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Austinns

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Server 2003 Remote Web Workspace connection issue

I setup a new 2003 Server this week and I am having an issue connecting to the Remote Web Workspace from a remote location.  The Workspace is enabled in the Internet and Email connection wizard.  Ports 80 and 443 are forwarded to the server.

If you go to the Default Website in the IIS manager and browse from the server itself, the Workspace allows connections to the server and to all the workstations on the domain.  

When you try to access the Workspace remotely, the main default website loads and you can select the Remote Web Workspace option.  When you choose the Workspace option, the page loads that lets you choose to connect to either servers or workstations.  You can see the list of server and workstations that are on the domain.  

The problem is that when you select a server or workstation and try to connect to it, it never connects.  You get the error that the machine you are trying to connect to is either too busy to accept the connection or that remote services aren't enabled.

The remote desktop is enabled on all the machines.  I know remote desktop works correctly because I can use the XP remote desktop connection to access the server remotely and then I can remote desktop again to the workstations.

Any ideas why remote desktop would allow connections to the machines, but Workspace will not?

All users are also members of the Remote Web Workspace users group.

Thanks in advance
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Jeffrey Kane - TechSoEasy
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Hi Austinns,

I moved this over to the SBS TA because SBS should not be treated the same as a standard Server 2003.

I would suspect that your problem may stem form exactly that kind of treatment.  Generally this happens when workstations are not added to the domain according to the prescribed method needed in an SBS environment... using http://<servername>/connectcomputer

If you did not join the workstations in this manner, then they will not be automatically configured properly for Remote Access.  In order to correct the situation you must follow these steps:

The following needs to be done with the client machine:
1.  Log in with THAT machine's LOCAL administrator account.
2.  Unjoin the domain into a WORKGROUP
3.  Change the name of the computer
4.  Delete or rename the following directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\Clients if it exists
5.  Ensure that DHCP is enabled and there are  no manually configured network settings
6.  Reboot

Then on the server, from the Server Management Console:
1.  Remove the client computers if it still shows in the Client Computer screen on the Server Management Console
2.  Add the client with it's NEW name using the Add Computer wizard

Then, go back to the client machine and join the domain by opening Internet Explorer and navigating to http://servername/connectcomputer

If you DID add the machines that way to begin with, please advise and I can provide further troubleshooting information.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
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Austinns

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Thanks for the comments Jeff.


I added the machines to the domain the old way of just doing it from the client machine.  I will try your suggestion in the next few days and let you know.
Austinns...

There are many differences between SBS and standard server systems.  It's important that you configure and administer your SBS according to the way it was designed.  If you need further information about this, please see http://sbsurl.com/techguide, and you may want to review http://sbsurl.com/itpro for an overview of the differences.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
I followed the steps 1-6 and then 1 and 2 as you have listed.

When I then go back to the client machine and try to log in with the local machine admin account, I get the "local poliy of this machine does not allow you to log on interactively."
Ah... well now we're getting to the root of the problem...  but I wonder how you were able to log on with the local administrator account previously???  What this is saying is that the local policy is prohibiting you to log on.

If that's the case then you will most likely have to reinstall XP because if you can't get on as the local administrator then you have a problem.

There are other methods to change this (such as using www.ubcd4win.com 's pre-windows boot CD), but I wouldn't recommend going that route unless reinstalling XP will be a problem.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
Just FYI, the other port which needs to be open on your network to allow RWW is 4125.  However, if you had a problem logging onto the workstation that is not in the domain this wouldn't have mattered.

Jeff
TechSoEasy
Actually, I was trying to do it remotely since I wasn't in the office.  The client was able to log onto the machine at the location, so the local logon appears to be fixed.  We tried using the http://servername/connectcomputer to join the domain and followed the wizard.  We added the users and then continued with the wizard setup.  After he clicked Finish, we got an error that stated that there was an error setting up the network settings and to contact the administrator.  Gotta love non-discript errors.

He had to work this weekend, so I had him add the machine back to the Domain by going to properties on My Computer and changing it back to the domain.local settting.  It joined right back up to the domain without any problems.

Any idea why we would be getting an error from the Wizard?

Thanks again
I added the 4125 port forward and eventhough I got the error from the wizard, RWW works to the machine that I tried the wizard on.  I will do the same thing to the other machines on Monday and I will let you know.

Also, thanks for the additional links to the SBS info.
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Jeffrey Kane - TechSoEasy
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Thanks for the info and all your help.  Everything is working correctly now.