I just had the experience of bringing up an RV340 VPN Router with the express need for supporting client-to-site VPN capability. I've been using Cisco small business routers for nearly 2 decades but rarely for supporting VPNs and never for client-to-site. I don't know what to call my level of experience: an "experienced noob"? As part of the process of researching and learning, I ran into a nightmare regarding licensing. It now appears that much of this effort wasn't needed even though there were many Cisco documents saying that various licenses were needed and under circumstances equal to ours.
In the end, answers were made more evident by the tried and true "cut and try" method with the router - and yet, this didn't do the trick either.
The biggest recommendation that I might make while this is all fresh in mind is this:
The User Manuals (and the device Help pages) are essentially "how to" documents. Yet, there is no mention of licensing or, if there is, it isn't very helpful if one can find it. Further, if a license is needed, there is no ordering information. And, because one must go to a distributor, they have to know what to ask for rather specifically. The user manuals would be *much* better if they included notes such as:
Setting Up a VPN (section)
"Before configuring the router and clients to create VPN tunnels, note that some situations require licensing either on the router or at the client computer"
(Here, be clear about WHICH end needs the license and how the license will be delivered. For example:
The router requires a license which can be downloaded directly from the router GUI: Licenses / ...
- License xyz is needed for .....
- License pdq is needed for ....
Clients require licenses (or not):
- License abc is needed for Cisco AnyConnect clients
- 3rd party clients require no Cisco licenses on the clients but may require 3rd party licenses.
In every case, abc, pdq and xyz need to be real product descriptions. Otherwise everyone will waste a lot of time and the system for doing this isn't "perfected" shall we say?
I was stuck making no progress in my own endeavor until I got lucky and put in contact with a VERY helpful Cisco tech support guy. After that it was all so easy!! But, making that contact was like Alice Through the Looking Glass - truly.
So, this suggestion addresses a very real need. Documentation is a big deal.
