HOWTO set up Juniper Network Connect VPN on Ubuntu Dapper

[madscientist]

I don't think NC works well with the "free" gij Java implementation that comes with Ubuntu by default. You should install Sun's Java instead. Use Synaptic to search for sun-java6-jre and install it, or else from the command line use:

sudo aptitude install sun-java6-jre

(enter your password when asked). Hopefully when you do this it will become the default Java install. If you continue to get the same error, post and I'll tell you have to change the default using the "alternatives" feature of the system.

[w.kazimierczak]

I am using Ubuntu 8.04 an madscientist's script to connect to a vpn. It works for awhile (usually 30s or so) and then the connection dies. My ssh session freezes.
[...]
I finally found out the problem. Its fix was pretty simple. My home network had an IP address collision with the VPN's remote network, so I set my home network to use a new RFC 1918 private IP range. All packets that were supposed to go to my home router were being routed straight to a machine at the other end of the VPN. It took a while for the routing table to enable the routes that the VPN adds, so that might explain why the VPN worked for a few seconds then died. I'm puzzled why this problem just showed up after I upgraded to 8.04 from 7.10 though.

I have a similar issue, but with a few differences and I can't find any solution:

• VPN connection hangs after 20-40 seconds
• same results when using madscientist script and normal (web) network connect access, but it works under Windows on the same machine
• the problem appears only if I'm behind my home firewall (Asus wireless router, but I've observed it also once with another type of cheap wireless router)
• my LAN is in RFC 1918 private range (i've tried two different ranges), but corporate network isn't (it's 166.30/8)
• I couldn't find any interesting logs (nor system, neither ncsvc.log) at the moment when the other side stops responding to pings
• the problem appeared just after upgrading from 7.10 to 8.04

After 10-20 additional seconds there's only keep-alive restart in ncsvc.log:

ipsec.info Restarting keep-alives (engine.cpp:336)
ipsec.warn keep alive failed for ESP tunnel in:0x...
ipsec.warn Cleaning up sa 0x... (esp.cpp:58)
ipsec.info Switching to NCP mode (tunnel.cpp:552)

Any ideas?

[newsrg]

Thanks madscientist. Unfortunately, I get the exact same message. Any further suggestion? Thanks.

[w.kazimierczak]

I have a similar issue, but with a few differences and I can't find any solution:

• VPN connection hangs after 20-40 seconds
  ...

I found the solution: I've downloaded again network connect components from VPN SSL page by pressing network connect button and typing root password when prompted by 'su'.

[Baltazar72]

First Thank you madscientist for your big effort on this subject.
I had some trouble getting things to work.

After a fresh install of Ubuntu hardy :

sudo aptitude install sun-java6-plugin sun-java6-jdk sun-java6-jre

Installed libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2_2.95.4-22_i386.deb (due to from error running madscientists script
:

Exception in thread "AWT-EventQueue-0" java.lang.ExceptionInInitializerError
	at NC$3.run(NC.java:1282)

http://debian.mirror.inra.fr/debian/pool/main/g/gcc-2.95/libstdc++2.10-glibc2.2_2.95.4-27_i386.deb

So restarting, and running madscientists script, tunnel closes immediatly.

I did :

sudo passwd

And started network connect from my companys website, and HEY PRESTO .. working I'm a happy puppy.

What I cannot understand is why the script cannot start the tunnel.

I'm not an expert in linux, but doing "sudo passwd" what do I risk with that ?

The log from ncsvc when using junipernc is attached.

thank you for all effort

my version :
Juniper Network Connect Server for Linux.
Version : 1.2
Release Version : 5.5-0-Build11905
Build Date/time : Jun 22 2007 13:26:55
Copyright 2002-2006 Juniper Networks

[gmcauley]

FOA, thanks madscientist for your contribution.

I was looking at the main loop in your script and wondering if this is possible:

I would like to mount a network share from a vpn after the connection is made (but obviously not before).

My scripting knowledge is small, but it seems you need to asynchronously call to connect, wait for a message of 'connected', and finally run the mount command.

Can anyone think of a way to do this with JNC?

(Sorry if this is slightly off topic)

[b0red@werk]

I finally found out the problem. Its fix was pretty simple. My home network had an IP address collision with the VPN's remote network, so I set my home network to use a new RFC 1918 private IP range. All packets that were supposed to go to my home router were being routed straight to a machine at the other end of the VPN. It took a while for the routing table to enable the routes that the VPN adds, so that might explain why the VPN worked for a few seconds then died. I'm puzzled why this problem just showed up after I upgraded to 8.04 from 7.10 though.

I'm having the same problem too. I'm trying to understand your fix and I don't know if it'll work for me. My home ip is 10.100.x.x/28 and the vpn tunnel is 192.168.x.x/24. I don't know if I have to change my IP range at home. I do get the TCP retransmission from wireshark.

[kasulstyls]

Thanks in advanced Madscientist.

I am having the same issue as bornjcan on post #198.

when log in via the website with my username and credentials it will start the Juniper service and connect fine. When I use your script ( which is awsome ) i receive invalid credentials. In your post #199, you mentioned that bornjcan may have used a the wrong realm. once the script info is entered how can you go back and change the realm settings?

Kas

[madscientist]

once the script info is entered how can you go back and change the realm settings?

Unfortunately there's no handy GUI way to do this. Zenity only gets you so far . To rerun the configuration, you should "rm ~/.vpn.cfg" from any terminal, then restart the script.

[K0LO]

You can also just manually edit the ~/.vpn.cfg file to change the REALM value.