meagord
asked on
Access network resources over VPN
Hi
Whenever I setup a VPN connection to connect with our Small business server the only computer's file and printer resources we are able to access is the server itself.
I can ping other computers on the network and even connect using the remote desktop but I cannot connect to them to view files even using the IP referencing such as. //192.168.20.55/
The VPN seems to connect using different network addresses i.e. 169.xxx.xxx.xxx whereas our main network is on 192.168.20.xx. Is that normal? I assume also that the problem isn't with WINS as I am unable to view the files or printers through IP referencing?
Whenever I setup a VPN connection to connect with our Small business server the only computer's file and printer resources we are able to access is the server itself.
I can ping other computers on the network and even connect using the remote desktop but I cannot connect to them to view files even using the IP referencing such as. //192.168.20.55/
The VPN seems to connect using different network addresses i.e. 169.xxx.xxx.xxx whereas our main network is on 192.168.20.xx. Is that normal? I assume also that the problem isn't with WINS as I am unable to view the files or printers through IP referencing?
ASKER
Sorry just a typo. I am using \\192.168.20.55\
I've been trying to sort this for hours now without any luck. Any ideas would be appreciated.
I've been trying to sort this for hours now without any luck. Any ideas would be appreciated.
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ASKER
Thank you, I have now solved the problem (though I'm not 100% sure why there was a problem in the first place.
In case others are reading this with the same issue this is what I did.
In Administrative Tools->Routing and Remote Access I switched the IP alloocations from DCHP to a static address pool within our normal local network range. This now allows VPN users to connect to the other computer's shared files and printer by IP address (even though they could ping them before files and printing did not work.)
To allow people to browse the computer by name I entered a static entry in the WINS management console for the essential computers. (not sure if this is the best way but it does work!)
I am not sure if any of this is the correct solution as I'm a web developer and not a network engineer - there may be an underlying problem which I have simply worked around rather than fixed - but it's good enough for us now.
Thanks for your help!
In case others are reading this with the same issue this is what I did.
In Administrative Tools->Routing and Remote Access I switched the IP alloocations from DCHP to a static address pool within our normal local network range. This now allows VPN users to connect to the other computer's shared files and printer by IP address (even though they could ping them before files and printing did not work.)
To allow people to browse the computer by name I entered a static entry in the WINS management console for the essential computers. (not sure if this is the best way but it does work!)
I am not sure if any of this is the correct solution as I'm a web developer and not a network engineer - there may be an underlying problem which I have simply worked around rather than fixed - but it's good enough for us now.
Thanks for your help!
Changing the DHCP configuration repairing the access makes sense, but as suggested, I am not sure why you could ping before. As for WINS, NetBIOS names are not broadcast over a VPN as they would be a LAN, so WINS, or using an LMHosts file (not as versatile) works well.
Glad to hear you have it working.
Thanks meagord,
Cheers,
--Rob
Glad to hear you have it working.
Thanks meagord,
Cheers,
--Rob
Requires the later or \\192.168.20.55\ShareName
If this works you can continue to use IP's or we can help with name resolution.