Windows Remote Desktop Connection Problem with VPN

Can you please explain what "when I connect my Public VPN  for security ...  then I can not connect my home computer if my VPN is connected @ home" means?

If you are connected, then what can you not connect?

Also, what VPN are you using?  Microsoft PPPTP?
... Thinkpads_User

ohhh ok sorry let me explain .....



i use public VPN "witopia.net" for security on my home  desktop for internet browsing  but i also connects my home desktop  from my office .... if i left my VPN connected @ home desktop  i can not connect from my office coz, of VPN's External IP or somethg ....  for connecting home desktop i have to disconnect my witopia VPN from my home desktop  then i'll be able to connect my home PC ....


what i really want i keep running my VPN and i can also connect from my office via remote desktop is it possible?????

   

So is this Microsoft VPN? That may be the cause. ... T

yea PPTP connection and OpenVPN client  also

Microsoft PPPTP generally uses the whole connection for itself. You probably will have to disconnect it to use the other. VPN's can be troublesome in this regard. Whereas I can use Juniper Netscreen to connect to multiple clients and to the Internet at the same time. Then recently, I added a LinkSys RV042 router and created permanent tunnels. Now my remote client software (Juniper Netscreen Remote) no longer connects in this network. If I bypass the RV042, all is well. I still have to work this out. My point is that some VPN's will cause trouble for others. Microsoft PPPTP is one such VPN. ... Thinkpads_User

if i use one more interface i mean one more NIC card  and from linksys router i point that NIC's IP it wont work ???

That I cannot say. You can only try, but I have my doubts. ... Thinkpads_User

:( yea it didn't work

for this i installed 2 cards :( but it didn't work i used teamviewer but speed is very slow :(

You will to have to go into more detail here.

The Witopia, is it PPTP or OpenVPN? And what's the other VPN for?
While connected to Witopia, is the local network accessible, or is all traffic passing the VPN?
Are you getting a new IP address while connected to Witopia?

If Witopia does not restrict the local LAN access, normal RDP/RDC port forwarding works.

yea when i im connected with witopia i can access my other computers on the network and even i can connect RDC local IP

That falls in line with my most post at 1:57pm ... T

That answers only one of three questions ...

Olemo - please read the entire thread (to which I responded throughout). The only thing that worked is the OP can use the OpenVPN for multiple connections (as I can for a comparable client application).  Anything the OP has tried with PPPTP running has not worked (to which the OP has agreed).
.... Thinkpads_User

Thinkpads_user,
I cannot find any hint in this thread that your last post states the status quo. Maybe it's because I cannot read between the lines?

well guys 1st of all thanks for your reply but i didn't understand is there any solution ???or should i give up???

If I understand this, you are first using Microsoft PPPTP VPN to make a permanent connection from your home to witopia.net. Then you say that when this is in place you cannot connect between office and home with OpenVPN.

I think there is no solution to that except to disconnect the witopia connection when you need it. ... Thinkpads_User

I do not see any reason for PPTP and OpenVPN conflicting, as long as the OpenVPN does not set default gateway only, but appropriate (network or host) routes to the remote site.

Olemo - Microsoft PPPTP is a pain in the butt to work with. I have used it, and dislike it to the point I will not recommend it to anyone. It is not a split tunnel device and precludes other internet activity when it is active. If you can show onlyamir007 how to do this, please do, and I will record notes about it. For me, the split tunnel applications work so much better. My reason for saying what I say is that I have walked in these shoes and understand them. If you or anyone can show me the errors of my way, I shall be most pleased to listen. Thanks so much.
... Thinkpads_User

Never tried that combination of PPTP and OpenVPN at the same time, however, I'm pretty certain it can be handled. At least as long as you do not use "remote default gateway" option in PPTP, this is making a mess of all routing knowledge.

Not using remote default gateway results in:

• No change of default gateway. Internet is working as before, if you do not change routing (see below).
  
• External DNS server sent with the PPTP connection is not used, instead your own DNS server settings are obeyed.
• A network route to the PPTP's interface address is set.

Using remote default gateway causes:

• The local default gateway route is overridden by PPTP gateway; two default gateways are in routing table, but only PPTP is used.
• DNS server of PPTP  is used for all DNS queries
• High probability that the PPTP address is the favoured one.

If the Witopia uses a PPTP plugin (an extension of PPTP, managed by a customized DLL), than more than those effects can arrise.

You can override the default gateway handling in both cases by using two network routes - since network routes are more specific than default routes, they are preferred:
route add 0.0.0.0 mask 128.0.0.0  <<PPTP or local gateway>>
route add 128.0.0.0 mask 128.0.0.0 <<PPTP or local gateway>>

Thinkpads_User,
I agree, PPTP is a PITA (or with your words a PITB), especially if you have to open several at the same time from different workstations thru a NAT router to the same or different targets ... With some WireShark'ing and a lot of network/VPN knowledge you're often able to "Master" it (see my VPN and others grade :->).

hi Qlemo,

thanks for ur response well im not using PPTP and openVPn @ same time i have both things i use only one @ a time

thanks

To make sure, let's rephrase your problem - I'm not sure we are talking about the same things here ...

1. You want to connect from office to home with RDP (RDC). Port forwarding is working.
2. Home is connected to a router for normal Internet access, but is using a Dial-In PPTP from Witopia from time to time.
3. The Witopia connection is established from the home computer, not the router.
4. As long as Witopia connection is not established, RDP from public works.

Please confirm or correct this statements.

Further questions:

1. Is Witopia PPTP?
2. Is Witopia used with "remote default gateway" setting?
3. Did you try yet to RDP to the home computer from another local one while connected to Witopia?

Sorry for late reply ...  



Further questions:
Is Witopia PPTP?
- yes Witopia is PPTP

Is Witopia used with "remote default gateway" setting?
- Yes Witopia use with RDG settings

Did you try yet to RDP to the home computer from another local one while connected to Witopia?

- Yes i tried from my local computer it is working fine for example i connect my other computer which has no VPN connection i connect from Office to that computer then from there i connect RDC to VPN's PC  its working fine...

OK, this answers my 3 questions, and statements 1-3. I reckon statement 4 is true, too.

I'll need some time to think over the reasons for this. I did not expect the local RDC to work while Witopia is connected.

no problem & thanks for reply ....

Since Witopia connection sets remote default gateway, your packet is:

• coming in from your home router with its public IP to that PC
• sent over Witopia with a Witopia public IP, never reaching you
  

• • because a local stateful firewall in office rejects the traffic not coming from the correct IP address - this is normal behaviour
  • or Witopia does reject the traffic itself for unknown reasons.

Possible solutions:

1. If your office uses static public IPs, or dynamic IPs of a small area, create a persistent  host or network route on your home PC to that IP using your Linksys router as gateway, e.g. (with Linksys as 192.168.1.1)
    route -p add 12.34.56.78 192.168.1.1      or
   route -p add 12.34.56.78 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1
   
2. Run a DynDNS client on your home PC, create a DynDNS account (dyndns.org), and use that registered name for RDP.

First solution allows for traffic to the office always passing the Linksys.
Second solution allows for dynamic registration of your current public IP, which is either of Linksys or Witopia.

Both solutions will keep the traffic passing reliable only one of the available internet paths in all cases.

hi dear,

thanks for reply ...  where should i add  "route -p add 12.34.56.78 192.168.1.1      or
route -p add 12.34.56.78 mask 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.1 "  on my home PC or router   and  "12.34.56.78"  which IP i should write here ?