How to save User Credentials when using VPN?

Question

I connect to my office VPN through my personal laptop. Now when I try to open an intranet site while still connected to the VPN, the Enter Credentials dialog box pops up. It has a check box to save the credentials. But even though I check that box, browser doesn't remember the credentials when I try to log in the next time.

How can I make my browser remember the credentials for intranet site while still connected to VPN?

OS - Win 7 Ultimate VPN Software - Cisco Browser - Internet Explorer 8

Answer 1

By default, Internet Explorer will only store credentials for sites in the Trusted Sites or Local Intranet Security Zones. As you are using VPN, the automatic detection of whether the intranet site is a Local Intranet site will most likely not work so you need to assign Security Zone manually. (See this KB for more information on Security Zones)

To assign a Web site to a specific security zone:

1. In Internet Explorer 4.x, click Internet Options on the View menu.

   In Internet Explorer 5 and 6, click Internet Options on the Tools menu.

2. In Internet Explorer 4.x, on the Security tab, click the zone to which you want to assign a Web site in the Zone box, and then click Add Sites.

   In Internet Explorer 5 and 6, on the Security tab, click the zone to which you want to assign a Web site under Select a Web content zone to specify its security settings, and then click Sites.

   If you add a Web site to the Local Intranet zone, you can select the types of Web sites that you want to include in the zone, and then click Advanced to add specific sites. The following rules apply to the Local Intranet zone options. Be aware that adding a site to any zone takes precedence over the following rules:

   • Include all local (intranet) sites that are not listed in other zones: Intranet sites have names that do not include periods (for example, http://local). A site name such as http://www.microsoft.com is not local because it contains periods. This site is assigned to the Internet zone. The intranet site name rule applies to both "file:" and "http:" addresses. Be aware that top-level Internet domains may be accessed by using a name that does not contain periods. If you can gain access to generic (.com, .org, .net, .edu, .gov, .mil, or .int) or country code domains (.us, .jp, .uk, and so on), clear this option to prevent these sites from using Local Intranet security settings. For more information about top-level domains, visit the following Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Web site:
     http://www.icann.org/tlds
   • Include all sites that bypass the proxy server: Typical intranet configurations use a proxy server to gain access to the Internet with a direct connection to intranet servers. This setting uses this kind of configuration information to distinguish intranet from Internet content for zones. If the proxy server is configured differently, clear this option and use other options to designate files that are assigned to the Local Intranet zone. On computers that do not have a proxy server, this setting has no effect.
   • Include all network paths (UNCs): Network paths (for example, \local\file.txt) are typically used for local network content that should be included in the Local Intranet zone. If there are network paths that should not be in the Local Intranet zone, clear this option and use other options to designate files that are assigned to the Local Intranet zone. For example, in certain Common Internet File System (CIFS) configurations, a network path can reference Internet content.

3. Type a Web address in the Add this Web site to the zone box, and then click Add.

4. Click OK, and then click OK again.

When you add sites to the Local Intranet or Trusted Sites zones, you can require that server verification be used if you click to select the Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone check box.