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VPN question

I'm using Cicso VPN client to connect to my office network. It's installed a Deterministic Network Enhancer in my network properties. I believe it's purpose is to adjust my DNS/Wins settings to my office's...
Fine - now my problem here is I need to get to server1.
I can ping server1 by IP only.
I cannot ping it by name.

I cannot net use to this server at all - either IP or name.

Help?

Hi
is server1 within your local network or part of vpn on the side?
If its your local server, try enable netbuie on your machine, should work after that with net use command.
cheers

another way out could be making sure your wins and dns settings are ok for your office net.

ASKER

Nope - it's on the remote network (VPN).
I've tried lmhosts - no go...

OR try that-----got to %systemroot%system32\drivers\etc\
and edit the "hosts" file. add in this line:

10.10.10.20 mycomputer
where 'mycomputer' is the name of the server1 you are trying to reach. and '10.10.10.20' is the IP
maybe thats quick fix!!
cheers

ASKER

Yep - those settings are provided from my office.
I can ping my DNS server.

Ping 167.69.x.x
even resolve it
ping -a 167.69.x.x
ping it's fqdn
but not it's name only...

Same results with server1 - if I use fqdn, no problem 'pinging' it. But still can't net use to it, even supplying my correct credentials...

ASKER

Sorry - my initial post said I couldn't ping by name - which is partially accurate. Fqdn works fine...

ASKER

Good call nazirahmed - I'll try hosts, but I don't recall - do I put it in fqdn or just the name?
Also - how do I refresh it? like nbtstat -R for netbios...

what abt the remote server, does it has any dns/wins server? can you ping them?
try just putting in the server1 name.

ASKER

remote server?
Nothing wrong with the office-network. It works fine.
It's my communication from here somehow...

yes thats what i am trying to ask, does the server1 is on different dns or wins settings?

sorry...missed a bit...right...can you access other machines by name(not fqdn) in your office network while connected through vpn?try adding the entry to host file. did you try enabling netbuie on your machine?

ASKER

Netbios is enabled - netbeui? Uh, no.
I have the same results whichever server/workstation, I choose.
However, I can use RDC to get to our Term Server, so that's working somehow...??

ASKER

Okay - hosts change appears to have allowed me to ping server1 by name only.
But I still can't net use to it...
This IS supplying the right credentials also:
net use * \\server1\sharename /user:user@domain.com

I get network path not found...

ASKER

I can't do a net use to the Term Server either.
A 'little' further - it prompted me for a password, but same results...

But i CAN connect to it through remote desktop. I understand different port here, but what gives?

Boosting points. I need this resolved today...

for a quick fix it's lmhosts you want to populate for netbios names

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q180/0/94.asp&NoWebContent=1

you seem to have dns but not wins being pumped into your vpn client

if you can tell us which client and vpn server, maybe we can help

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ASKER

No - that's not it.
I realize now (after you mention netbios names) to double-check my lmhosts.
Forgot to rename it from .sam, but even after resolving that, I can now ping by name, but can't connect.
What do you mean by client and vpn server aside from it being Cisco?

ASKER

Ha -what timing?
So double-checking that inches me closer, but still can't net use...

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ASKER

I use Cisco Systems VPN Client (VPN Dialer). Not sure about it much other than that...
I don't know what the VPN server side is comprised of.
The client piece is set to "Allow transparent tunneling" and "Allow IPSec over UDP (NAT/PAT) as opposed to over TCP (NAT/PAT/Firewall).

I can bring up a cmd window and can ping the server by name, ip or fqdn.
But if I try a unc (\\server1\share) or net use * \\server1\share, even with my /user:user@domain.com, it fails with
System error 53 - network path not found

I can however use Remote Desktop to connect to the Terminal Server.

I'm here if any more questions...thanx for the help thus far!

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ASKER

Not sure about the backend - but I've got the ping thing down now. I can ping it any which way till Sunday - just can't map to any shares....

is server1 in your LMHOSTS file?

Ping is using the ICMP protocol. You can ping something all WEEK long and not be able to do anything else. Don't be fooled by the ability to ping something. Check to see if they are blocking NetBios

I suspect they're not giving him a wins server in the vpn dhcp

can you post IPCONFIG /ALL when you're connected?

(obfuscate real IP addresses is any)

ASKER

>>chicagoan-is server1 in your LMHOSTS file?
Yes

>>trimmer11
I understand how PING works. I understand NetBIOS 'could' be blocked.
This has worked for me before and I would think that
net use * \\167.69.x.x\share would eliminate netbios anyway

>>I suspect they're not giving him a wins server in the vpn dhcp
Yes, I have both DNS and WINS from my network (I know these addresses by heart, because I build our field servers)

>>IPCONFIG:

Before:

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXXXX
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Unknown
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : xxx.xxx.xxxx.xxx
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100B PCI Adapter (TX)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-A0-C9-XX-XX-XX
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 204.127.XXX.XX
216.148.XXX.XX
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 06, 2004 3:47:54 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 07, 2004 3:47:54 PM

After:

Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : XXXXXX
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : same as before
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) PRO/100B PCI Adapter (TX)
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-A0-C9-D8-0D-4C
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.102
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 167.69.XX.XX - company's primary DNS
167.69.XXX.XXX - company's secondary
Primary WINS Server . . . . . . . : 167.69.XX.XX - company's primary WINS
Secondary WINS Server . . . . . . : 167.69.XXX.XXX - company's secondary WINS
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Friday, February 06, 2004 3:52:39 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Saturday, February 07, 2004 3:52:39 PM

net use * \\167.69.x.x\share would eliminate netbios anyway

Using the IP address in leu of the name does not elimate NetBIOS at all. NetBios is what does the mapping and is the protocl used to x-fer the data for a mapped drive. Using the IP simply forgoes the name resolution issue that you are having. If it worked before, I would be asking what had changed.

ASKER

Ha - I rebuilt my machine. That's what's changed... GRrrrr.

Now, if I use my laptop from work (which I don't have today of all days), this works fine (connecting on my network and tunneling into the office).
So, I'm inclined to believe it's a setting here that's been overlooked, not a restriction.

My apologies for not including all the details in advance...
And again - thanx for everyone's help on this!

ahhh,

so you have an issue on your PC. Have you tried re-installing or updating to the latets Cisco VPN client? Do you have any software firewalling installed or XP FW enabled? On your NIC configuration is NetBIOS over TCP enabled? Can you map from your desktop to your laptop?

ASKER

I've got 2 systems here.
I can map between the two, no problem.
I don't use XP's ICF, but I do have ZAP (disabled 4 testing) and am behind a linksys router...

Now I've tested this from PC2 and get the same results.
So either (a) - they have recently turned off netbios, or (b) something's amiss with my router?
I'm trying to remember and before when it 'worked' may have been before I had the router.
I will test without it and let you know...

ASKER

Any other ideas guys?
If not, I think I'm going to close this chapter.
I can 'get around' my need for the network by pulling the file I'm looking for over another access point.

I don't want to simpy delete the question though - you guys have helped if nothing else learn a little more.
If no one has any other suggestions, I'd like to have the points dropped to 300 and split 3 ways -if no objections...

right....
after all this dicussion we reached to the point, that you re-built you system, you were able to net use before but not after re-build, on the other hand, the second pc is getting same message while it was ok before...right? There could be a change at your server end...OR..as you said you have router now, so may be its your router which blocking arp requests!
You mentioned somewhere in the posts that you had system error 53, you have name resolution problem(yes i know...we all agree on that but this error confirms it...again:) ).

Just to add my two cents if I may. Firstly, early linksys routers were infamous for loosing the MTU settings (and several others) periodically throughout the day. A firmware upgrade usually resolved the problem. However, during this time the router would accept the MTU set by $MS (usually 1500). The end user would experience a plethora of issues to include fouled encryption and especially https and pptp, (my assumption would be that it would affect l2tp as well, although never directly tested).
The second part of this is that there is a setting that sets VPN pass through for both PPTP and L2TP that is a firmware setting that could be affected by the router. My first guess from the information I've gleaned off this thread is that your MTU settings have bumped to outer space, and the instability of the connection is causing a netbios pass through to the RRAS server on their end.
Just some ideas.

"Random thoughts work best when they are really random..."

ASKER

Hmm akmystic1 - perhaps I'll open another thread for improving my MTU.
I think when I tested it last, it was like 1300. :(

ASKER

If any of you are interested: http:Q_20876285.html