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obsidiman

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Better browsing through a VPN connection

Hi,
I am using a VPN connection into the office succesfully, for the most part.  Mail works, pinging the servers work etc.  But the problem is with browsing the network, using explorer.  I am using xp client and 2000 server and an old netopia router over ADSL.

Now I have become aware from articles on the internet that you need netbios to transmit the browser information over a VPN connection, and for that you generally need a WINS server.  So I set one up on the main server.  And hey presto I could browse!

BUT, it isn't reliable.  When I log on there is often a significant delay in the time taken for me to see the network neighbourhood.  It is around 10 minutes, but varies from low minutes to VPN disconnect timeout.  In that time, I can ping the machines, attach using map network neighbourhood etc, just not browse.  

So I suspect that the WINS info isn't getting to my client PC all that quickly, is there anyway to speed this up?

Further info: I have installed ethereal and looked at the network traffic.  In the period before browsing works I get a lot of requests from my PC (when I hit refresh in explorer) to the server IP asking for "Get Backup List Request" using the "browser" protocol.  These requests are not responded to.  After the network is visible, then I get different info and the request is acknowledged and acted on.

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Les Moore
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obsidiman

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OK, I had an lmhosts, then renamed it out of the way during this process.  However, to be sure I followed your suggestion and I added in the server/ip mapping with a #PRE to a new lmhosts.  I was instantly able to connect to the network when I VPN'd back in.  Twice.  How annoying :-)  Looks like this was it!  Thanks!