(Don't waste time for) Cisco QuickVPN Client and Windows 8.1 compatibility issue

Today, I've lost many, many hours fighting with Cisco/Linksys VPN software called Cisco QuickVPN Client, which is dedicated VPN client to small business line of Cisco/Linksys routers (RVxxx family).

The newest version of Cisco QuickVPN is 1.4.2.1, dated on 2011-08-09 (http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/routers/quick_vpn.html) and it's not compatible with Windows 8/8.1.

The problem with Cisco QuickVPN and Windows 8/8.1 is ... it does not work ;) It always ends with following dialog.

Did read a lot of posts today, finding a lot help requests but not finding 100% guarantee solution nor proof that it really can work with W8.

Some of tips were:

• Enable Windows 7 compatibility while installing and running client
• Enable ICMP on Windows Firewall
• Enable 60443 port on Windows Firewall
• etc.

None of them worked for me. Hours of trying and trying. Always the same message and always the same log:

2014/03/15 17:00:19 [STATUS]OS Version: Unknown

2014/03/15 17:00:19 [STATUS]One network interface detected with IP address 192.168.1.101

2014/03/15 17:00:19 [STATUS]Connecting...

2014/03/15 17:00:19 [DEBUG]Input VPN Server Address = XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX

2014/03/15 17:00:19 [STATUS]Connecting to remote gateway with IP address: XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX

2014/03/15 17:00:24 [STATUS]Remote gateway was reached by https ...

2014/03/15 17:00:24 [STATUS]Provisioning...

2014/03/15 17:00:27 [STATUS]Success to connect.

2014/03/15 17:00:27 [STATUS]Tunnel is configured. Ping test is about to start.

2014/03/15 17:00:27 [STATUS]Verifying Network...

2014/03/15 17:00:33 [WARNING]Failed to ping remote VPN Router!

2014/03/15 17:00:36 [WARNING]Failed to ping remote VPN Router!

2014/03/15 17:00:39 [WARNING]Failed to ping remote VPN Router!

2014/03/15 17:00:42 [WARNING]Failed to ping remote VPN Router!

2014/03/15 17:00:45 [WARNING]Failed to ping remote VPN Router!

2014/03/15 17:00:47 [WARNING]Ping was blocked, which can be caused by an unexpected disconnect.

2014/03/15 17:00:50 [STATUS]Disconnecting...

2014/03/15 17:00:57 [STATUS]Success to disconnect.

Hopefully my stubbornness was bigger then my frustration today. And I went onto creative path.

I've sent Cisco QuickVPN to the hell and started processing this instruction: https://www.shrew.net/support/Howto_Linksys - which is complete instruction how to prepare Linksys RV router to work with Shrew Soft VPN Client which is free.

Doc above gives complete example. I did manage to set up remote router and Shrew client in minutes (succeed on first try!). What's more - Shrew Soft client brings up VPN tunnel with light speed comparing to native Cisco/Linksys - which needs few seconds for that.

Also I did test services availability via VPN tunnel:

• RDP (to visualized Windows 8.1) - works..
• HTTP (to local web server) - works..
• DNS queries (to Active Directory server) - works.. 
• PING - works.. (it didn't with Cisco QuickVPN)..
• teleportation.. failed, additional license required ;)

So my tip is - don't waste time on getting Cisco software works. Download Shrew Soft VPN Client and complete the HOWTO. It's not as complicated nor time consuming as it may appear.

Good luck!