter (Windows 2000 or Windows XP) in a multiple NIC environment, the VPN Client might not pass data while connected.

When the VPN Client PC has multiple network interfaces and the default gateway is on the non-VPN interface, the default gateway metric is not incremented. This might result in data that is bound for the VPN going to the non-VPN default gateway and being dropped. This problem is clearly identifiable by looking at the routing table while a VPN (All Tunneling) connection is active, where the two default routes appear with equal metrics.

The 4.0 VPN Client requires a specific route to the DHCP server so that this doesn't break after the connection is established. If users are connecting to the external interface and using a local DHCP server there is a specific route to that server created pointing to the NIC, not the virtual adapter.

If other services are running on that same server, such as WINS, DNS, and such, this route breaks these services once the VPN session is established. If you remove this route, everything works as it should. This occurs regardless of whether you use tunnel everything or split tunneling.

VPN Client, Release 4.0.2.B causes system failure (blue screen) when using IPSec/TCP.

Cisco VPN traffic seems to top off at 1352 (IP datagram), which includes 1324 (ESP packet). This happens even when the interface MTU is set to 1400 or more.

In a load-balanced configuration running VPN Client Releases 4.0.1, 4.0.1.A, 4.0.2.C - E, 4.0.3, and VPN Concentrator Releases 4.0, 4.0.1.A - E, the DPD fails to disconnect the Client IPSec session when the Client connects to the load-balanced cluster IP address.

When a profile that uses a certificate is used to establish a connection to the central site, the VPN GUI verifies the certificate before establishing the connection. But because of this problem, it verifies the first certificate in the list, instead of the certificate associated with the profile.

Generally users would not notice this because the verification of the certificate is successful. But if the first certificate in the list is not valid, the connection fails.

On very rare occasions, in Release 4.0 and higher of the VPN Client GUI, IPSecLog.exe fails when you change the log settings in the VPN GUI.

Feature Request: Allow customers to modify the VA MTU (at MAC layer) during Install Shield installation.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3.B

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3.A

When installing the Release 4.0 VPN Client on Windows 2000, a driver signing warning appears, asking whether or not to continue the installation.

The Release 4.0 VPN Client, when installed on Windows 2000 or Windows XP has a new Virtual Adapter feature. On Windows 2000 systems, the VPN Client installs a Virtual Adapter driver that is not yet signed, so when installing the VPN Client on Windows 2000 systems, a warning might appear.

Using Windows NT 4.0, SP 6, and Windows XP Home, the VPN Clients CLI cannot start a third-party dial-up program when a connection profile is configured to do so. The following error appears: "The third-party dial-up program could not be started."

When attempting to connect with the Linux VPN Client, the VPN Client fails if the interface routing to the concentrator is down, because the client cannot bind to it. This could happen if the Ethernet cable is unplugged. This problem does not occur with the Linux VPN Client, Release 4.0.3 or higher.

VPN Client, Release 4.0.3, cannot connect to a VPN Server. The following error messages appear on the VPN client logs:

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.3

Windows VPN Client (version 4.x) fails to connect to a VPN 3000 Series Concentrator from a Windows Terminal Services Connection. This was possible with earlier 3.6.x versions. The problem occurs when a user connects to a Windows 2000 server running terminal services and from the terminal services session launches the VPN Client to connect to a VPN 3000 Concentrator (configured to do split tunneling). With versions4.x using the new Virtual Adapter, this is not possible; however, it was possible with versions 3.6.x.

When using the VPN Client, Release 3.6.2B on Windows XP PCs, if "register this address to DNS" was not Checked on a PPP adapter side, Split-DNS behavior differs.

–

If not checked, Split-DNS functions normally, but after disconnecting from the internet, it never refers to the DNS of the Internet side.

Name resolution can take up to 40 seconds when a tunnel has been established. This problem occurs only on WIN XP. This problem was not evident in 3.6.x VPN Client code.

Symptom: With the VPN Client 4.x on Windows XP, using split tunneling and split DNS, the DNS lookup does not use DNS servers.

–

If you use nslookup to resolve the PINGed server, it might give the right info.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.2.E

If vpnclient.ini option "AppendOriginalSuffix" has a value of 1 or 2, the VPN Client should append the primary suffix of the machine at tunnel establishment.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.2.D

VPN Client, Release 3.6.2 is installed on the Windows 2000 and Windows XP machines using the customized (OEM) installation (InstallShield Install).

To activate "Start before Logon", oem.ini and vpnclient.ini are present in the installation package. Once the machine is rebooted after the installation, the "Start before Logon" feature does not work.

When making changes to the vpnclient.ini and preceding [CertEnrollment] parameters with an exclamation point (!) character, the fields are still editable after installation. The exclamation point should make these fields uneditable, but users can still edit the fields after installation and rebooting.

Information like Department information does not get filled in using v4.0.1 of the VPN Client. When using Certificate Enrollment, the CA url info is correctly saved, but other information is ignored.

On an XP PC with the 4.0 or 4.0.1 VPN Client, a user may experience DNS issues upon connection. After connecting to a VPN 3000 Concentrator (Release 4.0), the VPN Client can ping resources on the private network by IP, but not by name. Once this happens on the XP PC, you can go to
network connections->advanced->advanced settings and change the order of the adapters, or actually move a different (doesn't matter which) one to the top of the list and hit OK. You can then ping by name.

If you disconnect the VPN Client and reconnect, you get the same results, but the adapter at the top of the list is the one you moved there previously. You cannot ping by name until you move a different adapter to the top of the list and hit OK.

The VPN Client intermittently takes as much as 30 seconds to launch. This happens only intermittently. It takes about 15 seconds for the splash screen to come up, and another 15 seconds for the GUI to come up. If you launch the GUI from the command line or Windows Explorer by executing vpngui.exe directly, it takes half that time.

This problem exists only in Releases 4.0.2, 4.0.2.A and 4.0.2.B of the VPN Client. If VPN Client logs are disabled, this problem completely goes away.

The silent uninstall feature of the VPN client does not uninstall the Profiles and certificates folder from the Program Files folder:

If vpnclient.ini option "AppendOriginalSuffix" has a value of 1 or 2, the VPN Client should append the primary suffix of the machine at tunnel establishment.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.2.C

Disable the VPN Client log, stops logging to the file and screen. Re-enabling logging first clears the screen and reloads all the text from the file back to the screen. Log output should start to appear on the screen and file.

When installing from a CD, where all the files are Read-Only by default, the MSI installer copies the VPNCLIENT.INI and .PCF files to the destination but does not change the file attributes from Read-Only to Read+Write.

There is no way to prevent the "sample.pcf" file from appearing in the VPN Client connection entries after installing the Mac VPN Client GUI. It is unnecessary to see "sample.pcf" in the GUI connection entries. It should remain as a template for hand-made profiles but not appear on the GUI. The Windows VPN Client already behaves in this fashion.

After waking from a workstation sleep, the Mac VPN Client still shows that it is connected, even though it is not tunneling or blocking any traffic.

If the VPN Client is connected when the workstation is put to sleep, it might not realize that it has lost its connection.

At VPN Client initialization, the version string is overlaid in text on top of the splash screen. There is no may to modify this string for OEM customization. It should be removed.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.2.B

VPN Clients, version 4.0.x, do not produce an informative Delete with Reason message when the VPN Concentrator has been configured to disconnect the Client due to "Type and Version Limiting".

Type and Version Limiting was introduced with the 4.1 Concentrator code and does not trigger an informative message from the VPN Client. The current message is:

The VPN Client detects that there is no user authenticated IKE SA in the system and brings down the connection.

Although SA2 is not yet authenticated, it is still a valid IKE SA. The VPN Client should not bring down the connection at this point and should let the rekey complete.

DNS suffix search list gets replaced when CVPN Client 4.x is used for VPN tunnel establishment.

Unable to autopopulate the CertSerialHash value in the .PCF file. The customer creates a customized profile and installs the certificate in the Personal store on the PC. When the end user uses the VPN Client for first time, it does not populate the CERTSERIALHASH value under the .PCF file, which was working in earlier code.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.2.A

The VPN Client user interface terminates unexpectedly with the following error when a third-party dialer is misconfigured or the Client can't find the dialer at the path specified:

vpngui.exe has generated errors and will be closed by Windows. You will need to restart the application. An error log is being created.

The TunnelEstablished flag is set to 1 (Connected) before user has accepted the banner. This is an issue now that Release 4.0 prevents communication across the tunnel before the banner is acknowledged.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.2

The Macintosh OS X version of VPN Client does not save the location & size of the external Log Window so it must be resized and moved every time you open it.

Using the Linux version of the VPN Client over a SuSe native PPPoE connection, the VPN Client fails to connect. The Mandrake platform exhibits the same symptoms. The VPN Client is unable to bind to the type of PPPoE used natively by SuSe and Mandrake.

While attempting to make a connection using the Linux version of the VPN Client, the workstation crashes if PPPoE is activated during the connection. That is, if a VPN Client connection is in progress while PPPoE is being brought up, the workstation crashes.

When installing the Linux version of the VPN Client on a Red Hat 8.1 beta installation, a number of disquieting warnings appear during installation as well as a strange binary message while connecting the VPN Client. These messages do not affect the performance of the VPN Client.

If the certificate which is to be used by the VPN client, contains the non-ASCII characters in the CN and Subject (letters with umlaut, various kinds of accents, copyright character), then after selecting the certificate in the VPN dialer, closing the VPN dialer, and reopening the same connection entry, there is an error message, "The certificate <name>, associated with this Connection Entry, no longer exists. Please select another certificate."

In the certificate list, though, this certificate is still present and can be selected.

Rebranding the VPN Client Release 4.0 for Mac OS X is not currently possible. If you drop a png file into the Resources folder of the installer disk image, when you install the VPN Client, the png file is not copied into the /etc/CiscoSystemsVPNClient/Resources/ folder.

The Linux VPN Client does not install on platforms with kernel versions of 2.5 or 2.6. These kernel versions are not yet supported with the 4.0 Release or any previous versions of the VPN Client.

Using the Windows 4.0 VPN Client with certificates, we are unable to disable certificate expiry message.

If there is a profile PROFILE1.pcf and the following command is executed from command prompt:

The above commands should work. "profile1" should NOT be treated as case sensitive. This is a regression from 3.6 GUI.

When the silent disconnect option is used with the VPN Client, the "You've been disconnected" dialog is still shown after a "VPNCLIENT DISCONNECT" is issued.

In the 4.0 version of the VPN Client, vpnclient.exe no longer supports the "-sd" command line option. If I have an old shortcut for vpnclient.exe that uses this option, I get a Usage output stating that this option is no longer supported. This breaks all the 3.x shortcuts that use this option.

Cvpnd.exe (Cisco VPN Service) crashes when trying to establish a tunnel. If you run into this problem, the last entry in the logs should say:

Unable to forward xAuth request data to xAuth application. Error code <error code>

This generally occurs if a severe error is encountered while trying to XAuth. Specifically, this happens if we can't spawn a process to do XAuth. Some reasons for that would be if some of the VPN Client execuatbles files are deleted or modified.

On rare occasions, the Release 4.0 VPN Client disconnects the tunnel right after establishing it. This happens only when using a dialup connection to Internet (or PPPoE).

Adapter address changed from <IP Address>. Current address(es): <Current IP Addresses>.

After upgrading to 4.0.1D or E concentrator tries to authenticate users to the Base Group instead of the defined group.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0.1

Release 4.0.1 fixes the following issues that existed in earlier software releases:

When the vpnclient.ini has the setting, "StatefulFirewallAllowICMP=1", and StatefulFirewall (Always On) is suspended, then resumed, the Stateful Firewall does not allow ICMP traffic to pass unless the service is stopped and restarted.

Buttons in Certificates->Import/Export windows are truncated when using system Large Fonts (120dpi) setting.

IPSec over TCP and/or Split tunneling does not work on certain machines. This issue is the same as CSCdz51629, and CSCdy80016. For example, using a Sierra SMC2632W wireless card, and building a VPN tunnel to a PIX firewall, if split-tunneling is used, then no SAs are built for the networks in the split tunnel list, resulting in no traffic flow over the tunnel.

The VPN Client continually prompts for the password when using the following command line:

When installing Release 4.0 of the VPN Client on Japanese Windows 2000, the virtual adapter installer hangs.

This problem occurs only on the Windows version of the Release 4.0 VPN Client, not on non-Windows platforms or earlier versions of the VPN Client.

When a tunnel is established, the central site Concentrator could send a DNS domain to be used by the VPN Client by mode configuration. The VPN Client makes the changes to the system to use the DNS suffix pushed by the central-site Concentrator. This works fine, but when the tunnel is disconnected, the DNS suffix change that was made when the tunnel connected is not undone.

When the Cisco VPN Client disconnects, it logs the following message in a file called faultlog.txt, located in C:\Program Files\Cisco Systems\VPN 3000 Client:

27 22:50:50.401 04/27/03 Sev=Critical/1 CVPND/0xE3400001 Microsoft IPSec Policy Agent service started successfully

The message appears only when we disconnect the Client. The Client functions without any problems.

The level for this message should be changed and this file should probably be documented.

Caveats Resolved in Release 4.0

This section lists the caveats fixed since Release 3.6.3 (Windows) or Release 3.7.2 (Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X). If you have an account on CCO you can check the status of any caveat by using Bug Navigator II.

When using the VPN Client behind an ESP-aware NAT/Firewall, the port on the NAT/Firewall device may be closed due to the VPN Client's keepalive implementation, called DPD (Dead Peer Detection). When a Client is idle, it does not send a keepalive until it sends data and gets no response.

Refer to "Connection Profile Configuration Parameters" in the VPN Client Administrator Guide for a detailed description of creating profiles.

The VPN client cannot connect using digital certificates issued from an RSA Keon CA if the "Send CA certificate chain" option is selected. The feature defaults to disabled.

The Cisco VPN Client fails to connect while configured for digital certificates and posts the following error in the Log Viewer:

–

The received certificate is either expired or not valid yet. Check the time on the certificate.

A Restricted, Standard, or Limited user (Windows 2000) cannot install the VPN Client using the Windows Installer (MSI), even if elevated privileges are set for the user and the PC.

While using the Solaris VPN Client and its pppd 4.0 driver over PPPoE, the VPN Client can make a connection, but not pass any traffic.

Due to an initialization issue in the VPN Client code, the Solaris VPN Client cannot pass traffic if it is first used with a PPPoE connection exclusively. It must first have attempted an hme connection (even a failed one) to properly ready itself for the PPPoE connection.

The following Blue Screen failure might occur on a Windows NT-based PC that has the Sygate Personal Firewall installed and has had a VPN connection going for three or more days:

If a you install the Cisco VPN client and you are not a local administrator, but you are a domain user that has been added to the local administrator group, the install completes successfully, but you may get the error "VPN subsystem unavailable" when trying to use the VPN Client, and you will be unable to use the VPN Client.

If the user installing the VPN Client is a local administrator, then the error does not occur when running the VPN Client.

For the Cisco VPN Client version 3.6 and earlier, you had the ability to replace Company Name, Product Name, bitmaps, icons, and the folder in which the Client was installed. For the new version 4.0 VPN Client this capability has changed somewhat.

If you select "Delete" from within the Certificate tab, you are prompted with the following message: "Are you sure you want to delete the certificate?" In that window, there is an 'X' in the upper right corner. Clicking the 'X' to close out the window instead of pressing one of the buttons, deletes the digital certificate.

In the Release 3.7 VPN Client GUI, the Certificate enrollment dialog where the user enters the DN information should include the DN field abbreviations after the field names in parenthesis; for example, "Common Name (CN):" or "Department (OU):" since much of the product documentation makes reference to "OU" for group selection.

In the Release 3.7 VPN Client MacOS X GUI, the Certificates tab has a "Validity" tab. For a digital certificate that is not valid yet, it shows "invalid: expired on Jun 4, 2003 14:15:49" where it should display something like "not valid until <date> <time>" or at a minimum just state "expired or not valid yet" without the date and time to not be misleading.

The Release 4.0 VPN Client cannot currently import a Microsoft CAPI based certificate directly into the Cisco certificate store. The certificate must be manually exported from Microsoft Internet Explorer and then imported into the Cisco certificate store.

The Release 4.0 VPN Client prompts you to insert your Smartcard when loading even though you are not using certificates with the VPN Client.

In this case, the VPN Client is installed on a PC with Smartcard-based certificates or Entrust Entelligence-based certificates. The VPN Client attempts to enumerate the list of installed certificates, including ones that are Smartcard- or Entelligence-based and may prompt the user.

On the Release 3.7 VPN Client Mac GUI, on a new installation of the VPN Client, the "Edit Settings" button launches the "Logging Options" window. When you do this, all logging levels are set to 3 by default. However, the vpnclient.ini logging levels are set to one. The default button is "Cancel". If a customer presses the Enter key, the levels stay at 1.

Using the Release 3.7 VPN Client, there is a parameter in the pcf files that controls whether the VPN Client allows the use of split DNS when connected. This value should default to 1, which means enabled. It currently defaults to 0, which makes the feature appear broken. Setting it to 1 in the pcf allows split DNS to function.

This issue applies only to the Release 4.0 VPN Client and only with Virtual Adapter (Windows 2000 and Windows XP). The VPN Client's local network happens to be of the same IP subnet as the remote private network. When a VPN connection is up data meant for the private network stays local; for example, 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0

In a Windows 2000 or Windows XP environment, if the public network matches the private network (for example, a public IP address of 192.168.1.5, with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0, and an identical private IP address) and the public network's route metric is 1, then traffic might not be tunneled to the private network. The same problem can occur if you are using a virtual adapter and the public metric is smaller than the virtual adapter metric.

If the parameter "StatefulFirewallAllowTunnelTraffic=0" is placed into the the [main] section of the vpnclient.ini and Stateful Firewall (Always On) is enabled, no inbound or outbound tunneled traffic will pass. Either remove this setting from the vpnclient.ini or set it to "=1".

If you attempt to Import a Connection Entry with the same name as one that already exists, you are asked if you would like to overwrite the existing entry. If you choose to overwrite the entry, an error appears and the entry is not overwritten.

For Release 4.0, Beta release 1, the Cisco VPN Client does not coexist with the Nortel VPN client. When version 4.0 Cisco VPN Client is installed on a system running an existing third party VPN client (for example, the Nortel client - not Microsoft), a conflict occurs with the services started by Cisco. This prevents other clients from successfully establishing remote access sessions.

The Release 4.0 VPN Client Statistics | Routes dialog displays a 0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0 entry even during a split tunnel connection.

This occurs only if the VPN Client has made an all-or-nothing connection prior to the split tunnel connection without exiting the VPN Client application between connections.

If you try to delete a personal Certificate, you are prompted only for the Certificate password, then the certificate is deleted. You are not given a second chance message like other certificates (root, subordinate, etc) where it says "Are you sure you want to delete the certificate?"

The Release 4.0 VPN Client, when using the virtual adapter (Windows 2000/Windows XP only) and Split DNS feature, might send all DNS requests over the VPN tunnel.

Due to the addition of the virtual adapter in the Release 4.0 VPN Client, Split DNS functionality now partially depends on the Windows operating systems to choose the correct pass for DNS requests. DNS requests meant only for the VPN are sent only through the VPN. DNS requests that do not match the VPN domain suffixes will also go through the VPN when they should not.

Uninstalling the VPN Client using the Microsoft Installer (MSI) does not detect that the VPN Client is connected and the uninstall completes. We highly recommend you disconnect and exit the VPN Client before uninstalling.

This issue occurs only if VPNGUI.EXE is hidden; that is, it is configured under Options | Preferences to "Hide upon connect" and you have the Client connected, or have just disconnected and it is still in the systray. Any time the GUI is open (unhidden) and an MSI uninstall is started, the presence of the VPN Client prevents you from uninstalling.

Unable to pass data after disconnecting the Release 4.0 VPN Client on Windows 2000 or Windows XP. The Release 4.0 VPN Client has a virtual adapter that could have failed to disable after disconnecting.

When Start Before Logon is configured on the VPN Client on Windows XP, and you install the Release 4.0 VPN Client, upon reboot you will see the following message for 1-2 minutes:

"System initialization in progress. Creating a secure connection to your network requires that MS networking be allowed to complete its initialization. If you do not wish to create a VPN connection to a remote network, you may click the CANCEL button..."

On subsequent reboots you will see this message, but it stays on the screen for only 5-10 seconds instead of minutes.

This problem also occur on Windows 2000, but a little differently. After installing and rebooting, and before you see the dialog that prompts you to press CTRL-ALT-DEL, you see a window that says "Preparing network connections...". During this time, there is a 1-2 minute delay which goes away after subsequent reboots.

The Release 4.0 VPN Client on Windows 2000 or Windows XP can connect but cannot pass data. This problem occurs only with the Windows 2000 or Windows XP when the VPN Client is connecting from an IP subnet that matches or closely resembles the private network that it is making the VPN connection to.

This is most commonly seen in an environment where the VPN Client is behind a NAT device that is using a common private IP address range like 10.x.x.x.

The feature that was added in Release 3.6.2 called "Automatic logoff after VPN" does not currently work in v4.0.

This feature replaced Start before Logon for some users. It allows a user to establish a VPN connection first, and then the user is automatically logged out and the VPN connection is maintained. This allows the user to log into the Domain during the VPN connection, without the need for a custom GINA to be installed.

When installing The VPN Client for Mac, version 4.0.int_73 over top of an earlier version of the VPN Client, it fails to unload the old NKE and load the new one.

If you are upgrading from an earlier 4.0 version, "kextstat|grep cisco" returns nothing and returns you to a prompt. If you are upgrading from a 3.7.x VPN Client, "kextstat | grep cisco" returns both the old NKE and the new one.

If you are upgrading from a previous 4.0 VPN Client, re-running the installer loads the NKE correctly.

Uninstalling the earlier version before installing the new version also works correctly.

When using a Digital Certificate for VPN Client connections, there is no indication that your Certificate is about to expire. In previous versions of the VPN Client, 30 days before the certificate was set to expire, a message would pop up upon connection stating that your Certificate would expire soon.

The InstallShield version of the 4.0 VPN Client, as well as 3.6 versions, do NOT detect an existing Cisco IT 3.5(A) VPN Client is installed on your PC and will install the new version right on top of old one. The VPN Client REQUIRES the old version to be uninstalled first or else the new installation may not properly update required files.

If you are a Cisco employee, you MUST first check to see if you have the Cisco IT 3.5(A) version of the VPN Client installed and manually uninstall it before installing the 4.0 VPN Client.

The 4.0 VPN Client feature, Delete-with-Reason, does not work in the Beta release 1 version.

The Virtual Adapter in the Release 4.0 VPN Client does not appear in the Cisco SetMTU utility.

The Release 4.0 VPN Client is launched and the splash screen appears briefly, but the VPN Client dialog doesn't appear for approximately one minute, along with the following error:

The necessary VPN sub-system is not available. You can not connect to the remote VPN server.

If logging is started from the command line application Ipseclog.exe, the VPN Client GUI does not display any events in its log. Do not start Ipseclog.exe in a separate window if you intend to use the VPN Client Graphical User Interface (GUI). Use Ipseclog.exe only when using the VPN Client command line (vpnclient.exe) option.

Some of the VPN Client dialogs show a question mark (?) in the upper-right corner, which is usually an indication of context sensitive help using Windows Help. The VPN Client does not use Windows Help and therefore these question marks do not bring up any available help for that dialog.

The Virtual Adapter keeps its interface data from the VPN connection even after it is disconnected. The interface is disabled correctly but the IP address, mask, DG, DNS and WINs are all visible by looking at the adapter properties. This data should be cleared out after disconnecting.

On the VPN Client for Mac, the Release 4.0 VPN Client banner is smaller than the 3.x VPN Client banner and may not display your entire banner and your users may have to use the scroll bar to see the entire message.

VPN Client connections using IPSec over TCP do not see the status bar update when the VPN Client attempts a connection to one of the configured backup servers.

If the Ethernet interface loses link during a VPN Client connection, the following bogus error message appears:

When using Start before Logon and a connection entry with a Microsoft digital certificate, you see an error indicating the certificate cannot be used. After the error message occurs, the VPN Client still displays the button [Cancel Connect] instead of [Connect]. Simply choose another connection entry and click [Cancel Connect] to attempt another connection. In this state, the [Cancel Connect] button functions as if it were the [Connect] button.

The Force Network Login feature (also known as Netlogin or Automatic logoff) does not currently display any events in the VPN Client Event log.

The VPN Client Banner has a feature that will require the user to scroll down to read the entire banner before continuing. This happens only if the Banner has a lot of text and is many lines long. On slower PCs, this feature does not work in some cases, and they can to continue connecting without reading all the banner text.

Using Start before Logon, if you press ENTER to try to connect, depending on what TAB you left the VPN Client in last time, it either does nothing or shows a Cert View for one of your Certificates. You must click Connect to establish a VPN connection.

The VPN Client does not add the Loopback address (127.0.0.1) to ZoneAlarm or ZoneAlarm Pro's Trusted Zone.

The VPN Client for Mac, Release 4.0 Beta 2, does not work on a system running OS X 10.1.5.

On Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP if the VPN Client loses its connection or fails to connect it might leave the virtual adapter enabled and cause network connectivity problems.

After losing the client connection or failing to connect the PC cannot communicate on the network. The output of an ipconfig /all command shows the virtual adapter as one of the PC's active interfaces.

After connecting and disconnecting multiple times, the ability to connect might be lost, and the following error might occur on a Windows NT 4.0 SP6 system:

"The necessary VPN sub-system is not available. You can not connect to the remote VPN server."

High levels of VPN Client log activity might cause periods of sluggish client performance. This is most likely to happen when log levels are set to 3-HIGH and many events are being generated. An example would be having all event classes set to 3-HIGH, and while connecting, the large amount of IKE events may cause the VPN Client to "hang" for a period of time.

The VPN Client event log displays the following events on Windows 2000 and/or Windows XP systems:

These events will only appear on operating systems that use the Virtual Adapter (Windows 2000 and Windows XP).

When connecting the Release 4.0 Cisco VPN Client to an IOS VPN gateway, the VPN Client might initiate multiple IKE rekeys and then disconnect.

Upgrading the Release 4.0 VPN Client using InstallShield on a Windows NT system might result in the VPN Client failing to connect. If the connection fails, the VPN Client displays the following event message:

This problem occurs only after an upgrade with InstallShield, not after a clean installation. This problem should not be an issue when using the VPN Client's MSI-based install. If you encounter this problem, uninstall the VPN Client, reboot the PC, then the reinstall the VPN Client.

When the Release 4.0 VPN Concentrator is configured to send Alerts (Delete with Reason (DWR) messages) and the Release 4.0 VPN Client is configured to Auto Initiate, the Client does not suppress DWR messages and the user must click OK to clear the message to allow Auto Initiation to continue. This behavior is different from the Release 3.6 VPN Client, which does not display disconnect messages when Auto Initiation is in use.

This occurs only when using a Release 4.0 VPN Concentrator and a Release 4.0 VPN Client.

Documentation Updates

The following VPN Client documentation has been updated for Release 4.0. These documents contain information for all platforms on which the VPN Client runs:

The most recent information specifically for the VPN Client for Linux, Solaris, and Mac OS X is in the following document, which was not updated for Release 4.0:

Documentation Corrections

The following corrections have been made since publication of the documentation.

Outlook/Exchange Polling Behavior

In the VPN Client Administrator Guide, Release 4.0, on page 2-7, in Table 2-1, "vpnclient.ini file parameters," make the following change to the information in the Values column for the OutlookNotify parameter. This parameter controls Microsoft Outlook to Microsoft Exchange polling behavior:

0 = Enable (Default)—Outlook polls every minute for new mail notifications. This might cause Outlook Folder Synchronization issues. The default state, if OutlookNotify is not present in the vpnclient.ini file, is Enable.

1 = Disable—Prevent the VPN Client from forcing Outlook to poll for new mail, thus avoiding the synchronization process. In this case, new mail is detected only on a background 30 minute polling cycle, or when the user initiates a manual send/receive or switches between folders.

Removing a VPN Client Version Installed with MSI Installer

In VPN Client User Guide for Windows, Release 4.0, in the section "Removing a VPN Client Version Installed with MSI Installer," (page 2-8 in the hard-copy edition), in Steps 4 and 5, remove Figures 2-8 and 2-9 and the text references to these figures. These dialog boxes do not appear when uninstalling the VPN Client using the MSI Installer.

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