How Do I Set Up a VPN with WatchGuard?

Posted March 26, 2019

In Blog, Managed IT Service Providers, Managed IT Services, Managed Network Services, Managed Service Provider, Watchguard

One of WatchGuard’s many offerings to increase your security online includes their Mobile VPN with SSL. With this tool, you have access to software that enables users to connect, disconnect, gather more information about the connection, and to exit or quit the client.

To gain access to your mobile VPN with SSL, you’ll need to follow 4 steps:

Verify system requirements
Download the client software
Install the client software
Connect to your private network

Prior to these steps, the Firebox must be configured first by your administrator.

System Requirements

To run your VPN software, you must ensure that your hardware has the proper capabilities. You can double-check these requirements on the Fireware Release Notes page. Additionally, you will need to have administrator access to the device.

To use the Mobile VPN with SSL client, your device must support TLS 1.1 or higher. Windows 7 devices can be enabled to support TLS 1.1 and 1.2 through the control panel. More recent devices and MacOS supports this requirement by default.

To enable TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2 in Windows 7:

Open the Windows Control Panel.
Select Internet Options > Advanced.
Select the Use TLS 1.1 and Use TLS 1.2 check boxes.

Download the Client Software

In order to download the software to run the VPN, you must authenticate the Firebox with an HTTPS connection over port 443.

To do this:

Navigate to one of the following web addresses in your preferred browser
1. https://<device interface IP address>/sslvpn.html
2. https://<device host name>/sslvpn.html
Enter your username and password on the page that loads.
Select the Domain you wish to load from.
Click download for the proper hardware, either Windows or MacOS.
Save the file to your computer.

Install the Software

On Windows:

Double-click WG-MVPN-SSL.exe., which will start the installation wizard.
Accept the default settings on each screen of the wizard.
Finish and exit the wizard.

On MacOS

Make sure that the System Preferences > Security and Privacy settings on your Mac allow apps downloaded from Mac App Store and identified developers. This is the default setting.
Double-click WG-MVPN-SSL.dmg
In the WatchGuard Mobile VPN volume, double-click WatchGuard Mobile VPN with SSL Installer <version>.mpkg.
Accept the default settings on each screen of the installer.
Finish and exit the installer.

Connect to your VPN

Run the program on your computer, either from the Start Menu in Windows or the Applications menu in MacOS.

The server is the IP address of the primary external interface of a Firebox. The username and password are your default authentication credentials for use with WatchGuard products.

Kyle Vinar

Kyle Vinar is Partner / President of Verus Corporation. He oversees all business operations and coaches Verus teams to continually improve on their solutions from client experience to product development and overall solution implementation. He works with all Verus resources to increase efficiencies and excellence in every aspect of their organizational roles. Kyle believes that people are the last real competitive edge that a company can have and constructing a rich culture is a vital step in running a world-class organization. Therefore he strives to create a culture within Verus that allows everyone to show up authentically and grow both personally and professionally, which in turn allows Verus Corp team members to provide clients with top-of-the-line service. Kyle helps balance strategy, capacity, and culture in such a way that has allowed Verus Corp to achieve exponential growth since he joined the company in 2013. One of Kyle’s greatest professional achievements has been in helping lay the foundation upon which Verus Corporation could be named the 2nd Best Place to Work by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Kyle holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from St. Cloud State University. He lives in Champlin with his wife and 3 children. He has enjoyed volunteering as a soccer coach for over 6 years and was the former Director of Coaching for Rebels Soccer Club. If Kyle isn’t on the sidelines of one of his children’s soccer games or in the audience of his eldest’s musicals, he can often be found cruising scenic routes on his Harley, in a deer stand, or on the golf course.