Cannot get Android device to connect to VPN

[ITSpecialist]

My apologies if this question has been asked before. I am trying to get an Android phone device to connect to our VPN but have had no success. I am able to connect an IOS phone or a Mac book, The Meraki documentation shows how to make a connection, using L2TP and IPSEC. I believe our VPN is configured only for L2TP with a secret password.

Setting up the connections on the Apple products was easy and worked first time every time, and did not require an IPSEC pre-shared key. On the Android device, I cannot save a setting without having a IPSEC pre-shared key. Anybody had success with this? Will appreciate any help you can offer. Do I need to use a 3rd party VPN client application? If so which one do you suggest?

Thank you   

[ww]

should work with the default Android vpn client

with the settings 

https://documentation.meraki.com/MX/Client_VPN/Client_VPN_OS_Configuration#Android

-l2tp/ipsec psk

-IP

- ip sec psk

-username, password

[ITSpecialist]

Thank you for posting a reply to my question.

I did use that link as a reference to create the VPN connection in an Android phone, the trouble I am having is, I cannot save the connection in the Android phone if I do not specify a IPSEC pre-shared key. I do not know what the IPSEC pre-shared key is. Is the key available somewhere on the Meraki dashboard? When I set up the VPN on apple devices, I did not need an IPSEC pre-shared key, I only provided a L2TP shared secret password.   

[nealgs]

just tested this now myself after reading this

Oneplus one phone connected to VPN using L2TP/IPSEC PSK

I assume you you know the secret password?

on the oneplus:

Give name

Type:  L2TP/IPSEC PSK

Server: server ip

skip rest till IPSec preshared key: type in PSK key

Save, then connect

Dashboard/Network/-wide/Clients show me listed.

don't need to include domain name <domainname>\<userid> it appears if using AD for authentication

[nealgs]

L2TP secret is not used, your PSK key goes in the IPSEC preshared key field 🙂

[ITSpecialist]

Yes, I do know the secret password. Does that become the IPSEC PSK? Or do I find that elsewhere in the Meraki Dashboard? 

[nealgs · Accepted solution]

that becomes the IPSEC preshared key field value

when keying the settings into my phone, i have the following fields shown when Type is PPTP (default value)

Name:

Type:

Server Address:

[ ] PPP encryption (MFPS)

[ ] Show advanced options

When i change Type to L2TP/IPSec PSK, i get a new set of fields:

Name:

Type: L2TP/IPSec PSK

Server Address:

L2TP secret: (not used)

IPSec identifier: (not used)

IPSec preshared key: <your secret password>

[ ] Show advanced options

hope that helps 🙂

[ITSpecialist]

Ok, thank you.

Will try that out and see how it goes. Will report my findings back here.

[ITSpecialist]

Yes, success!

Established a connection with the VPN with an Android phone only using the shared secret password as PSK.

Thank you. 

[nealgs]

woohoo! - great stuff 🙂