windows - HTTP SSL VPN Client? (alternative to Cisco's AnyConnect VPN)

27
2013-10
  • Ian Boyd

    Is there any free HTTP SSL VPN clients around, one that can act as an alternative to Cisco's own HTTP SSL VPN client (called AnyConnect)?

    The Cisco AnyConnect client has acknowledged problems, with no forthcoming solutions. Which is why I'm hoping for an alternative.

    Note: I'm only talking about the HTTP SSL VPN Client, not the HTTP SSL VPN Server. (If it were up to me they wouldn't be using Cisco at all, but it's not up to me.)

    Note: OpenVPN is a client that talks to their servers once you sign up for their service. It's not a generic VPN client.

    Note: ShrewSoft VPN is a client that uses IPsec and pre-shared keys, and was a good replacement for Cisco's old client - but not the new AnyConnect SSL VPN client.

    Note: Windows 7's VPN client fails to negotiate when presented with an SSL VPN connection.

    Note: I am looking for Windows clients only.

    • Answers
  • Paul

    While there isn't a port "yet", the authors of OpenConnect seem to think it would be straightforward.

    There is discussion of a port here.

    Perhaps it would be worth investing the time to get it working given Cisco's response.


    • Related Question

    Configuring Windows VPN Connection from Cisco AnyConnect
  • Oliver Hanappi

    I don't know if it is possible but I would like to configure a Windows 7 VPN connection in a way that I can connect to a network which I normally reach by using Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client. Does Cisco use a protocol which Windows 7 understands also and where can I find the configuration details of the VPN connection?

    If you wonder why I'm trying to do this: I need to connect via VPN to several different networks from different companies/organizations/universities and each one uses its own VPN client. I don't want my computer to have 5 VPN clients installed, therefore I'm trying to replace them with simple Windows VPN connections.


    • Related Answers
  • Joey

    That greatly depends on the configuration of the server. Cisco Concentrators can speak PPTP which works on nearly every version of Windows, but it's costly in terms of performance. The number of possible connections drops to about a tenth for the server so this is rarely activated.

    Furthermore there seems to be an option to enable L2TP. The documentation states that but at least for our university here no one figured out how to enable it and set it up.

    You would have to ask the person maintaining the server whether one of the above options apply.

    For the "usual" Cisco IPSec over UDP there is no native option in Windows, unfortunately.