VPN - Host IP changes, causing trouble

[Julie]

We have a setup here where an XP Pro machine acts as
host for a single incoming VPN connection from another XP machine.

On the remote box, the "use default gateway on host" isn't checked
(to permit Internet use while the VPN is running.) So the IP address
handed out to the remote box by the VPN server has no gateway specified.

Because of this, we can't access the host by it's name, such as \\HOST.
However, we can access it by using its IP address, such as \\167.254.25.254.

The trouble is that the host's private IP address (167.254.25.254 in the example
above) changes periodically, so our shortcuts on the remote box to files on
the host stop working until we change them to reflect the host's new private
IP address.

Is there a way to either:

1. Stop the host's private IP address from changing; or,
2. Allow hostname resolution without using the host's gateway on the remote machine?

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

Why not use a static IP for the host?

http://www.portforward.com/networking/static-xp.htm

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...

 

[Julie]

Why not use a static IP for the host?

Simple. Because it has nothing to do with what I asked about.

As I stated in my post, the problem is with the private host IP address
assigned by XP to the VPN host.

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

You mean the VPN IP assigned to the PPTP VPN *client* PC changes
occasionally?

Since you only have one client connecting why not tighten up the address
range for the possible VPN IP addresses that can be assigned to the client?
That is configured on the server in this window. In this example my PPTP VPN
server address is 192.168.200.11 while my one and only client is assigned an
IP of 192.168.200.12...

http://theillustratednetwork.mvps.org/WM2003/VPN_Server/IncomingConnectionsTCPIP.JPG

Beyond that I don't know how else to do what you want to do...

By the way I presume your aware of the security issues involved with split
tunneling and unchecking "use default gateway on host" checkbox?

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg1003.mspx#EQCAC

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...