Cisco VPN Client over wireless home networks

[rajesh444]

Hi,

We have received several complaints from users that have wireless networks at home authenticating to a VPN Concentrator[ver 4.1.2] using VPN Client[ver 4.0.5]. The authentication and login succeed but no data transfer happens subsequently [Under Client statistics, IPSec traffic gets bypassed and packets get transmitted but never received].

We have also noticed that when users disable the WEP/TKIP encryption settings on the routers & wireless network adapaters this doesn't happen. This problem has occured over wireless routers from different vendors including D-Link, NetGear & Apple's Airport Extreme leading us to believe it might not be the wireless routers or their firmware but the VPN Client. However, I haven't come across any bugs on CCO for this.

Has anyone else experienced the same problem?

Thanks,

Rajesh

[thisisshanky]

Rajesh,

Are the wireless client adapters Cisco ones or onboard adapaters on laptops. Do they run Windows XP SP 2 ?

[rajesh444]

The wireless client adapters are not integrated; they are mostly Linksys & D-Link. Half of the users run XP with SP-2 & the other half run SP-1.

Thanks,

Rajesh

[thisisshanky]

With WEP on, try setting MTU using Set MTU utility and see if that helps at all. You should be able to find it in Start Menu -> Programs -> Cisco VPN Client (menu)..

I have a Cisco aironet client card, associated to a 2wire wireless AP, running 128 bit WEP. Running VPN client 4.05c to a 3600 router, works great..What exact release of 4.05 do you have (a,b,c etc..)..

[rajesh444]

We have not experienced any problems either with VPN over Cisco APs. It is only with the home-brand wireless routers. The VPN Client version is just 4.0.5[released July, 2004].

Thanks,

Rajesh

[thisisshanky]

Ok..like I suggested above, try reducing MTU size using setMTU and see if that helps!!!

[mostiguy]

Did they install the wireless NIC drivers after installing the cisco client? Sometimes when things are installed in this order, the deterministic network enhanced that cisco installs does not get bound to the newly installed NIC.