10.2.1.3-27sv and Windows 7 NetExtender problems?
Craig_S
Newbie ✭
We have a SMA 410 that we upgraded to 10.2.1.3-27sv today. After the upgrade, the remote users received the NetExtender update to what I believe was version 10.3.x.
Windows 10 users connected OK with the new client, but the Windows 7 users were unable to connect, getting a "Initializing Engine...Failed!" message on the client (even after a reboot and confirming services were running on the client). We quickly rolled back the firmware to 10.2.1.1-19sv to prevent too many Windows 7 users from getting the bad client.
Also, after the rollback, the newly installed client would not connect to the older SMA 410 version, producing a "Failed to get a vpn protocal" [sp] message. This required an uninstall of the newest NetExtender, and a reinstall of the older version (2.3.15) to resume connectivity.
I know Win7 is not longer supported by Microsoft, but we host services for some counterparts located in another country where Windows 7 is still very much in use and we have no control over their infrastructure, so this will continue to be the case.
Is Windows 7 no longer supported by the latest version of NetExtender?
Answers
One of our clients has exact same model unit (SMA410) and have updated the firmware yesterday. They have also reported exact same problem and would be interested hearing the solution from Sonicwall support related to this issue.
This is what I received form support today-
"we have reports that the 10.2.1.-319 client is not working in windows 7 (we dont support windows 7 anymore)
The 10.2.1.-315 client will work for windows 7."
That's all fine and good, but:
a. how to prevent the new client from being downloaded and installed on the Windows 7 hosts after upgrading to 10.2.1.3-27sv?
b. will the old client (10.2.315) connect to the new version?
Disable auto upgrade on appliance and window client itself?
The only auto update I located on the appliance is under the EPC status. Where can I find the ability to disable the auto update for the NetExtender?
@Craig_S on Firewalls you have to enable Client Autoupdates, on the SMA it's a bit different. You have to enable the option "Allow Client Turn Off Auto Update" AND then you need to disable Auto Updates in the NetExtender itself.
IMHO it's not a good way how it got implemented, because it needs interaction on all relevant endpoints.
--Michael@BWC
@Craig_S customer run into the same prob on a sma400 during autoupdate his windows 7 machine. Took me quiet a while understand because all other users win10 where not included. finally i rolled back both firmware and netextender on this machine.
On the new firmware there is the wireguard VPN included. So its for the netextender too. If perhaps wireguard is the reason that it does not run on windows 7 why isn´t there a logic what ckecks the guest operation system prior to upgrade the client.
thought things getting better these days - no they just get different :-(
--Thomas