Starting a connection when Windows™ starts

You can configure a specific connection to start automatically after Windows starts. A connection that is configured to start when Windows starts runs as a service and the connection is listed in the Service Control Manager.

About this task

Because it runs as a service, the connection is maintained even when you are not logged on to the system desktop. However, you must use the properties notebook to configure the service.

Only one connection can be configured to start when Windows starts. If the connection is lost, the SafeLinx Client attempts to restart the connection until it is reestablished.

Procedure

  • To start a connection automatically when Windows starts:
    1. The account you want to start automatically must be previously connected to the SafeLinx Server with a saved account password. If these actions are not done, select the Save password check box on the Connect window and click or tap Connect.
    2. Select the connection, then click or tap Connection > Properties. The properties notebook is displayed.
    3. On the Attributes page, select the Start connection when Windows starts check box, then click or tap OK.
    4. A prompt displays two options. Decide whether you want to start the connection now. If you select Yes, the SafeLinx Client stops any active connection and starts the new connection. If you select No, the connection is started the next time Windows starts.
  • Desktop Windows SafeLinx Clients offer the ability to authenticate to the SafeLinx Server by using their Windows login credentials. Authentication can occur either before or after the Windows Desktop is presented to the user. See the SafeLinx Client for Windows: User's Guide in the section for Using a Windows user ID and password to log on to the SafeLinx Server for details.
  • The Windows integrated login feature of the SafeLinx Client enables a user to authenticate with the SafeLinx Server using her Windows login credentials. The connection occurs with an LDAP-bind or RADIUS Authentication Profile. The SafeLinx Client automatically uses the Windows credentials when connecting to a SafeLinx Server configured with an Authentication Profile that specifies Request Windows credentials from GINA.
  • Special consideration must be given when using the Start connection when Windows starts feature of the SafeLinx Client regarding security credentials. The feature is incapable of prompting for credentials other than the Windows user name and password. To start a connection when Windows starts, you must either enable integrated login so that the existing Windows credentials are used to authenticate the connection, or configure authentication chaining using saved credentials. You can also use a combination of integrated login and authentication chaining.
  • A few examples clarify this point:
    • Example one: The IP Connection Profile on the SafeLinx Server is configured on the Security page to use Diffie-Hellman Key exchange. The Secondary authentication profile is an LDAP-bind Authentication Profile which specifies Request Windows credentials from GINA on the General page. In this case, the connection from the SafeLinx Client requires no saved credentials.
    • Example two: The IP Connection Profile on the SafeLinx Server is configured on the Security page to use Diffie-Hellman Key exchange. The Secondary authentication profile is Certificate-based. The Additional LDAP-bind Authentication Profile specifies Request Windows credentials from GINA. To use Start connection when Windows starts on the SafeLinx Client with this connection you must configure it so it does not prompt for the user's certificate. To do so, import the certificate into the Windows certificate store and then start the connection from the SafeLinx Client Connections folder. When prompted, select the certificate from the store and check Remember my certificate and do not prompt. Future connection attempts will no longer prompt the user for the certificate. The connection can now safely be configured to Start connection when Windows starts.
  • The following icon represents the connection that is configured to start automatically when Windows starts:
    Indicates that data is being sent or received over the connection
    Indicates that the connection is idle