Cisco Client VPN Connection Problem

[carynewedge]

I am trying for the first time to connect to my company's VPN. I keep getting the following message and am unable to connect. I have verified that I am using the correct user name and password. Is there a setting or step I may have missed? I am using a Motorola Surboard cable modem.

Initializing the IPSec link...

Contacting the security gateway at

Contacting the security gateway at

Authenticating user...

Contacting the security gateway at

Secure VPN Connection terminated locally by the Client.

Reason 413: User authentication failed.

Not connected.

[ehirsel]

Contact your org's tech support and inquire about the messages that the vpn gateway that get written when you fail to connect. If there is more than one authentication server on the back side, you could be authenticating against the wrong one. Also validate with them the connection profile configuration.

One item that is easily overlooked is entering your password with the caps lock and/or num lock keys on. Make sure that they are off when entering the password (and userid too; though ususally only the password is case sensitive it won't hurt to have them off when entering the username).

Let me know what you find.

[carynewedge]

My network administrator set up the connection profile on my computer. I have verified the user name and password when I look onto my company's webmail site my user name and password work just fine. Could there be an issue with the cable modem maybe a dynamic IP address issue?

[carynewedge]

There is only server on the back side, I confirmed the IP address I am trying to connect to. My question is I am using a cable modem for the first time to connect to the Internet are there any special settings or configuration issues I should be aware of? My network administrator set up my desktop configuration. When I log on to my company's web mail site I am using the same user name and password and am logging in with no problem.

[pkapoor]

From the error message, it seems that the connection profile is OK because you are at least getting to the user authentication prompt.

This is a VPN server-side issue. What you need to find out is what kind of authentication the VPN server has been configured for. Some options are:

1. Using a local user database configured on the VPN server itself.

2. Using an AAA server to authenticate the user.

3. Using Windows Active Directory / Kerberos authentication and authentication to a Windows domain controller.

If you can find out which one of the auth methods is being used, I can give you more insight into where you can look for the issue.

What the VPN server admin may also have to do is debug the connection on the VPN server when you are using your user login. The server will be able to give more information into why the authentication is failing.

Oh! And please find out what the VPN server is. Is it a Cisco device. If yes, then what device is it exactly. That will help me tell you what debugs may need to be run on the VPN server.