• SonicOS 7.1
• About SonicOS
  • Working with SonicOS
  • SonicOS Workflow
  • How to Use the SonicOS Administration Guides
  • Guide Conventions
• IPSec VPN Overview
  • About Virtual Private Networks
  • VPN Types
    • IPsec VPN
    • DHCP over VPN
    • L2TP with IPsec
    • SSL VPN
  • VPN Security
    • About IKEv1
    • About IKEv2
    • Mobility and Multi-homing Protocol for IKEv2 (MOBIKE)
    • About IPsec (Phase 2) Proposal
    • About Suite B Cryptography
  • VPN Base Settings and Displays
    • Policies
    • Active Tunnels
    • Settings
  • IPv6 VPN Configuration
• Site to Site VPNs
  • Planning Site to Site Configurations
  • General VPN Configuration
    • Configuring Settings on the General Tab
    • Configuring Settings on the Network Tab
    • Configuring Settings on the Proposals Tab
    • Configuring Settings on the Advanced Tab
  • Managing GroupVPN Policies
    • Configuring IKE Using a Preshared Secret Key
    • Configuring IKE Using 3rd Party Certificates
    • Downloading a GroupVPN Client Policy
  • Creating Site to Site VPN Policies
    • Configuring with a Preshared Secret Key
    • Configuring with a Manual Key
    • Configuring with a Third-Party Certificate
    • Configuring the Remote SonicWall Network Security Appliance
    • Configuring VPN Failover to a Static Route
• VPN Auto Provisioning
  • About VPN Auto Provisioning
    • Defining VPN Auto Provisioning
    • Benefits of VPN Auto Provisioning
    • How VPN Auto Provisioning Works
      • About Establishing the IKE Phase 1 Security Association
      • About Establishing IKE Phase 2 using a Provisioned Policy
  • Configuring a VPN AP Server
    • Starting the VPN AP Server Configuration
    • Configuring VPN AP Server Settings on General
    • Configuring VPN AP Server Settings on Network
    • Configuring Advanced Settings on Proposals
    • Configuring Advanced Settings on Advanced
  • Configuring a VPN AP Client
• Rules and Settings
  • Adding a Tunnel Interface
    • Creating a Static Route for the Tunnel Interface
  • Route Entries for Different Network Segments
  • Redundant Static Routes for a Network
• Advanced
  • Configuring Advanced VPN Settings
  • Configuring IKEv2 Settings
  • Using OCSP with SonicWall Network Security Appliances
    • OpenCA OCSP Responder
    • Loading Certificates to Use with OCSP
    • Using OCSP with VPN Policies
• DHCP over VPN
  • DHCP Relay Mode
  • Configuring the Central Gateway for DHCP Over VPN
  • Configuring DHCP over VPN Remote Gateway
  • Current DHCP over VPN Leases
• L2TP Servers and VPN Client Access
  • Configuring the L2TP Server
  • Viewing Currently Active L2TP Sessions
  • Configuring Microsoft Windows L2TP VPN Client Access
  • Configuring Google Android L2TP VPN Client Access
• AWS VPN
  • Overview
  • Creating a New VPN Connection
  • Reviewing the VPN Connection
    • Configuration on the Firewall
    • Configuration on Amazon Web Services
  • Route Propagation
  • AWS Regions
  • Deleting VPN Connections
• SonicWall Support
  • About This Document

SSL VPN

An SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer virtual private network) is a form of VPN that can be used with a standard Web browser. In contrast to the traditional IPsec VPN, an SSL VPN does not require the installation of specialized client software on the end user's computer. It can be used to give remote users access to Web applications, client/server applications, and internal network connections.

An SSL VPN consists of one or more VPN devices to which the user connects by using his Web browser. The traffic between the Web browser and the SSL VPN device is encrypted with the SSL protocol or its successor, the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. An SSL VPN offers versatility, ease of use and granular control for a range of users on a variety of computers, accessing resources from many locations. The two major types of SSL VPNs are:

• SSL Portal VPN
• SSL Tunnel VPN

The SSL Portal VPN allows single SSL connection to a Web site so the end user can securely access multiple network services. The site is called a portal because it is one door (a single page) that leads to many other resources. The remote user accesses the SSL VPN gateway using any modern Web browser, identifies himself or herself to the gateway using an authentication method supported by the gateway and is then presented with a Web page that acts as the portal to the other services.

The SSL tunnel VPN allows a Web browser to securely access multiple network services, including applications and protocols that are not Web-based, through a tunnel that is running under SSL. SSL tunnel VPNs require that the Web browser be able to handle active content, which allows them to provide functionality that is not accessible to SSL portal VPNs. Examples of active content include Java, JavaScript, Active X, or Flash applications or plug-ins.

SSL uses a program layer located between the Internet's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) layers. It also uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA, which also includes the use of a digital certificate. An SRA/SMA appliance uses SSL to secure the VPN tunnel. One advantage of SSL VPN is that SSL is built into most web browsers. No special VPN client software or hardware is required.

SonicWall makes Secure Mobile Access (SMA) appliances you can use in concert with or independently of a SonicWall network security appliance running SonicOS. For information on SonicWall SMA appliances, refer to https://www.sonicwall.com/products/remote-access/remote-access-appliances.