[skylang]

A strange problem has recently developed. I have two computers connected remotely over a VPN. There are various shared folders on each, which are accessible from the other. Both are running XP Pro SP3. On one computer I cannot access 2 external hard drives remotely. All other shared folders are accessible, and external hard drives on the other computer are accessible in the other direction.

The strange thing is the access is denied by apparently not recognizing the login password. If I try to open either of the EHDs over the network, a login box pops up with the domain\username filled in (correctly) and requesting the password. This happens for all the other shared folders if, for instance, the target computer has rebooted. However, for just those two EHDs the login box rejects the correct and only password. The only way I can access the remote EHDs is to open a remote desktop session on the remote computer and I am then able to open shared folders in the other direction and make the transfer.

Anyone have any ideas?

[Silverhazesurfer]

I interpret this as: you can remote to a machine on the network and can get to these shares but not in the network browser when only connected via VPN. would this be correct?

Sounds like a share/permission issue. Perhaps VPN clients had something recently changed to access those shares?

[skylang]

Yes, that's correct. I also thought of the permissions problem so gave "Everyone" full permissions on the EHDs in question. Didn't help. What I don't understnad is how the VPN (Hamachi) would know or care about any difference between the EHDs, which are mapped as F:\ and G:\ on the remote computer, and the normal C:\ drive, which doesn't have any problem.

[Silverhazesurfer]

IF the VPN cared about that, the obvious difference is the fact that they are USB. While Windows could identify and use them as disks, there are limitations to what you can do with them actually as disks. For example, you can't RAID usb disks that are not in a RAID enclosure. And even that requires the enclosure to build the RAID and connect to the PC via one USB cable.

I am curious myself and will keep on it. I got some time.

[skylang]

Originally Posted by Silverhazesurfer

...obvious difference is the fact that they are USB.

Now that's a good point. I'll have to think about that one...

[Silverhazesurfer]

From this brief run down of Hamachi

http://www.vpntools.com/vpntools_art...amachi-vpn.htm

I gather that it may be Hamachi that is the issue. It says that the software allows you to connect to their servers. Does this mean you get an IP address from their network or yours? if you get an IP from them (i also assume that your remote machines do as well), then it could be a permission to access these types of remote devices.

For example, Microshaft has decided to do away with autorun. This is due to the ability to infect machines with USB sticks. It may be something along those lines.

[skylang]

With Hamachi, you are assigned a static IP when you install the software and it never changes after that. Somehow, that is the actual IP address assigned to the computer - run ipconfig and the Hamachi assigned IP address is the only external IP address that shows up. As far as I can tell, data does not go through Hamachi's servers (its not a proxy), except for the initial handshake when the computer starts up and Hamachi probes the network to find its partners.

But I agree that this looks like an avenue to explore.

[Silverhazesurfer]

yeah, I am curious to see what you find.