• All Files

Home > Online Help

Configure the hub

At the FortiGate unit that acts as the hub, you need to:

• Configure the VPN to each spoke
• Configure communication between spokes

You configure communication between spokes differently for a policy-based VPN than for a route-based VPN. For a policy-based VPN, you configure a VPN concentrator. For a route-based VPN, you must either define security policies or group the IPsec interfaces into a zone

Define the hub-spoke VPNs

Perform these steps at the FortiGate unit that will act as the hub. Although this procedure assumes that the spokes are all FortiGate units, a spoke could also be VPN client software, such as FortiClient Endpoint Security.

To configure the VPN hub

1. At the hub, define the Phase 1 configuration for each spoke. See Phase 1 parameters. Enter these settings in particular:

Name	Enter a name to identify the VPN in Phase 2 configurations, security policies and the VPN monitor.
Remote Gateway	The remote gateway is the other end of the VPN tunnel. There are three options: Static IP Address — Enter the spoke’s public IP Address. You will need to create a Phase 1 configuration for each spoke. Either the hub or the spoke can establish the VPN connection. Dialup User — No additional information is needed. The hub accepts connections from peers with appropriate encryption and authentication settings. Only one Phase 1 configuration is needed for multiple dialup spokes. Only the spoke can establish the VPN tunnel. Dynamic DNS — If the spoke subscribes to a dynamic DNS service, enter the spoke’s Dynamic DNS domain name. Either the hub or the spoke can establish the VPN connection. For more information, see Dynamic DNS configuration.
Local Interface	Select the FortiGate interface that connects to the remote gateway. This is usually the FortiGate unit’s public interface.

2. Define the Phase 2 parameters needed to create a VPN tunnel with each spoke. See Phase 2 parameters. Enter these settings in particular:

Name	Enter a name to identify this spoke Phase 2 configuration.
Phase 1	Select the name of the Phase 1 configuration that you defined for this spoke.

Define the hub-spoke security policies

1. Define a name for the address of the private network behind the hub. For more information, see Defining VPN security policies.
2. Define names for the addresses or address ranges of the private networks behind the spokes. For more information, see Defining VPN security policies.
3. Define the VPN concentrator. See To define the VPN concentrator .
4. Define security policies to permit communication between the hub and the spokes. For more information, see Defining VPN security policies.

Route-based VPN security policies

Define ACCEPT security policies to permit communications between the hub and the spoke. You need one policy for each direction.

To add policies

1. Go to Policy & Objects > Policy > IPv4 and select Create New.
2. Leave the Policy Type as Firewall and leave the Policy Subtype as Address.
3. Enter these settings in particular:

Incoming Interface	Select the VPN Tunnel (IPsec Interface) you configured in Step 1.
Source Address	Select the address name you defined in Step 2 for the private network behind the spoke FortiGate unit.
Outgoing Interface	Select the hub’s interface to the internal (private) network.
Destination Address	Select the source address that you defined in Step 1.
Action	Select ACCEPT.
Enable NAT	Enable.

 

Incoming Interface	Select the VPN Tunnel (IPsec Interface) you configured inStep 1.
Source Address	Select the address name you defined in Step 2 for the private network behind the spoke FortiGate units.
Outgoing Interface	Select the source address that you defined in Step 1.
Destination Address	Select the hub’s interface to the internal (private) network.
Action	Select ACCEPT.
Enable NAT	Enable.

Policy-based VPN security policy

Define an IPsec security policy to permit communications between the hub and the spoke.

To add policies

1. Go to Policy & Objects > Policy > IPv4 and select Create New.
2. Enter these settings in particular:

Incoming Interface	Select the hub’s interface to the internal (private) network.
Source Address	Select the source address that you defined in Step 1.
Outgoing Interface	Select the hub’s public network interface.
Destination Address	Select the address name you defined in Step 2 for the private network behind the spoke FortiGate unit.
VPN Tunnel	Select Use Existing and select the name of the Phase 1 configuration that you created for the spoke in Step 1. Select Allow traffic to be initiated from the remote site to enable traffic from the remote network to initiate the tunnel.

In the policy list, arrange the policies in the following order:

• IPsec policies that control traffic between the hub and the spokes first
• The default security policy last

Configuring communication between spokes (policy-based VPN)

For a policy-based hub-and-spoke VPN, you define a concentrator to enable communication between the spokes.

To define the VPN concentrator

1. At the hub, go to VPN > IPsec > Concentrator and select Create New.
2. In the Concentrator Name field, type a name to identify the concentrator.
3. From the Available Tunnels list, select a VPN tunnel and then select the right-pointing arrow.
4. Repeat Step 3 until all of the tunnels associated with the spokes are included in the concentrator.
5. Select OK.

Configuring communication between spokes (route-based VPN)

For a route-based hub-and-spoke VPN, there are several ways you can enable communication between the spokes:

• Put all of the IPsec interfaces into a zone and enable intra-zone traffic. This eliminates the need for any security policy for the VPN, but you cannot apply UTM features to scan the traffic for security threats.
• Put all of the IPsec interfaces into a zone and create a single zone-to-zone security policy
• Create a security policy for each pair of spokes that are allowed to communicate with each other. The number of policies required increases rapidly as the number of spokes increases.

Using a zone as a concentrator

A simple way to provide communication among all of the spokes is to create a zone and allow intra-zone communication. You cannot apply UTM features using this method.

1. Go to System > Network > Interfaces.
2. Select the down-arrow on the Create New button and select Zone.
3. In the Zone Name field, enter a name, such as Our_VPN_zone.
4. Clear Block intra-zone traffic.
5. In the Interface Members list, select the IPsec interfaces that are part of your VPN.
6. Select OK.

Using a zone with a policy as a concentrator

If you put all of the hub IPsec interfaces involved in the VPN into a zone, you can enable communication among all of the spokes and apply UTM features with just one security policy.

To create a zone for the VPN

1. Go to System > Network > Interfaces.
2. Select the down-arrow on the Create New button and select Zone.
3. In the Zone Name field, enter a name, such as Our_VPN_zone.
4. Select Block intra-zone traffic.
5. In the Interface Members list, select the IPsec interfaces that are part of your VPN.
6. Select OK.

To create a security policy for the zone

1. Go to Policy & Objects > Policy > IPv4 and select Create New.
2. Leave the Policy Type as Firewall and leave the Policy Subtype as Address.
3. Enter the settings: and select OK.

Incoming Interface	Select the zone you created for your VPN.
Source Address	Select All.
Outgoing Interface	Select the zone you created for your VPN.
Destination Address	Select All.
Action	Select ACCEPT.
Enable NAT	Enable.

Using security policies as a concentrator

To enable communication between two spokes, you need to define an ACCEPT security policy for them. To allow either spoke to initiate communication, you must create a policy for each direction. This procedure describes a security policy for communication from Spoke 1 to Spoke 2. Others are similar.

1. Define names for the addresses or address ranges of the private networks behind each spoke. For more information, see Defining VPN security policies.
2. Go to Policy & Objects > Policy > IPv4 and select Create New.
3. Leave the Policy Type as Firewall and leave the Policy Subtype as Address.
4. Enter the settings and select OK.

Incoming Interface	Select the IPsec interface that connects to Spoke 1.
Source Address	Select the address of the private network behind Spoke 1.
Outgoing Interface	Select the IPsec interface that connects to Spoke 2.
Destination Address	Select the address of the private network behind Spoke 2.
Action	Select ACCEPT.
Enable NAT	Enable.