Help finding 1 pfsense vpn mode for all x86/x64 Windows Vista+ boxen
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Hi All– Great effort and usual kudos!
I'm looking for help to identify one pfsense vpn server and one (hopefully native) vpn client type in hopes of easing support stress. PFsense -> home-desktop/laptop Linux/*Bsd world is easy. I need help picking "the one" for Windows Vista+, I've failed so far though I've tried.
I tried openVPN which seemed on most great, except total client install lockup fail on Vista x64/amd64 (driver signing issues?). Had it installed on all Vista/Win 7 I could have overlooked the scale stress. Anyone overcome that? I saw some hackish install workarounds that didn't work when I tried them on x64 Vista.
PPTP appears broadly supported, but now broadly insecure and cracked. Didn't try it, has that been fixed?
PFSense L2TP not secure as I understand it, so not an option.
Last hope: Pfsense IPSec: Am I correct that these boards explain even as late as Sept 2012 no native Windows Vista/7 L2TP/IPSEC mode or IKEv2 mode has a prayer of working with pfsense? I see Android / mobile has a pfsense ipsec tutorial, but home-office desktops and road warrior laptops is "gotta have", the pad/phone capability is 'would be nice'.
First best: PFSense vpn + "native software only on Windows Vista/7". I've looked, I've tried, no joy. Help!
Second best: PFSense + "Just One Software add on to Windows Vista/7 x86/x65". OpenVPN x64/Vista install fail. Shrewsoft has a latest build date of Oct 2010 -- can I count on that across x64/x86 Vista/7 two years later?
Third best: Some mishmash various package support nightmare. The Third Rail.
Help Please!!
Harry Coin
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OpenVPN should work any/everywhere on Windows. I've never heard of anyone having an install issue on Vista… Are you using the client from the OpenVPN client export package?
There is a 2.3 beta client in the latest version of the export package, which should work.
Note that you may still want/need to use the x86/i386 version of the OpenVPN client even on an x64 windows install. It works fine. the 2.3 client in some cases also doesn't need Administrator rights. (It works fine for me without them, but others have reported they still needed to run the client as Admin)
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Third best: Some mishmash various package support nightmare. The Third Rail.
It doesn't seem to be easy to find a VPN technology that works across the spectrum for roadwarriors, much less to be "natively" supported by all laptop/tablet/smartphone platforms (i.e. no install of 3rd party utils needed). So it seems that, after ruling out PPTP, one will need a combination of IPsec (iPhone) and OpenVPN (Android, Windows).
Whether the upcoming OpenVPN 2.3 will solve the UAC issues remains to be seen …
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Thanks! The i386/x32 version 2.2 did install on amd64/x64 vista, the one bundled in the pfsense exporter. No x64 version from the openvpn website installed.
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I had issues with their x64 versions as well, I had planned on including a 2.3 beta x64 build in the exporter (the code is actually all there, and the client binary too) but their installed didn't actually function properly. It would give registry errors and/or fail to import the config. But the 32-bit works great.