Technical Tip: How to activate' Save Password', 'Auto Connect', and' Always Up' in FortiClient

[vhitnal]

Description

This article explains how to activate the 'Save Password', 'Auto Connect' and 'Always Up' options in FortiClient.

Scope

FortiGate.

Solution

The 'Save Password', 'Auto Connect', and 'Always Up' options in FortiClinet depend upon the VPN (IPsec) or SSL VPN configuration of the FortiGate device.  These can be enabled from the CLI as shown below.

For SSL VPN:

config vpn ssl web portal
    edit [portal_name_str]
        set auto-connect enable
        set save-password enable
        set keep-alive enable
end

For IPsec:

config vpn ipsec phase1-interface
    edit [vpn name]
        set save-password enable
        set client-auto-negotiate enable
        set client-keep-alive enable
    end
end

Note:

*. vpn auto-connect/always-up features are not supported in the FortiClient 6.2.X onwards for the free version.

• In some cases, when setting the client auto negotiate option and client-keep-alive option, it is possible to encounter the following error:

• This is due to the unity-support option; unity-support: Enable/disable support for Cisco UNITY Configuration Method extensions.
• To resolve this problem unset the unity-support option and then it is possible to successfully set the keep alive and auto-negotiate options.

Note:

The following features are not supported in the FortiClient 6.2.X - 7.0.2 v free versions:

• VPN auto-connect/always-up.
• VPN before logon.
• On-net/off-net.
• Host check features.
• Central management
•  No feedback option & no diagnostic tool under help/info page.
• IKEv2 is not supported on FortiClient 6.2.x free version.
• TAC support.

Note: Versions 5.0 up to 6.4 are out of engineering support. So these commands might be different on higher versions. Consider upgrading the firmware level on the device to a supported version (7.0 up to 7.6). Here check the firmware path and compatibility depending on the hardware: Upgrade tool.

Related article:

Technical Tip: FortiClient licensing and support