How to Preset an Initial Connection in Your SonicWALL VPN Client Installation

When you first install the SonicWALL Global VPN Client (or GVC) application and run it, the GVC wizard will prompt for the address of your SonicWALL Internet appliance. By this time, it should already have a VPN client license activated.

If you or your end user then types the wrong IP address or DNS name or your SonicWALL appliance does not have a valid and active VPN Client license, your VPN client will lock you out with an error message that it is not registered and that you will need to reinstall it. After acknowledging this message, it will exit. Further attempts to start your VPN client will be met with the same error message, and your only recourse will be to reinstall it and type the correct IP address or DNS name.
But wait: You could follow these instructions and give yourself and your user a much smoother ride. Not to mention the fact that you will look like a hero and every bit the competent professional you are.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The computer where this software will be installed
• Your VPN client installation files, with your configuration file as created in Section 1
• A network connection that allows the computer to reach the WAN port of the SonicWALL you will connect to

Creating your VPN configuration file

1. 
   SonicWALL Web Interface in Trusted Sites

   Use Internet Explorer to make sure your SonicWALL web management interface is in the Trusted Sites so popups are enabled and downloads are trusted.
   This will spare you grief when saving its VPN configuration file.

2. 
   VPN Menu

   Log into your SonicWALL. Make sure the VPN menu on the left-hand side of your screen is open.

3. 
   GroupVPN

   On the selections below the VPN menu, make sure "Settings" is selected. There will be one or more VPN policies on the main screen. The one most commonly used is called GroupVPN. You can create one and give it your favorite name, but we will use GroupVPN from here on.

4. 
   Export VPN Client Policy

   On the right-hand side of GroupVPN, under the Config title, there is a slanted disk icon. Click it, and a popup will come up (include this site among your Trusted Sites). Accept the .rcf format and click "Yes" to export this policy.

5. 
   VPN Client Policy Export Password

   Answer "No" to a second popup, which will prompt for a password. On the next warning confirm your choice by clicking "OK." You could set a password, but I have not tested what happens on install.

6. 
   Rename the file before saving it.

   Save this VPN configuration file at the folder with your VPN installation files, but change its name to default.rcf. If you put any other name or save it with its default name, the VPN client will not be preset.

Installing your Global VPN Client

7. Make sure you can reach your SonicWALL through its WAN port before attempting this section. In most situations, this means you must be able to connect to it from the Internet. If you have enabled your SonicWALL web interface for the WAN port (by default it is not), you can simply bring it up. If you can get to the login screen, then you can attempt our next steps. Your end user can also try this if need be.

8. Navigate to your VPN client installation files, and click "Setup." Answer prompts as usual. It is a good idea to copy the installation files to a folder on the computer hard disk before starting the install. That way, you or your end user can easily reinstall them if need be.

9. Once the client is installed, you can start it. As before, it will come up with a wizard to create a connection. This time, however, its main window will also be there, behind the wizard, and will have your VPN connection already there. You can now safely abort the wizard.

10. Test your VPN connection by activating (or enabling) it.

Tips & Warnings

• The lockout issue mentioned in this article will only happen if it is the very first time you install the SonicWALL VPN client. Uninstalling a previously working SonicWALL VPN client and reinstalling it will not cause a lockout even if you enter the wrong address.
• You can simply reinstall your SonicWALL VPN client without uninstalling it first, and it will take your preconfigured VPN connection in the process.
• This procedure does work if you are on the LAN side of your SonicWALL and adjust your VPN configuration file accordingly. To me this is useless for two reasons: you will not form a VPN tunnel successfully on the LAN side, and you will have to fumble with your VPN settings again to connect to the WAN side of your SonicWALL appliance. Your VPN client installation will be successful nonetheless.
• This procedure has been tested with version 4.0.0.830. Versions 3 and earlier might not support it.

Resources

• SonicWALL website