G
Guest
I have a home network set up to share a high-speed internet connection, a
printer, and some files between a desktop computer and a notebook computer.
Day before yesterday everything was working fine.
Yesterday I installed the CISCO VPN CLIENT software v4.6, connected to a
remote computer, tried unsuccessfully to access the remote compute with
UltraVNC, disconnected, and noticed that printer sharing was not working and
everything the notebook did with IE was running very slowly.
Today, after spending several hours troubleshooting, including un-installing
CISCO VPN CLIENT, the local network is working fine again.
I'd still like to use the VPN software, but before installing it again I'd
like to be a bit betterprepared to get-back-where-I-came-from in the likely
event that I wind up with a disabled home network. And a bit better prepared
to collect information about the network at various points in the process.
I've looked through numerous threads here and elsewhere, but I don't find a
simple, cookbook solution for how to make the VPN work in my environment, so..
Here is my plan:
1- Take System Restore checkpoint
2- Run network tools (see QUESTIONS below)
3- Install and activate VPN software (probably re-boot)
4- Run network tools again
5- Connect with VPN software
6- Run network tools again
7- PROBABLY: Restore System
8- Analyze results and Try again
MY QUESTIONS:
1- Is my plan reasonable? Should System Restore get me back to where I was?
2- I've download the Microsoft XP SP2 Support Tools. For "Run network tools"
(above) what tools would be most useful to run to get a picture of the status
and configuration of my network? I assume browstat. Others? I would run
ipconfig and try pinging also. Anything else I can do to collect this
information?
3- CISCO published an article about using the VPN Client software in an XP
wireless network environment. I've browsed the article, but find myself
stopping every other sentence and pondering some network acronym or term --
I'm network challenged. I gather that the position they are taking is "Hey,
if you're having trouble using VPN client in WIN/XP, it must be a WIN/XP
problem". I don't spot a lot of "Here are steps you can take in configuring
VPN to avoid problems". If someone is familiar enough with VPN and/or this
particualr document, or has the time to peruse it, I'd appreciate any advice
that can be gleaned from it.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2308/products_tech_note09186a0080194b4a.shtml#intro
MY CONFIGURATION:
MOTOROLA SB4100 CABLE MODEM ->
DLINK VOIP T/A ->
LINKSYS WRT54G ~~ ethernet cable ~~ DELL DESKTOP WIN/XP SP2
WIRELESS ROUTER ~~ wireless ~~ HP NOTEBOOK WIN/XP SP2
The shared printer is usb-connected to the DESKTOP.
TIA for any help,
Phil
printer, and some files between a desktop computer and a notebook computer.
Day before yesterday everything was working fine.
Yesterday I installed the CISCO VPN CLIENT software v4.6, connected to a
remote computer, tried unsuccessfully to access the remote compute with
UltraVNC, disconnected, and noticed that printer sharing was not working and
everything the notebook did with IE was running very slowly.
Today, after spending several hours troubleshooting, including un-installing
CISCO VPN CLIENT, the local network is working fine again.
I'd still like to use the VPN software, but before installing it again I'd
like to be a bit betterprepared to get-back-where-I-came-from in the likely
event that I wind up with a disabled home network. And a bit better prepared
to collect information about the network at various points in the process.
I've looked through numerous threads here and elsewhere, but I don't find a
simple, cookbook solution for how to make the VPN work in my environment, so..
Here is my plan:
1- Take System Restore checkpoint
2- Run network tools (see QUESTIONS below)
3- Install and activate VPN software (probably re-boot)
4- Run network tools again
5- Connect with VPN software
6- Run network tools again
7- PROBABLY: Restore System
8- Analyze results and Try again
MY QUESTIONS:
1- Is my plan reasonable? Should System Restore get me back to where I was?
2- I've download the Microsoft XP SP2 Support Tools. For "Run network tools"
(above) what tools would be most useful to run to get a picture of the status
and configuration of my network? I assume browstat. Others? I would run
ipconfig and try pinging also. Anything else I can do to collect this
information?
3- CISCO published an article about using the VPN Client software in an XP
wireless network environment. I've browsed the article, but find myself
stopping every other sentence and pondering some network acronym or term --
I'm network challenged. I gather that the position they are taking is "Hey,
if you're having trouble using VPN client in WIN/XP, it must be a WIN/XP
problem". I don't spot a lot of "Here are steps you can take in configuring
VPN to avoid problems". If someone is familiar enough with VPN and/or this
particualr document, or has the time to peruse it, I'd appreciate any advice
that can be gleaned from it.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2308/products_tech_note09186a0080194b4a.shtml#intro
MY CONFIGURATION:
MOTOROLA SB4100 CABLE MODEM ->
DLINK VOIP T/A ->
LINKSYS WRT54G ~~ ethernet cable ~~ DELL DESKTOP WIN/XP SP2
WIRELESS ROUTER ~~ wireless ~~ HP NOTEBOOK WIN/XP SP2
The shared printer is usb-connected to the DESKTOP.
TIA for any help,
Phil