Configure and Use L2TP on Windows 7

Windows 7 include a native VPN client. You can use the Windows 7 VPN client to make an L2TP VPN connection to a Firebox.

Configure the L2TP Connection

To prepare a Windows 7 computer to make an L2TP VPN connection, you must configure the L2TP connection in the network settings.

The exact steps could be slightly different, depending on your Control Panel view, and your existing configuration.

From the Windows Desktop of the client computer:

1. From the Windows Start menu, open Control Panel.
   
2. Click Network and Internet.
   
3. In the right pane, click Network and Sharing Center.
   The Network and Sharing Center appears.
   
4. Select Set up a new connection or network
   The New Connection Wizard starts.
5. Click Connect to a workplace and click Next.
   The Connect to a workplace page appears.
6. If your computer has an existing workplace connection, select No, create a new connection and click Next.
   The How do you want to connect page appears.
7. Click Use my Internet connection (VPN).
   The Type the Internet address to connect to page appears.
8. In the Internet address text box, type the hostname or IP address of the Firebox external interface.
9. In the Destination name text box, type a name for the Mobile VPN (such as "L2TP to XTM").
10. Select whether you want other people to be able to use this connection.
11. Select the Don’t connect now; just set it up so I can connect later check box so that the client computer does not try to connect at this time.
12. Click Next.
    The Type your user name and password page appears.
13. Type the User name and Password for this client.
14. Click Create.
15. Click Close.
16. Click Connect to a Network.
    A list of the configured VPN connections appears.
17. Select the name of the VPN connection you just created. Click Connect.
    The Connect dialog box appears.
18. Click Properties to edit other properties for this connection.
    The Properties dialog box appears.
19. The General tab contains the hostname or IP address you provided in the New Connection Wizard. You do not need to change anything on this tab unless the IP address of your Firebox changes.
20. Select the Options tab.
21. (Optional) If you do not want the Connect dialog box to provide a text box where the user can type a domain name, clear the Windows logon domain check box.
    When this check box is cleared, the Connect dialog box asks only for a user name and password.
22. (Optional) To enable software compression, click PPP Settings. Select the Enable software compression check box.
23. Select the Security tab.
24. From the Type of VPN drop-down list, select Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol with IPsec (L2TP/IPSec).
25. From the Data encryption drop-down list, select Require encryption.
26. Select Microsoft CHAP Version 2 as the only allowed protocol.
27. Click Advanced settings.
    The Advanced Properties dialog box appears.
28. If Mobile VPN with L2TP on the Firebox is configured to use a pre-shared key as the IPSec credential method:
    1. Select Use pre-shared key for authentication.
    2. In the Key text box, type the pre-shared key for this tunnel. The pre-shared key must match the pre-shared key configured on the Firebox Mobile VPN with L2TP IPSec settings.
29. If Mobile VPN with L2TP on the Firebox is configured to use a certificate as the IPSec credential method:
    1. Select Use certificate for authentication.
    2. Make sure the Verify the Name and Usage attributes of the servers certificate check box is selected.
    3. Make sure you have imported the certificate to the client device. For more information, see Import a Certificate on a Client Device
30. Click OK.
31. Do not change the default settings on the Networking tab.
32. Click OK.

Start the L2TP Connection

The name of the VPN connection is the destination name you used when you configured the L2TP connection on the client computer. The user name and password refers to one of the users you added to the L2TP-Users group. For more information, see About L2TP User Authentication.

Before you begin, make sure the client computer has an active connection to the Internet.

1. From the Windows Start menu, open Control Panel.
   
2. Click Network and Internet.
   
3. In the right pane, click Network and Sharing Center.
   The Network and Sharing Center appears.
   
4. Select Connect to a network
   A list of configured network connections appears.
5. In the connection list, select the name of this VPN connection. Click Connect.
6. Type your user name and password.
7. Click Connect.

For information about how to specify the non-default authentication server when you connect, see Connect from an L2TP VPN Client.

See Also 

Internet Access Through a Mobile VPN with L2TP Tunnel

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