Immediate Access

Immediate Access targets a specific need — the one of maintaining a device's VPN connection always active.

As such, this current implementation, an open-source project, offers a replacement to Microsoft's Direct Access. However, as a distinctive trait, instead of connecting like Direct Access would, via IPHTTPS or Teredo, Immediate Access will start with a VPN connection of the user's choice — with the condition that the VPN choice is a Windows-built method, via IPSec, SSTP, L2TP, PPTP, or IKEv2.

However, the Always On VPN is a technology that can be configured on a user's machine in different ways, regardless of Immediate Access's use. On that account, a system GPO (Group Policy) configuration is needed. You can adjust your system settings and use Immediate Access together. For understanding the Always On VPN traits better, you can check the Microsoft documentation here.

What Immediate Access does is an attempt at a probe connection (a test, web server connection), a process of monitoring and collecting data, about a network's activity, at regular intervals (to see if your machine is on a corporate network).

Based on the resolution provided by the probe, a certain action is executed. According to the developer's instructions, the tool (Immediate Access), together with the VPN connection will automatically close if the PC is on a corporate network.

Also, after an event, a network change, or a Health Check Interval lapse, Immediate Access will attempt to conduct a new check for a probe connection. Yet again, if the probe can't be reached, the program will disconnect the VPN profile(s).