16.4.2.2. Push options

Push options are settings that the remote clients can download from PNS when the VPN tunnel is built.

Configuring global push options

Figure 16.20. Configuring global push options

To set push options that apply for every remote endpoint of the selected VPN connection, double-click the <default> entry.

Configuring push options

Figure 16.21. Configuring push options

The following push options can be set on the Push options tab:

  • Domain: The domain of the network.

  • DNS: Address of the Domain Name Server (DNS).

  • WINS: Address of the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Server.

  • NBDD: Address of the NetBIOS Datagram Distribution (NBDD) Server.

  • NBT: Type of the NetBIOS over TCP/IP node. Enter the number corresponding to the selected mode:

    • 1: Send broadcast messages.

    • 2: Send point-to-point name queries to a WINS server.

    • 4: Send broadcast message and then query the nameserver.

    • 8: Query name server and then send broadcast message.

  • Redirect gateway: Sends every network traffic of the remote endpoint through the VPN tunnel. See Section The Redirect gateway option for details.

    Note

    Using the Redirect gateway option means that the remote client will have access only to the services permitted by PNS for the VPN tunnel when the VPN tunnel is active. For example, the client will not be able to surf the Internet using HTTP if PNS allows only POP3 services for the clients connected using the VPN.

  • Explicit exit notify: The remote endpoint sends a message to PNS before closing the VPN tunnel. If this option is disabled, PNS does not immediately notice that an endpoint became unavailable, and error messages might appear in the PNS logs.

  • Additional options: This option is available only in PNS 3.4 or later. Enter any additional push options you need to set here. Options entered here are automatically appended to the end of the .ccd file of the VPN tunnel. This option can be used for example to set the iroute parameter.

  • Route: Add routing entries for the remote endpoint. These routing entries determine which networks protected by PNS are accessible from the remote endpoint.

To set push options for a specific remote endpoint, click New and select the certificate of the remote endpoint.

Note

Alternatively, you can enter the Unique Name of the endpoint certificate into the Cert field. That way, certificates not available in the PNS PKI system can be used as well. This option is available only in PNS 3.4 or later.

Configuring client-specific push options

Figure 16.22. Configuring client-specific push options

In this case, the IP addresses visible in the tunnel can also be set, so you an assign a fixed IP address to the client using the Local parameter. Note that the Local and Remote directions are from the client's perspective: Local is the remote client's IP address in the VPN tunnel, while Remote is the IP address of PNS in the VPN tunnel.

When assigning fixed IP addresses to Windows clients, remember that every Windows client needs a /30 netmask (4 IP addresses). For every client, use an IP pair of the following list as the last octet of the Local and Remote IP addresses:

[  1,  2] [  5,  6] [  9, 10] [ 13, 14] [ 17, 18]
[ 21, 22] [ 25, 26] [ 29, 30] [ 33, 34] [ 37, 38]
[ 41, 42] [ 45, 46] [ 49, 50] [ 53, 54] [ 57, 58]
[ 61, 62] [ 65, 66] [ 69, 70] [ 73, 74] [ 77, 78]
[ 81, 82] [ 85, 86] [ 89, 90] [ 93, 94] [ 97, 98]
[101,102] [105,106] [109,110] [113,114] [117,118]
[121,122] [125,126] [129,130] [133,134] [137,138]
[141,142] [145,146] [149,150] [153,154] [157,158]
[161,162] [165,166] [169,170] [173,174] [177,178]
[181,182] [185,186] [189,190] [193,194] [197,198]
[201,202] [205,206] [209,210] [213,214] [217,218]
[221,222] [225,226] [229,230] [233,234] [237,238]
[241,242] [245,246] [249,250] [253,254]
The Redirect gateway option

Enabling the Redirect gateway push-option overrides the default gateway settings of the remote endpoint and sends every network traffic of the remote endpoint through the VPN tunnel. The remote endpoint can only access the Internet through the VPN tunnel. That way PNS can control what kind of communication (protocols, and so on) can the remote client use while connected to the internal network using the VPN tunnel.

Normal routing

Figure 16.23. Normal routing

Using the Redirect gateway option

Figure 16.24. Using the Redirect gateway option

The following flags can be set for the Redirect gateway option, with the Def1 being set as default:Redirect gateway flags are available only in PNS 3.4 or later.

  • Local: Select this option if the end-points of the VPN tunnel are directly connected through a common subnet, such as wireless. Note that in this case PNS does not create a static route for the remote address of the tunnel.

  • Bypass DHCP: Select this option to add a direct route to the DHCP server (if it is non-local) which bypasses the VPN tunnel.

  • Def1: Select this option to override the default gateway by using 0.0.0.0/1 and 128.0.0.0/1 instead of 0.0.0.0/0. That way the original default gateway is overridden but not deleted.

  • Bypass DNS: Select this option to add a direct route to the DNS server(s) (if it is non-local) which bypasses the VPN tunnel.