VPN Setup and accessed, but a couple of questions....

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.vpn (More info?)

Hello,

First off, I hope am asking this in the right group,
and apoligize if not.


This is my first attempt at setting up a VPN using
WindowsXP Professional.
I'm giving all the details of my setup process so
please bear with me...

Using broadband at work and home.


Here is my setup

At work I have WindowsXP Professional
Drive "D" (slave drive) Shared.
I went through the Network Wizard and
setup a VPN Server.
Setup up advanced connection
Accept incoming connections
Allow virtual private connections
Setup User Permissions
Allow Callers to access my local area network
Set Static IP.
IP is 192.168.1.31 to 192.168.1.34
(only 3 connections is all I need)
As you may have guessed, my work LAN is behind
a Linksys Router (BEFW11S4) which I have gone
in and forwared port 1723. IPSec Passthrough,
PPTP Passthrough, and PPPoE Passthrough are all
enabled. Both Home and Work computers are on the
same workgroup (MYPLACE)

Now at home I setup a VNP Client
(Home computer has XP Professional.)
Start Network Wizard...
Connect to the network at my workplace...
Virtual Private Network Connection...
Give the connection a name...(workcpu)
Click "Do not dial inital connection"...
Enter the host IP
(which is the public IP 68.6.170.xxx) extracted
from the router's status page at work,
and added a shortcut to desktop (why not)

Ok all done. Double click on workcpu connection..
comes up with username and password.. inputed
connection established... Verifying Username and
password... done. Registering on the network.. done!

COOL!!

So I go to Network Places ...
View workgroup computers and expect to find
a few other computers there...
None, except my usual local area network computers.

Hummm....

So I do a google search... do a little reading
and finally, I'm able to "map" a drive by typing
\\192.168.1.31\d
that works! I can see my files at work, but of
course this is really not what I had in mind.
Mapping a drive will give you an error the next
time your reboot. "Can't connect to drive bla bal bal"

Is there any way to access the shared drive without
mapping? or get my workcpu to showup in
Network Neighborhood?

Or if I unshare the entire drive and just
share a few folders on the VPN Server?

I also read about editing the host file. I can do
this if I knew what settings to use and on which
computer to edit the host file.

Thanks
Kendall

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.vpn (More info?)

Kendall,

My comments are inline.

> Is there any way to access the shared drive without
> mapping? or get my workcpu to showup in
> Network Neighborhood?

First, this may be possible using the "VPN Server" as a WINS server,
and specifying that IP in the VPN setup under the networking tab on the
remote. Or, you could write a short batch file to create the mappings
for you when you connect so that you don't have to manually do it
everytime. Just be sure to uncheck the reconnect box so you won't get
the error message.

> Or if I unshare the entire drive and just
> share a few folders on the VPN Server?

You'll end up with the same problem, but it is probably a better idea
to share only what you need. Also, be very careful not to give
Everyone full permissions.

> I also read about editing the host file. I can do
> this if I knew what settings to use and on which
> computer to edit the host file.

Editing the host files is akin to creating the WINS entries, but you
would enter these on the remote computer. Go to this folder:
Windows > System32 > drivers > etc > and open the hosts (or hosts.sam
file using notepad. Create the host entries just like the localhost
entry:

10.1.1.1 MYSERVER

If the file was named hosts.sam, you need to go to a command prompt
(Start > Run > cmd) then navigate to that directory then rename the
file using dos:
cd\
cd windows
cd system32
cd drivers
cd etc
ren hosts.sam hosts

This will allow those machine names to be resolved on the remote when
connected to the server, and will make your mappings look like this:
\\MYSERVER\C instead of \\10.1.1.1\C

To create the batch file I spoke about earlier, open notepad, type in:
net use r: \\MYSERVER\C [substituting your share name(s) and drive
letter you want to use] for all the folders/drives you have shared on
the server.


If any of this is unclear, let me know.

Hope it helps,
Danny

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.vpn (More info?)

Thanks Danny

The more I think about it, it is better to map drives.
The batch file you said to make works great.

I tried to access my company file on quickbooks
and it worked, but ever soooooo slow.
I guess it must have to download the
entire data file (which is 42meg) before it
fires up. Once it started it seems to go
ok.

Thanks again

Kendall



On 16 Mar 2005 13:02:40 -0800, "Dblood" <dbloodworth@infinitechs.com>
wrote:

>Kendall,
>
>My comments are inline.
>
>> Is there any way to access the shared drive without
>> mapping? or get my workcpu to showup in
>> Network Neighborhood?
>
>First, this may be possible using the "VPN Server" as a WINS server,
>and specifying that IP in the VPN setup under the networking tab on the
>remote. Or, you could write a short batch file to create the mappings
>for you when you connect so that you don't have to manually do it
>everytime. Just be sure to uncheck the reconnect box so you won't get
>the error message.
>
>> Or if I unshare the entire drive and just
>> share a few folders on the VPN Server?
>
>You'll end up with the same problem, but it is probably a better idea
>to share only what you need. Also, be very careful not to give
>Everyone full permissions.
>
>> I also read about editing the host file. I can do
>> this if I knew what settings to use and on which
>> computer to edit the host file.
>
>Editing the host files is akin to creating the WINS entries, but you
>would enter these on the remote computer. Go to this folder:
>Windows > System32 > drivers > etc > and open the hosts (or hosts.sam
>file using notepad. Create the host entries just like the localhost
>entry:
>
>10.1.1.1 MYSERVER
>
>If the file was named hosts.sam, you need to go to a command prompt
>(Start > Run > cmd) then navigate to that directory then rename the
>file using dos:
>cd\
>cd windows
>cd system32
>cd drivers
>cd etc
>ren hosts.sam hosts
>
>This will allow those machine names to be resolved on the remote when
>connected to the server, and will make your mappings look like this:
>\\MYSERVER\C instead of \\10.1.1.1\C
>
>To create the batch file I spoke about earlier, open notepad, type in:
>net use r: \\MYSERVER\C [substituting your share name(s) and drive
>letter you want to use] for all the folders/drives you have shared on
>the server.
>
>
>If any of this is unclear, let me know.
>
>Hope it helps,
>Danny

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.vpn (More info?)

Kendall wrote:
> Thanks Danny
>
> The more I think about it, it is better to map drives.
> The batch file you said to make works great.
>
> I tried to access my company file on quickbooks
> and it worked, but ever soooooo slow.
> I guess it must have to download the
> entire data file (which is 42meg) before it
> fires up. Once it started it seems to go
> ok.
>
> Thanks again
>
> Kendall

Kendall,

Quickbooks is classically slow when opening the file like you're doing
it. Here's another suggestion, (on your work computer) go to control
panel, double-click the system icon, click the tab for Remote, then
check the box to allow users to connect remotely to this computer.
That will enable Remote Desktops (terminal services). On the home
computer, after the work computer is enabled, (Connect to your VPN) go
to Start > All programs > Accessories > Communications > Remote Desktop
Connection. Type in the local IP of the work computer and click
connect. Doing it this way allows you to use the computer at work to
process the file at work, and you only see what's happening there.
Much quicker and cleaner.

Let me know if this helps,

Danny