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Administration Guide

SSL VPN web mode

SSL VPN web mode

By default, SSL VPN tunnel mode settings and the VPN > SSL-VPN menus are hidden from the GUI.

To enable SSL VPN feature visibility in the GUI:
  1. Go to System > Feature Visibility.
  2. In the Core Features section, enable SSL-VPN.
  3. Click Apply.
To enable SSL VPN feature visibility in the CLI:
config system settings
    set gui-sslvpn enable
end

By default, SSL VPN web mode settings are disabled and hidden from the GUI and the CLI.

To enable SSL VPN web mode:
config system global
    set sslvpn-web-mode enable
end
Note

If this setting is disabled, even though SSL VPN tunnel mode can be correctly configured, when trying to access SSL VPN web mode using the SSL VPN portal by navigating to the listening IP address, domain, and port using a web browser, an error message will appear.

A user must have valid username and password credentials to log in to an SSL VPN web portal in addition to other multi-factor authentication components that may be configured, such as FortiTokens.

Web-only mode provides clientless network access using a web browser with built-in SSL encryption. Use this mode if you require:

  • A clientless solution where all remote services are accessed through a web portal
  • Tight control over the contents of the web portal
  • Limited services provided to the remote users

After logging in, the web portal page appears:

A web portal includes the following features:

  • The session information is displayed in the right corner of the top banner. This includes the elapsed time since logging in, and the volume of inbound and outbound HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
  • The Launch FortiClient button appears if FortiClient is installed. Clicking the button opens the FortiClient Remote Access tab, but FortiClient does not automatically create a VPN connection based on the web mode connection information.
  • The Download FortiClient button provides access to download the FortiClient application for various operating systems.
  • The Bookmarks widget includes links to network resources (administrator-defined bookmarks), and users can create their own bookmarks.
  • The Quick Connection dropdown menu enables a connection to network resources without using or creating a bookmark.

The following topics provide information about SSL VPN web mode:

SSL VPN web mode

By default, SSL VPN tunnel mode settings and the VPN > SSL-VPN menus are hidden from the GUI.

To enable SSL VPN feature visibility in the GUI:
  1. Go to System > Feature Visibility.
  2. In the Core Features section, enable SSL-VPN.
  3. Click Apply.
To enable SSL VPN feature visibility in the CLI:
config system settings
    set gui-sslvpn enable
end

By default, SSL VPN web mode settings are disabled and hidden from the GUI and the CLI.

To enable SSL VPN web mode:
config system global
    set sslvpn-web-mode enable
end
Note

If this setting is disabled, even though SSL VPN tunnel mode can be correctly configured, when trying to access SSL VPN web mode using the SSL VPN portal by navigating to the listening IP address, domain, and port using a web browser, an error message will appear.

A user must have valid username and password credentials to log in to an SSL VPN web portal in addition to other multi-factor authentication components that may be configured, such as FortiTokens.

Web-only mode provides clientless network access using a web browser with built-in SSL encryption. Use this mode if you require:

  • A clientless solution where all remote services are accessed through a web portal
  • Tight control over the contents of the web portal
  • Limited services provided to the remote users

After logging in, the web portal page appears:

A web portal includes the following features:

  • The session information is displayed in the right corner of the top banner. This includes the elapsed time since logging in, and the volume of inbound and outbound HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
  • The Launch FortiClient button appears if FortiClient is installed. Clicking the button opens the FortiClient Remote Access tab, but FortiClient does not automatically create a VPN connection based on the web mode connection information.
  • The Download FortiClient button provides access to download the FortiClient application for various operating systems.
  • The Bookmarks widget includes links to network resources (administrator-defined bookmarks), and users can create their own bookmarks.
  • The Quick Connection dropdown menu enables a connection to network resources without using or creating a bookmark.

The following topics provide information about SSL VPN web mode: