VPN connection seems to work. Now what?

[Ron]

Hi

I've got a VPN connection between my home system behind a Netgear router and
an office Linksys VPN wireless router.

I used the "QuickVPN" setup on the Linksys router and used "QuickVPN client
software" on the home system. By typing in the password, and clicking
connect, I can see at home that I'm connected to the office router. But,
NOW what? I want to run a software package from home that accesses the data
at the office. How can I do that?

Home system will always establish the connection, and it's IP address is
dynamic. The office's IP address is static. Both computer systems run
Windows XP. I don't want to use RD...would rather have the network drive
(at office) mapped into my home system just like the other computer sitting
here in the same room.

The local ip addresses behind the router at home are 192.168.0.x and the
local ip addresses behind the router at work 10.226.14.x where x depends on
which machine.

Can anyone help me get over this last hurdle to happiness?

TIA
ron

 

[Sooner Al \(MVP\)]

If the software package can be pointed to the data on the remote PC you should be able to do that...
What software package and have you looked at its help files to figure out how to point to the data
location over a network?

--
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...

 

[Ron]

The shared folders on the main computer aren't visible in My Network Places.
Nothing's visible as a matter of fact. The client software indicates I'm
connected but that's it. I can't map the network drive, allowing usage here
(old software that doesn't recognize \\server\folder\subfolder but would
recognize drive Q:, etc).

 

[Ron]

Oh, and also. I'd *assume* I am connected to the router...what else would
say "connected" (from the VPN Client software's point of view)? If I'm
connected to the router at work, then shouldn't I have the same capabilities
as another user who's hardwired to that router at work? Cause I don't.
Nothing is visible from the standpoint of that network I'm "connected" to.

Thanks
ron

 

[Guest]

Ron you have to enable file and print sharing on the computer which has the
data file on it. Also you should see the computer under view workgroup
computers (in the left pane in my network places) if you don't your not
connected.

 

[Ron]

Thanks for the response. I'm connected to something. Possibly this is more
complex than just file and print sharing--that's why I'm posting for help
from the "working remotely" gurus.

I run the QuickVPN client on my home computer. It connects to the router at
the office (with the appropriate ISP IP addy typed in). I watch it go
through the various steps to connect. It DOES connect. It stays connected
and the timer keeps timing. I just checked...I've been connected this time
for 4+ hours (I just forgot, last time I tried to get something going, to
disconnect so it's been connected all this time--at least it's timing
something!). I can even successfully ping the local IP address of the
computer at the office that I'm trying to read the files from. That works
fine...but still no files, no drives, no printer is accessible.

The computer behind the router at the office HAS file and print sharing
active--the 2 other computers at the office that are behind that router CAN
utilize it's data. It's just that this computer at home, even though
connected to the router via VPN can NOT use the data. I don't see it's
drive nor printer. And it's not listed on the "view workgroup computers"
list either. I know that logically, since all this other stuff is working,
it SHOULD be there, but it isn't.

TIA for any further suggestions--I THINK I've already tried all the easy
stuff.
ron

 

[Guest]

I am in the process of doing some upgrading and exploring and I now have the
same problem on one of my connections. I read in another thread someone
having a similar problem and they found that in the windows firewall file and
print sharing was not checked you don't have that problem do you?

 

[Ron]

I'll check on Monday--office is closed today.

Thanks for the suggestion.
ron

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

The shared folders on the main computer aren't visible in My Network
Places.

Browsing the remote network won't work unless you have WINS on the server &
have specified the WINS server in your local IP config, most likely.

Nothing's visible as a matter of fact. The client software
indicates I'm connected but that's it. I can't map the network
drive, allowing usage here (old software that doesn't recognize
\\server\folder\subfolder but would recognize drive Q:, etc).

Browsing & name resolution are somewhat related, but aren't the same thing.
If you can't ping computername, you can't see \\computername. If you can
ping the LAN IP address of computername, you have connectivity - name
resolution will require either WINS (see above), DNS (presuming Active
Directory or an internal DNS server on the remote network) or an LMHOSTS
file (see http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;180094)

File & printer sharing must be enabled on the remote computer, and if the
firewall is enabled on it, you must set exceptions to allow this.

All that said - depending on the nature/size of the software/data you want
to use remotely, you may find that Remote Desktop (WinXP Pro only) or
Terminal Services (Win2k server, Win2003) is a much better option.
Accessing, say, a database app/file over a VPN connection may cause
problems.RD is much less bandwidth-hogging than file access over VPN, and if
your Internet/VPN connection gets interrupted, you'll just get disconnected
from the RD session, and can usually reconnect with no data loss.

You can use VPN to access the remote network & then use RD, for an
additional layer of security (rather than just opening up port 3389 in the
office firewall).

 

[Guest]

Ron just curious if you got anywhere with problem I am still stumped on mine
i have local computer geek looking into this and he is stumped too. I just
for fun hooked my computer (client) and hooked it directly to the cable modem
and turned off the firewall then turned off the firewall on the remote
computer (server) which is just hooked directly to the cable modem. As
always I coul connect just fine but I cannot see anything on the server. So
this should eliminate any kind of port forwarding or the windows firewall out
of the equation. I assume the server when connected should become part of my
workgroup just like the other computers. Maybe this is not how this works!

 

[Ron]

Hi Parker

Well, I've given up on connecting directly to the drives on the office's
computer. I just haven't been able to get it done. One suggestion
(Lanwrench - 1/30/05 this thread) was that I needed WINS, or DNS with Active
Directory, or DNS server, or LMHOSTS. Near as I can tell, that requires
other software on the drive at work (which is just a straight ahead Windows
XP Pro system we *use* as a server, not really a server so NO server
software). So, all that seems to be out.

Also, speed was a factor. The programs needed to run over this process are
a scheduling program and a billing program--both database centric. I'd
heard the speed over DSL for that purpose would be an issue.

Everyone seems to hype Remote Desktop as an easier, simpler and quicker
solution. I'm going that way I think. I just have to sell the idea of
having 2 extra computers at work that the outlaying offices can RD into is
all. No easy job, since the guy who controls the money still has the first
dollar he ever made stashed away in the bank.

By the way, I tried all those things you mention also. No go on mine
either. Once I'm connected to the router at work via VPN I can ping the
office system's "server". I can hook into it with RD and control it just
like I'm sitting there. But no way, no how can I figure out how to map the
drive to my home system while I'm at home.

If you ever come up with the solution, let me know. I'd still be interested
in trying it just to see what the speed would be like. And thanks for
trying to help too.

ALL the suggestions from everyone has been appreciated!

Hang in
ron

 

[texas snowman]

Hi

I've got a VPN connection between my home system behind a Netgear router and
an office Linksys VPN wireless router.

I used the "QuickVPN" setup on the Linksys router and used "QuickVPN client
software" on the home system. By typing in the password, and clicking
connect, I can see at home that I'm connected to the office router. But,
NOW what? I want to run a software package from home that accesses the data
at the office. How can I do that?

Home system will always establish the connection, and it's IP address is
dynamic. The office's IP address is static. Both computer systems run
Windows XP. I don't want to use RD...would rather have the network drive
(at office) mapped into my home system just like the other computer sitting
here in the same room.

The local ip addresses behind the router at home are 192.168.0.x and the
local ip addresses behind the router at work 10.226.14.x where x depends on
which machine.

Can anyone help me get over this last hurdle to happiness?

TIA
ron

Ron,
Maybe I'm not understanding your problem correctly but, if after
establishing your VPN connection, you can ping the machine on the
office network (ex. 10.226.14.101) then you should be able to access
the shared devices on that machine by using the local ip instead of
the nameserver. (ex. net use o: \\10.226.14.101\c ). Then, of course,
you would set the data path for the program you wish to run on your
home machine to drive o:

 

[Ron]

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! That works. Still, the remote drive isn't
in My Network Places, but I can map it, and have access the way I wanted so
that's all that matters. Still a puzzle to me why I can't do this map to
that remote drive via windows, but the command prompt has always been my
true friend anyway. Using it this way, however, does give me the drive
under network drives so this'll work.

I may have forgotten to mention: THANK YOU!

ron

 

[texas snowman]

Glad I could help.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! That works. Still, the remote drive isn't
in My Network Places, but I can map it, and have access the way I wanted so
that's all that matters. Still a puzzle to me why I can't do this map to
that remote drive via windows, but the command prompt has always been my
true friend anyway. Using it this way, however, does give me the drive
under network drives so this'll work.

I may have forgotten to mention: THANK YOU!

ron