Can't map drives over multi-homed network (VPN)

[Arthur Hoornweg]

Hello all,

I'm currently experimenting with two Linksys BEFSX 41 hardware
routers because I want to setup a VPN to connect two small networks
over the internet.

One network is 192.168.1.X, the other is 192.168.2.X.
Both networks are workgroup-based (no domain server or DNS).

The VPN is working, and I can PING all somputers in the remote
network and vice versa. I can't map any drives with my Windows
XP and 2000 though, not even by IP address. I get errors like
"server not found".


I've also tried to enter the IP addresses of the remote servers
into HOSTS and LMHOSTS to no avail.

Any clues?

 

[Leythos]

Hello all,

I'm currently experimenting with two Linksys BEFSX 41 hardware
routers because I want to setup a VPN to connect two small networks
over the internet.

One network is 192.168.1.X, the other is 192.168.2.X.
Both networks are workgroup-based (no domain server or DNS).

The VPN is working, and I can PING all somputers in the remote
network and vice versa. I can't map any drives with my Windows
XP and 2000 though, not even by IP address. I get errors like
"server not found".


I've also tried to enter the IP addresses of the remote servers
into HOSTS and LMHOSTS to no avail.

Any clues?

Those routers pass all traffic between them through the tunnel if you
have it setup correctly - you said you can ping a computer from one side
on the other side. The ping should indicate that the tunnel is passing
traffic correctly.

There is no simple means to do name resolution through the tunnel - you
would need to use Wins or DNS on both sides to ensure that you could
resolve names.

In your case, since you are using a "workgroup" you need to make sure
that both sides have complementary user/password combinations, much the
same as in your single workgroup, in order to share files properly.

From a command prompt do the following:

net use local_drive_letter: \\192.168.2.host_ip\sharename

Change the local drive letter to an unused drive letter on the local
computer

Change the host_ip to a IP for a remote computer (I hope they are fixed
IP's).

Change the sharename to the name of the share you created

Now, when you execute it you should get an error that makes sense -
permission, password, user account.....

I've got bunches of routers setup with IPSec tunnels and have no
problems with them, but I also use a domain and register the host with
the DNS server and don't have to worry about "workgroup" permissions.

 

[Arthur Hoornweg]

Found the issue, it was the damn Windows XP SP-2 firewall!
By default it allows only connections from the current subnet...

 

[Leythos]

Found the issue, it was the damn Windows XP SP-2 firewall!
By default it allows only connections from the current subnet...

I've found that to be true with the workstation is part of any domain -
which can be a real pain for some networks. SP2 should disable the
firewall when it detects that the computer is part of a DOMAIN.

 

[Arthur Hoornweg]

My PC's are not part of a domain, just a workgroup!