This method requires users to have Windows administrative privileges on their PCs to create the virtual network adapter. However, because the client software is installed and configured automatically with the click of a mouse, your IT department needn't preconfigure every mobile device with VPN client software.
Hardware Installation
The FirePass hardware may be installed in a number of configurations, but all suggested implementations include putting the appliance behind the corporate firewall and providing the FirePass with an externally accessible IP address. Because the FirePass device operates only as a Web server and an SSL endpoint, we only needed to make pinholes through the firewall to the FirePass IP address for the HTTP and HTTPS ports (see "Basic Firepass Configuration," page 34). For additional security, F5 suggests that the box be placed in the corporate DMZ.
We configured the FirePass from our Web browser using the device's management login. From here, we set up the normal networking parameters (IP address, gateway, mask) on the device, installing the SSL certificate and configuring the box for user authentication. We found that the simplest solution for user authentication is to enter the user names and passwords manually into the device's internal user database from the Web interface. The FirePass does support more scalable solutions, though. It can access your corporate-user database by means of the FirePass's RADIUS or LDAP authentication options. And you can create groups of users in order to restrict access based on user login.
Unfortunately, we found the configuration to be confusing. The administrative interface could be more user-friendly and the comments could be more informative. Despite this, a professional IT staff should be able to have a basic-configuration device up and running within a day.
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