Note: This feature requires Enterprise Subscription
The KC VPN feature allows our users to reach their networks from anywhere. It even handles NAT traversal right out of the box so there is no port forwarding / router configuration required by our users. As this feature is brand new, please note that adjustments and improvements will be being made. Also note that a firmware upgrade is required to our latest version containing this feature. The firmware should be installed manually via Web Portal local to the unit. Download Firmware.
There are a few different modes that our VPN can operate in:
Auto Mode
To connect in Auto mode, ensure that your Keep Connect (or Power Pal) is currently set to Auto mode. This setting must be sent from the app.
Then go back to the Device Screen in the app and select “SET” to enter your app-side parameters for the connection including:
Password – This is the password that you used when setting up the Keep Connect device initially. It is local to the device and is not the same password that you use for your Cloud Services account.
Tunnel Type:
LAN Traffic Only – Your app will know the IP/Mask of the local LAN that you Keep Connect is on and will only forward that traffic through the VPN tunnel.
All Traffic – Your app will direct all IPv4 traffic through the VPN tunnel where it will come out of the Keep Connect device and continue on as if that’s where the traffic originated from.
Direct
To connect in Direct mode, send the relevant settings back to your Keep Connect device from the “View/Change Settings” screen in the app. You’ll need to also set the port that the traffic will be sent to at the public IP of your Keep Connect device (which the app inherently knows).
How Does It Work? #
Our VPN is built to allow our users to access their remote networks easily without requiring extensive user setup typical to most VPN solutions. Most routers at home and customer locations perform NAT (Network Address Translation). Accessing devices within a NAT network typically requires setting up port forwarding within the router settings that forwards a certain port on the public facing side to a known internal IP address on the private network. While this can still be done with our Direct mode, our Auto mode handles this without requiring router modifications. Once enabled in Auto mode, the Keep Connect device reaches out to our Signaling Server to register itself for discovery by the platform. The app then reaches out to our Signaling Server as well. When a match is made between a Keep Connect and the app, the authentication process is performed and the connection is established. All traffic flows through the Signaling Server as if each device (Keep Connect and the App) were accessing basic services on the web allowing the NAT to be effectively navigated.
Our Direct mode requires more setup by the user (Port Forwarding on the Router), but keeps traffic flowing directly from the app to the target Keep Connect. This would improve performance by eliminating the flow through the Signaling Server.
