RT-AC88U and PulseSecure VPN stops Outlook client and intranet webpages from connecting/loading

[mesh]

Wife's laptop using PulseSecure VPN gives her access to network drives/file but she can't access the intranet webpages and her Outlook client won't connect (company migrated to Office365). Works fine if using phone's hotspot or plugged directly into the fiber modem and also at hotels. Even connected to neighbors wireless (Netgear) with no issues.
Steps taken so far: updated firmware, IPSec Passthrough is enabled, NAT acceleration is disabled, reset router to factory default and setup and test with a temp network (without loading saved config file),

Tried loading Merlin but had issues with authentication. Loaded it on RT-AC68U instead (recovered from mesh network) and tried the WDAP switch and still no go.

RT-AC88U attaches to the modem. RT-AC68U is a mesh node. No issues except for this VPN connection. I've search and haven't seen many issues reported or any concrete fixes. It did work for a few minutes when i turned off NAT acceleration (on each router) but it would stop working soon after and i cannot replicate it after.
Any ideas I can try?

 

[Grisu]

Turned off Aiprotection?

 

[mesh]

Turned off Aiprotection?

yes, that was one of the 1st things i tried but forgot to list above.
although her company is getting her an aircard, i would like to continue troubleshooting as i do not think that this is isolated to us and the outcome could benefit others.

 

[mccannd]

Did you reboot the router and laptop after the WPAD switch? I found I needed to for it to work.

This sounds really similar to the issue I recently had with my new Asus RT-AC86U, which I solved a few days ago, thanks to this forum.

Working from home, setup my new Asus RT-AC86U, via a new NBN FTTC service, Win10 laptop, connecting to my work's corporate network using the F5 BIG-IP VPN app, everything initially seemed to be working ok, I could reach all the network drives and systems I needed, but then I found Office365 apps would not connect, Outlook would give a connection error on starting, saying to check my network settings. If I disconnected from the VPN then Office 365/Outlook connect and work fine, but then I can't reach everything else I need to via the VPN.

Testing, I discovered using my old Billion modem/router instead of the new Asus, Office365/Outlook connect/work fine via the VPN. As did taking the laptop to a friends place with a Netgear modem/router, and testing there, Office365/Outlook connect/work fine via the VPN.

I also learnt that if you left click on the Outlook icon in the system tray while holding control, a couple of connection test options display, using them showed me that autodiscover was failing as soon as I connected to the VPN, through the Asus router.

Google searches for autodiscover, VPN, Asus, Office, Outlook etc. actually brought me here to posts in these SNB forums. Saw a suggestion on a post, to use Merlin and change the WPAD setting... Yep, that fixed my issue!

Loaded Merlin 384.18, factory reset, set my admin and Wi-Fi names and passwords, and then changed 1 setting...

Tools > Other Settings > Advanced Tweaks and Hacks
dhcpd: send empty WPAD with a carriage return
- change from Yes to No, Apply.

Power cycle router and computer. Connected to the VPN, started Outlook, no more connection error, issue resolved!

I don't know why/how this fixed my issue, not that familiar with how WPAD (Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol) works.

I'm not sure if this is a genuine fix or a work around to something my work is maybe doing differently/wrong with their VPN, DHCP, DNS, Proxy, Autodiscover, Exchange, that perhaps doesn't work with the Asus router? I'm just happy to have it working as it should. I was considering returning the Asus and getting a different brand router, if I couldn't fix this issue.

It would seem Asus firmware does something different with WPAD than other manufacturers?

Am very thankful for the knowledge shared on these forums, and the fact that Merlin firmware exists, will be making a donation for Merlin for sure.

Does anyone known if this WPAD setting will ever make it into official Asus firmware?

Sorry for all the text, hope this is helpful to you, and people in future.

 

[xmarksthespot]

Did you reboot the router and laptop after the WPAD switch? I found I needed to for it to work.

This sounds really similar to the issue I recently had with my new Asus RT-AC86U, which I solved a few days ago, thanks to this forum.

Working from home, setup my new Asus RT-AC86U, via a new NBN FTTC service, Win10 laptop, connecting to my work's corporate network using the F5 BIG-IP VPN app, everything initially seemed to be working ok, I could reach all the network drives and systems I needed, but then I found Office365 apps would not connect, Outlook would give a connection error on starting, saying to check my network settings. If I disconnected from the VPN then Office 365/Outlook connect and work fine, but then I can't reach everything else I need to via the VPN.

Testing, I discovered using my old Billion modem/router instead of the new Asus, Office365/Outlook connect/work fine via the VPN. As did taking the laptop to a friends place with a Netgear modem/router, and testing there, Office365/Outlook connect/work fine via the VPN.

I also learnt that if you left click on the Outlook icon in the system tray while holding control, a couple of connection test options display, using them showed me that autodiscover was failing as soon as I connected to the VPN, through the Asus router.

Google searches for autodiscover, VPN, Asus, Office, Outlook etc. actually brought me here to posts in these SNB forums. Saw a suggestion on a post, to use Merlin and change the WPAD setting... Yep, that fixed my issue!

Loaded Merlin 384.18, factory reset, set my admin and Wi-Fi names and passwords, and then changed 1 setting...

Tools > Other Settings > Advanced Tweaks and Hacks
dhcpd: send empty WPAD with a carriage return
- change from Yes to No, Apply.

Power cycle router and computer. Connected to the VPN, started Outlook, no more connection error, issue resolved!

I don't know why/how this fixed my issue, not that familiar with how WPAD (Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol) works.

I'm not sure if this is a genuine fix or a work around to something my work is maybe doing differently/wrong with their VPN, DHCP, DNS, Proxy, Autodiscover, Exchange, that perhaps doesn't work with the Asus router? I'm just happy to have it working as it should. I was considering returning the Asus and getting a different brand router, if I couldn't fix this issue.

It would seem Asus firmware does something different with WPAD than other manufacturers?

Am very thankful for the knowledge shared on these forums, and the fact that Merlin firmware exists, will be making a donation for Merlin for sure.

Does anyone known if this WPAD setting will ever make it into official Asus firmware?

Sorry for all the text, hope this is helpful to you, and people in future.

Thanks so much mccannd!

I stumbled across your post as I was about to create my own in the forum for help with a connection error with Microsoft Teams.

My setup is similar to yours, ASUS AC86U router, working from home, connected to work through VPN, everything worked except login through Microsoft Teams. Flashed my router with the Merlin firmware and set "send empty WPAD with a carriage return" to No.

This fixed the connection issues with Microsoft Teams, which was giving me a blank screen and eventually a caa7000a error on sign-in.

Would be ideal if ASUS allowed this setting to be change, suspect it will cause many Office 365 login issues over VPN.

 

[roostir]

I think this answers my question. I am experiencing the exact same issue on my work laptop connecting through VPN via Cisco AnyConnect (we recently changed from Pulse Secure). Microsoft Outlook client and related applications, won't load. Unfortunately, I don't think I can employ the fix mentioned here because Merlin does not support the new RT-AX86U. I'm not sure if there is some other way to change the WPAD? Of course, I have to do it on the router side as my employer will not allow any modifications to their machine as a non-administrator.

 

[roostir]

Just a quick follow up on this. After working with Asus engineers for about one week, they pointed me to a beta firmware that resolved the issue. Everything is working now.

 

[xmarksthespot]

Hi roostir, which beta firmware and do you have a link?

 

[roostir]

Hi there. Yes, this is the link: https://www.asuswebstorage.com/navigate/a/#/s/46AD4BF49BF741A098D60E70EA2F530CY

And the instructions provided:

 

[Javier]

Hello everyone, i found an easier solution, try method 2 -manual from the link below:

https://kb.pulsesecure.net/pkb_mobile#article/l:en_US/kA1f1000000fz7VCAQ/s

In summary:
1) Remove Checkbox from Juniper Network service from the network card
2) Once you connect to pulse remove checkbox from the Juniper Network service from the Pulse Secure Virtual Adapter

 

[Keozw]

Hello guys. Just registered here to inform I was having the exactly same issue. My new Asus AX82U arrived today and when I tried to use my VPN (Pulse Secure) noticed that office 365 and some other internal applications from my company were not working. If I turned VPN off office 365 automatically started working just fine.

After some research I ended up here but the solution that resolved my case was just update the firmware

This is pretty weird. I've being using my old router ( TP-Link Archer C2) for over 3 year and never got any issue like this one.