How can Android device connect to OS X Server VPN (L2TP/IPSec)

Question

Level 1

7 points

How can Android device connect to OS X Server VPN (L2TP/IPSec)

I have installed OS X Server 4.1 (on Mac OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite) and have set up a VPN Server using L2TP/IPSec. I have been able to connect to it using any iOS device or Windows device (for Windows device I have had to make some custom changes). However, I have never been able to connect to it using any Android device. I have entered the IPSec Pre-shared key, username and password, but when my Android device tries to connect to it, it merely shows "connecting" for around 30 seconds and then disconnects.

Would anyone have any fix to the above problem?

Million thanks!!

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), OS X Server 4.1

Posted on Apr 19, 2015 6:25 AM

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Answer 1

Bryan Li

Level 1

8 points

Dec 16, 2017 7:34 AM in response to newtwomacs

Same problem here.

macOS Sierra with Server running VPN.

Connect just fine on my other MacBook and iPhone. But with my Pixel with Android 8.1 it doesn't connect. The log from the server say

```

L2TP incoming call in progress from xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx ...

L2TP received SCCRQ

L2TP sent SCCRQ

--> Client with address = xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx has hungup

```

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Answer 2

Oct 24, 2017 7:17 PM in response to paulrm778

I have this same issues. Any solutions yet?

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Answer 3

davidav

Level 1

9 points

Jun 27, 2017 4:05 PM in response to zeefung

I have the same problem. Running Mac OS X El Capitan (10.11.6) Server. Can connect to VPN without any problem from MacBook and iPad but won't work from Android.

I noticed that the L2TP/IPSec options are different on Android VPN client than on the Mac VPN Server, ie. Android has fields for "L2TP secret" and "IPSec pre-shared key", whereas Mac VPN Server only has "Shared Secret". You cannot save the connection on Android unless you put the shared secret in the "IPSec pre-shared key" field but I wonder if this is really correct?

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Answer 4

Jul 22, 2017 5:35 AM in response to zeefung

Experiencing the same issue regarding Android..

Has anyone got the VPN to work using Chromebook? I am able to connect to the Mac OS Server VPN, however it's not providing an internet connection due to DNS. Everything works fine on Apple devices.

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Answer 5

jepping

Level 3

785 points

Apr 19, 2015 8:07 AM in response to zeefung

Check the ppp log of your server to see when the connection fails.

You can post that section of the log here.

Also check your shared secret, does it contain a " in it? That might cause the failure.

Create a new shared secret with only letters and numbers (upper and lowercase) and then test again.

The connection should work fine. Is port forwarding setup correctly?

You need forward UDP 500, 1701 and 4500 for all L2TP connections.

Goodluck

Jeffrey

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Answer 6

May 17, 2015 4:07 AM in response to zeefung

Did you ever get this working zeefung? I seem to be having the exact same issue and it's driving me crazy! I have a L2TP/IPSec VPN server configured on my iMac (OS X Mavericks), and it work's brilliantly with iOS devices and windows (after some config with registry).

BUT, The built-in Android VPN client will not connect, and so far neither will any of the 3rd party applications I've tried. However, it connects perfectly when I am connected over wireless on the local network.

Could the fact that it can't seem to resolve the address externally be to do with the way NAT-T is taking place? As I say, all other devices work fantastically so all my port forwarding has been done correctly? I'd really like to get this sorted! Any help would really be appreciated.

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Answer 7

zeefung Author

Level 1

7 points

Jun 14, 2015 12:31 AM in response to zeefung

Hi, sorry for my late reply. I still haven't been able to make my Android device connect to my Mac OS X Server VPN. I have now analyzed my Mac OS X Server log and I now can find that the difference between a "successful VPN connection" versus an "unsuccessful VPN connection" is that there are the following log lines in the unsuccessful connection - which won't exist for a successful connection:

Jun 14 15:14:27 server.******.com racoon[326]: Fatal INVALID-PAYLOAD-TYPE notify messsage, Phase 1 should be deleted.

Jun 14 15:14:27 server.******.com racoon[326]: Fatal INVALID-HASH-INFORMATION notify messsage, Phase 1 should be deleted.

Jun 14 15:15:00 server.******.com racoon[326]: 14.0.209.*** [my Android mobile's IP address] give up to get IPsec-SA due to time up to wait.

Does anyone have any idea what causes the above errors?

Thanks,

Philip

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Answer 8

jrox10

Level 1

0 points

Aug 5, 2015 3:36 AM in response to zeefung

Hi,

I have exactly the same problem.

Latest OS X versión; Yosemite....

It works perfect on iOS and Mac OS, I've seen some fix to solve windows problems but I have no idea hao to solve the problems with android conections to a OS X Server VPN L2TP IPSec (secret, user, password,...)

Any news??

thanks a lot

jrox10

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Answer 9

Aug 18, 2015 4:07 PM in response to jrox10

Its very sad to see that the issue remains for several years. Apparently this is due to Android as other platforms has no issue with connectivity. It has been told that even Android can connect from the local network, however I had no chance to verify that myself.

Appreciate any input on last part.

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Answer 10

Aug 31, 2015 10:23 AM in response to zeefung

I too am having this issue. Can't figure it out. I definitely can connect within the internal network with Android(Samsung Galaxy S5) but not externally. Other devices including Windows machines(with reg key mod) can connect so that rules out ISP blocking ports, or port forwarding issues. Any updates?

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Answer 11

zeefung Author

Level 1

7 points

Oct 7, 2015 12:15 AM in response to zeefung

It's now updated to El Capitan with OS X Server 5.0.4 - but still this issue is not resolved..... How can we make the Apple engineers aware of this issue?

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Answer 12

Oct 15, 2015 6:36 AM in response to zeefung

I too am experiencing the same issue, Android 5.1 Moto X and OSX El Capitan Server. I can connect without any problems whilst on the same Wifi network and can even successfully connect using my Macbook tethered to my Moto X and using 4G. I just cant connect using just my phone over 3G / 4G.

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Answer 13

sredden

Level 1

8 points

Nov 5, 2016 5:57 PM in response to zeefung

Is there any resolution on this? I just set up Mac Server specifically to run VPN on El Capitan after Apple nixed PPTP VPN to my router for OSX and iOS in their most recent updates. It works fine for my Mac and iOS devices, but my Android devices fail. What's going on here?

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Answer 14

Dec 8, 2016 10:42 AM in response to Buddens93

Did you ever figure this out? I am experiencing the same issue now. Can connect internally but not externally with Android but every other device works.

In my log on the server it takes a longer with the Android device to make contact with the server (anecdotally - the first log lines don't show up for 20 seconds or so) and then the log shows that the device "hung-up". So it doesn't seem that the server is refusing the connection.

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