How to enforce GlobalProtect Connection for Network Access on iPhone with GP 5.0 App

[Jochen.Reinecke]

Hey Guys,

i'm currently testing the GlobalProtect App 5 with iOS Deviecs and Airwatch MDM. Everything works great, but it seems like that it isn't important which setting i've selected in the Portal > Agent > App (Settings). I've tried to enforce GlobalProtect for Network Access on iPhone but i can still deselect "connect on demand", so it is possible to access the Internet without GP.

Any Ideas? Does the Agent Settings effect? Anything else to configure espacially in AirWatch?

Thanks and best regards,

Jochen

[MickBall · Accepted solution]

Of course Mr Klier.
In brief...
we have just under 2k users with ipads. These are managed via mdm.
The global proxy is set via mdm so users cannot change or remove it
It points to a proxy.pac file on tinternet.
The proxy server is 1.2.3.4, this obviously does not exist so any web browsing fails with proxy error...
However....
There are exceptions in the pac file that allows direct access (no proxy) to our portals and gateways.

This allows GlobalProtect to bypass global proxy settings and connect as normal..

There is another statement within the pac file that says “ if connected to corporate network then go direct” (no proxy) so users browse as normal when connected via our internal to external firewalls.

This for some reason also works with captive portal wifi connections... it does something clever to allow captive portal auth prior to applying global proxy. Nothing to do with the pac file, its just an ios thing...

Not everyones cup of tea but has proved a winner for us over many years....

Happy to provide an example pac file if needs be...

We also use similar for windoze devices as the force global protect option just does not play with our users and crams helpdesk with calls regarding the captive portal timeout thingy...

[MickBall]

since day one of GP on IOS  it has not been possible to force GP...

the user always has the option to disable VPN in the settings menu regardless of app settings.

I use a global proxy to prevent internet browsing when not connected via GP as never found any other way of enforcing this. 

[OtakarKlier]

Hello Mick,

Would be able to get into a bit more detail on the global proxy and how you force mobile devices to use it? I would like to hear how others are solving this solution.

Regards,

[MickBall · Accepted solution]

Of course Mr Klier.
In brief...
we have just under 2k users with ipads. These are managed via mdm.
The global proxy is set via mdm so users cannot change or remove it
It points to a proxy.pac file on tinternet.
The proxy server is 1.2.3.4, this obviously does not exist so any web browsing fails with proxy error...
However....
There are exceptions in the pac file that allows direct access (no proxy) to our portals and gateways.

This allows GlobalProtect to bypass global proxy settings and connect as normal..

There is another statement within the pac file that says “ if connected to corporate network then go direct” (no proxy) so users browse as normal when connected via our internal to external firewalls.

This for some reason also works with captive portal wifi connections... it does something clever to allow captive portal auth prior to applying global proxy. Nothing to do with the pac file, its just an ios thing...

Not everyones cup of tea but has proved a winner for us over many years....

Happy to provide an example pac file if needs be...

We also use similar for windoze devices as the force global protect option just does not play with our users and crams helpdesk with calls regarding the captive portal timeout thingy...

[vsys_remo]

@MickBall

Nice solution for the iOS devices. Need to keep that in mind ;)

I am also interested in the way you solved the problem on windows. The way I used here is set the captive portal timeout to 1 hour and use simple http websites as default websites in the users browsers. The notifications of global protect are not very useful (not to say useless), but this way the user only has to open the browser to be redirected to whatever captive portal there is. This http website does nothing else than redirecting to the https company website, but as it is http it does not break the captive portal redirect.

[Jochen.Reinecke]

Hey MickBall,

nice solution, a little through the breast into the eye but still fine! ;-)

Maybe the option in the agent settings could be extended with "(Windows only)" as some other options.

Regards,

Jochen

[MickBall]

@vsys_remo,I'm liking the default default web page to invoke captive portal.

we have an icon on the desktop called "Connect to Public WiFi".

this also points to our corp website and invokes the same response pages but it disables the proxy settings for 3 mins...

eva iva are workable solutions but bear in mind that we were using this way before the option of "GP enforce traffic" was ever introduced and have been using pac files long before the Juniper boxes were re-badged...  lol....

so... just sticking to what works for us just now but if needs be i would certainly move towards your solution.. (not sure about the 1 hour timeout)...

[MickBall]

@Jochen.Reinecke, yes understood but please note my previous response to Mr Remo...

we have been using pac files to restrict laptops since day one of VPN and the GP force traffic option has not been around very long.

so as it was already there then its easier to continue as is...

if we did not have pac files in place then the @vsys_remo  solution would certainly suffice...

I think most of the App settings should contain (Windows Only (depending of course what mood your IPad is in and which motion was used when removing it from your laptop bag))

Laters...

[brianjreed]

Hello,

We are beginning to roll out GP for iOS devices and having an issue with this same topic.  Are you still using the proxy.pac file?  If so, can you share some details on how to do it?  I'm not sure where to host this or what format for the file to be.

Any help would be appreciated.

Brian

[MickBall]

Hi @brianjreed .

of course ... no problemo....

the pac file needs to be available to ipads outside the vpn tunnel.   So a website somewhere...

the pac file just says,,,, in laymans terms,,,   Send all traffic to a duff proxy apart from the global protect connection traffic, and if connected to the private network, cancel the duff proxy...

this blocks all browser traffic by sending it to a proxy that does not exist. But it allows gp connection. When gp is connected it drops the proxy settings so all traffic goes down tunnel.

it reverts if tunnel fails. You actually dont need a proxy, just a pac file of a few lines of text.