What is DirectAccess infrastructure?

DirectAccess allows connectivity for remote users to organization network resources without the need for traditional Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections. In addition, your IT administrators can manage DirectAccess client computers whenever they are running and Internet connected.

Does DirectAccess require IPv6?

Identity your IP addressing requirements: DirectAccess uses IPv6 with IPsec to create a secure connection between DirectAccess client computers and the internal corporate network. However, DirectAccess does not necessarily require connectivity to the IPv6 Internet or native IPv6 support on internal networks.

What encryption does DirectAccess use?

IPsec
DirectAccess also leverages IPsec to provide encryption for communications across the Internet. You can use any IPsec encryption method, including Data Encryption Standard (DES) and Triple DES (3DES). Clients establish an IPv6/IPsec tunnel to the DirectAccess server, which acts as a gateway to the internal network.

What is the difference between DirectAccess and VPN?

DirectAccess can be used to provide secure remote access and enhanced management for Windows laptops managed by IT, while VPN can be deployed for non-managed devices. While it does provide secure remote corporate network connectivity, it does so more securely and more cost effectively than traditional VPN does.

What is an example of DirectAccess?

Sometimes referred to as machine access or random access, direct access is a term used to describe a computer’s ability to immediately locate and retrieve data from a storage device. A hard drive is a good example of a device capable of directly accessing data. 2. When referring to a telephone call, see local bypass.

What is DirectAccess used for?

“DirectAccess provides users transparent access to internal network resources whenever they are connected to the Internet.” DirectAccess does not require any user intervention or any credentials to be supplied in order to connect. It can be thought of as if the machine makes the connection to internal resources.

What is Microsoft always on VPN?

Always On VPN provides a single, cohesive solution for remote access and supports domain-joined, nondomain-joined (workgroup), or Azure AD–joined devices, even personally owned devices. With Always On VPN, the connection type does not have to be exclusively user or device but can be a combination of both.

Is DirectAccess end of life?

It’s important to state that, at the time of this writing (April 8, 2019), DirectAccess is still fully supported in Windows 10 and will be for the lifetime of Windows Server 2019. However, the future for DirectAccess is definitely limited, and customers should start considering alternative remote access solutions.

Is DirectAccess VPN?

DirectAccess, also known as Unified Remote Access, is a VPN-like technology that provides intranet connectivity to client computers when they are connected to the Internet. DirectAccess was introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2, providing this service to Windows 7 and Windows 8 “Enterprise” edition clients.

Is DirectAccess free?

DirectAccess is “free” … Unfortunately, DirectAccess suffers from some major drawbacks that tend to render it unsuitable for organizations with stringent security standards or large populations of remote users.

What is replacing DirectAccess?

Microsoft is positioning Always On VPN as the replacement for DirectAccess. Always On VPN offers some important new capabilities missing from DirectAccess. For example, Always On VPN supports all Windows 10 client SKUs, not just Enterprise and Education as DirectAccess does.

Is DirectAccess good?

Summary. DirectAccess is a good remote access solution for Microsoft-centric organizations, but it lacks some important capabilities that are required from a secure and robust enterprise mobility platform.

How to ensure DNS server is configured for DirectAccess?

The best way to ensure that the DNS server is configured correctly for DirectAccess is to delete the existing entry and then click Detect. An IPv6 address will be added automatically. This is the IPv6 address of the DNS64 service running on the DirectAccess server, which is how the DNS server should be configured for proper DirectAccess operation.

How to plan the infrastructure for DirectAccess server?

This topic describes the infrastructure planning steps: Decide where to place the DirectAccess server (at the edge, or behind a Network Address Translation (NAT) device or firewall), and plan IP addressing and routing. Plan for allowing DirectAccess through edge firewalls. DirectAccess can use Kerberos or certificates for client authentication.

How is the network location server used in DirectAccess?

The network location server is used by DirectAccess clients to determine whether they are located on the internal network.

Can a IPv6 server connect to A DirectAccess server?

Native IPv6 client computers can connect to the DirectAccess server over native IPv6, and no transition technology is required. If the DirectAccess server is behind an edge firewall, the following exceptions will be required for DirectAccess traffic when the DirectAccess server is on the IPv4 Internet: