Configuring Site-to-Site IPsec VPNs with the IOS CLI

Step 1: Create ISAKMP Policies (IKE Phase 1)

IKE will need to be enabled for IPsec to work.

R1(config)# crypto isakmp enable
To allow IKE Phase 1 negotiation, you must create an Internet Security Association and Key
Management Protocol
(ISAKMP) policy and configure a peer association involving that ISAKMP policy.

R1(config)# crypto isakmp policy 10

R1(config-isakmp)# authentication pre-share
R1(config-isakmp)# encryption aes 256
R1(config-isakmp)# hash sha
R1(config-isakmp)# group 5
R1(config-isakmp)# lifetime 3600

R3(config)# crypto isakmp policy 10

R3(config-isakmp)# authentication pre-share
R3(config-isakmp)# encryption aes 256
R3(config-isakmp)# hash sha
R3(config-isakmp)# group 5
R3(config-isakmp)# lifetime 3600

#show crypto isakmp policy

Configure Pre-Shared Keys
Since we chose pre-shared keys as our authentication method in the IKE policy, we must
configure a key on each router corresponding to the other VPN endpoint. For simplicity we
can use the key “cisco”. A production network should use a more complex key.

R1(config)# crypto isakmp key cisco address 192.168.23.3

R3(config)# crypto isakmp key cisco address 192.168.12.1

Step 2: Configure the IPsec Transform Set and Lifetimes (IKE phase 2)

The IPsec transform set is another

crypto configuration parameter that routers negotiate to form a security association. Routers
will compare their
transform sets to the remote peer until they find a transform set that matches exactly.

R1(config)# crypto ipsec transform-set 50-set esp-aes 256 esp-sha-hmac ah-sha-hmac

R1(config)#mode tunnel
R1(cfg-crypto-trans)# exit

R3(config)# crypto ipsec transform-set 70-set esp-aes 256 esp-sha-hmac ah-sha-hmac

R3(config)#mode tunnel
R3(cfg-crypto-trans)# exit

You can also change the IPsec security association lifetimes from its default which is 3600
seconds or 4,608,000
kilobytes, whichever comes first.
R1(config)# crypto ipsec security-association lifetime seconds 1800
R3(config)# crypto ipsec security-association lifetime seconds 1800

Step 3: Define Interesting Traffic

Now that most of the encryption settings are in place, define extended access lists to tell the
router which traffic to
encrypt. A packet that is denied by one of these access lists will not be dropped; it will be sent
unencrypted.
R1(config)# access-list 101 permit tcp 172.16.1.0 0.0.0.255 172.16.3.0 0.0.0.255 eq 23
R3(config)# access-list 101 permit tcp 172.16.3.0 0.0.0.255 172.16.1.0 0.0.0.255 eq 23
Usually, it is very important that the two lists be mirror images of each other. The source
address in one list must be
the destination address in the other and vice versa.

Step 4: Create and Apply Crypto Maps

A crypto map is a mapping that associates traffic matching an access list (like the one we
created earlier) to a peer
and various IKE and IPsec settings (transform set). Crypto maps can have multiple map
statements, so you can have
traffic that matches a certain access list being encrypted and sent to one IPsec peer, and have
other traffic that
matches a different access list being encrypted towards a different peer.

R1(config)# crypto map MYMAP 10 ipsec-isakmp

R1(config-crypto-map)# match address 101
R1(config-crypto-map)# set peer 192.168.23.3
R1(config-crypto-map)# set pfs group5
R1(config-crypto-map)# set transform-set 50-set
R1(config-crypto-map)# set security-association lifetime seconds 900

R3(config)# crypto map MYMAP 10 ipsec-isakmp

R3(config-crypto-map)# match address 101
R3(config-crypto-map)# set peer 192.168.12.1
R3(config-crypto-map)# set pfs group5
R3(config-crypto-map)# set transform-set 70-set
R3(config-crypto-map)# set security-association lifetime seconds 900

R1(config)# interface fastethernet0/0

R1(config-if)# crypto map MYMAP
*Jan 17 04:09:09.150: %CRYPTO-6-ISAKMP_ON_OFF: ISAKMP is ON
R3(config)# interface serial0/0/1
R3(config-if)# crypto map MYMAP
*Jan 17 04:10:54.138: %CRYPTO-6-ISAKMP_ON_OFF: ISAKMP is ON

Step 5: Verify IPsec Configuration

show crypto ipsec transform-set

show crypto map

Step 6: Verify IPsec Operation

//IKE phase 1 tunnel, QM_IDLE - IKE SA active & operational

show crypto isakmp sa
//IKE phase 2 tunnel

show crypto ipsec sa

debug crypto isakmp
debug ip packet
show access-lists