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  3. Using Edge Client for macOS
Manual Chapter : Using Edge Client for macOS

Applies To:

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BIG-IP APM

  • 17.1.0, 17.0.0, 16.1.5, 16.1.4, 16.1.3, 16.1.2, 16.1.1, 16.1.0, 16.0.1, 16.0.0, 15.1.9, 15.1.8, 15.1.7, 15.1.6, 15.1.5, 15.1.4, 15.1.3, 15.1.2, 15.1.1, 15.1.0, 15.0.1, 15.0.0, 14.1.5, 14.1.4, 14.1.3, 14.1.2, 14.1.0, 14.0.1, 14.0.0, 13.1.5, 13.1.4, 13.1.3, 13.1.1, 13.1.0
Manual Chapter

Using Edge Client for macOS

About BIG-IP Edge Client

BIG-IP Edge Client establishes secure communications to applications and networks. It provides users with full access to IP-based applications, resources, and intranet files as if they were physically working on the office network.
The Edge Client for macOS quick start guide is intended for VPN client end users.

What's new in 7.2.1

Edge Client 7.2.1 supports OAuth 2.0 authentication flow for native applications. When this feature is configured by the administrators of the BIG-IP system, authentication is entirely performed in the browser. The user does not have to sign-in again when accessing a web application on a browser that uses the same authentication method.
This feature also allows the use of any second factor or passwordless authentication that is supported by the browser.

What's New in 7.1.9

The Edge Client 7.1.9 includes enhanced user experience, seamless secure connectivity, status notifications, and much more. Some of the new changes are:
  • New and improved UI
  • Temporarily disconnect from the VPN without logging out
  • Improved status notifications
  • Auto-Connect moved to Preferences

New and improved UI

The first thing that you will notice in the updated version of Edge Client is its new status icons and the absence of the main window. After launch, the Edge Client for macOS displays a welcome screen. Subsequent launches display a splash screen, which minimizes to the status menu on the right end of the menu bar. You can quickly access connection options by clicking on the Edge Client icon.
Use the
Manage VPN Servers
 popup screen to add, edit, and delete servers. The graph displaying traffic throughput is no longer available and has been removed.
Edge Client icon menu
Screenshot Edge Client icon menu

Temporarily disconnect from the VPN without logging out

BIG-IP Edge Client's
Turn VPN Off
 option now temporarily disconnects from the VPN without logging you out. The login session remains active and allows you to establish a VPN without the need for re-authentication when you choose to
Turn VPN On
. This feature may be used to:
  • Temporarily disconnect from the VPN to either print something on a printer or perform other tasks on a remote network without logging out.
  • Establish a VPN quickly in high latency networks such as airplanes without going through the authentication flow.
  • Switch between the corporate wifi network and public wifi network easily without re-authentication.

Improved status notifications

Edge Client now displays alerts instead of growl notifications to provide timely information about an error or an auto-update. Alert appears in the top-right corner of the screen and the Notifications pane, accessed by clicking the Notification Center icon.
Edge Client error notification
Screenshot Edge Client error notification
Notifications are enabled by default. Use the Preferences popup screen to disable notifications.

Auto-Connect moved to Preferences

Edge Client's Auto-Connect lets you start a secure access connection as needed. You can enable Auto-Connect when your administrator configures the Network Location Awareness. Auto-Connect is disabled by default.
Edge Client preferences
Screenshot Edge Client preferences
To enable auto-connect:
  1. From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
    Preferences
    .
  2. Select the
    Auto-Connect
     check box.
When the computer is on an enterprise network, the client disconnects and remains active in the status menu. In this case, the Edge Client icon menu displays the message
In Enterprise Network
, and the
Turn VPN On
 option is not available.
When the computer moves outside the enterprise network, the login session remains active, and the VPN connection establishes automatically without the need for re-authentication. Authentication is required only when a new session is created.

Connecting to the VPN

When you connect to the VPN, you also establish a login session. To connect to the VPN:
  1. From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
    Turn VPN On
    . You can also establish VPN by clicking on the Edge Client dock icon if it is pinned to the dock. When there is no existing active session, a login screen is displayed.
    Edge Client for macOS login screen
    Edge Client for macOS login screen
  2. Log in to establish a login session.
You are now logged in and connected to the VPN.

Disconnecting from the VPN

You can disconnect from the VPN in the following two ways:
  1. From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
    Turn VPN Off
    . When you disconnect from the VPN, your session remains active. You can reconnect by clicking
    Turn VPN On
    .
  2. From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
    Quit BIG-IP Edge Client
    . When you quit the application, your session ends, you are logged out, and disconnected from the VPN.

Configuring a server

BIG-IP Edge Client populates a list of all the servers available for users’ connections.
From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and select the server to connect. Once connected, the Edge Client connects to this server by default.

Adding and editing a server

To connect to a server that is not on the list, add a new server using the
Manage VPN Servers
 option.
  1. From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
    Manage VPN Servers
    . The Manage VPN Gateways screen opens.
    Edge Client Manage VPN Gateways
    Screenshot Edge Client Manage Servers
  2. Click
    +
    . A popup screen opens where you define the server.
    Edge Client adding a new server
    Screenshot Edge Client adding a new server
  3. For
    Server Name
    , type a name for the VPN server.
  4. For
    Server Address
    , type the IP address or hostname of the server. For example, https://110.11.111.11 or https://vpn.domain.com..
  5. Click
    Create
    . The server is added to the list.
  6. Click
    Close
    .
To connect to the new server, from the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then select the server. You can edit the server configuration later if needed by clicking
Edit
 or double-clicking the name, then making the changes, and clicking
Modify
.

Deleting a server

To delete a server configuration from the list:
  1. From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
    Manage VPN Servers
    . The Manage VPN Gateways screen opens.
  2. Select the server and click
    -
    .
  3. In the
    Remove Server
     popup screen, click
    Continue
     to confirm.
  4. Click
    Close
    .

Edge Client Status Messages

This section describes the different messages displayed on the BIG-IP Edge Client icon menu.
VPN Status Message
Description
On
You are connected to the VPN and have an active login session.
Off
You are logged out and disconnected from the VPN. To connect, click
Turn VPN On
.
Connecting
The Edge Client is actively working to establish a connection to the VPN servers. Make sure your network connection is working.
Reconnecting
The Edge Client is reconnecting to the VPN servers.
Off, User: Logged In
You are disconnected from the VPN but have an active login session. To connect, click
Turn VPN On
.
In Enterprise Network
You are connected to the LAN and have an active login session.
Server Not Configured
The Edge Client is unable to establish a connection to the VPN Servers. Contact your network administrator.
Upgrading...
The Edge Client is updating to the latest version.
No Connectivity
There is no network connectivity between the client and the server. Verify the network connection.

Viewing connection details

You can view the details of the VPN connection, DNS Configuration, Routing Table, IP Configuration, and other settings.
From the status menu, click the Edge Client icon and then click
View Details
. The Details popup screen opens and displays the connection details.
Edge Client details
Screenshot Edge Client details
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