Anyone have experience using Citrix Remotely over *gulp* AOL

[MISAdmin]

Our Citrix installation has been relatively problem free up till now. I have roughly 25 users per day accessing the server on the local LAN and across a T1 from our other site. No problems. I access and use Citrix from home routinely on my cable modem connection, and have setup 5 other individuals from the office who also connect through teir own DSL, Cable, and Dial-up connections. All of these people have been running fine with no problems.

Our Executive Director (Why is it always the Executive Director ;-) ) Uses AOL.... She can dial-up and connect to AOL fine. When she then tries to run her ICA session, it connects, gives her the login box, lets her enter her ID and password, and then, after it displays the "Applying Settings" box, it hangs. After a few minutes the AOL connection drops out and the Citrix session fails. You can then usually reconnect to AOL and try again and it goes in - no problem. Log off, try again, locks up and disconnects.

She hasn't had any problems with her AOL account before we tried running Citrix, so I don't think it's a bad connection. Her modem seems ok and I've tried different local dialing numbers from AOL... always the same results.

Of course, for me, it fails the first time and always goes in the second time. For her, it fails 9 times out of 10 and only connects intermittently...

I'm thinking this has got to be AOL related... I'll bite my tongue here and keep my opinion of AOL to myself.

Anybody else have any thoughts, similar situations, or ideas?

 

[eugene2]

what version of aol is client using? we have several users who use aol and they have not had problems.

 

[MISAdmin]

Hmmm.... interesting.

The client is running 5.0. I was thinking of upgrading her to 7.0 to see if the problem persisted. But unless i thought it would really fix it, I won't. The user knows how to use her machine becasue of repetition... throw a new version at her with new icons and functionality.... it won't be pretty. Don't want to face that unless I need to.

I really think it's AOL related, though. It could just be the older version. Their support was completely useless (as usual and as I expected)

 

[eugene2]

You may have already asked this, but is aol minimized after she is logged before she starts citrix connection? and is there any other messenger or such running when she is connecting to Citrix?

 

[donnadee]

We have several users using dial up versions of AOL.
We do not have anyone using anything higher than 5.0, as higher versions don't allow personal networks to work right.

They worked fine after we made sure AOL didn't set its own network adapter as the default.

We also had to make sure security settings, and sounds matched the profiles on the dialup client.

Some users had to disable their virus protection before dialing in or it completely locked them up.

We also have users block all incoming instant messaging and close all unnecessary programs, so the connections aren't interrupted.

Another question...Does she have Call Waiting or voice mail messages on the line? Have you cleared or disabled them?

 

[Patiwaq]

I had a similar problem with a remote user and AOL. Delete the network settings and re-establish them. When AOL installs, it plays with normal TCP/IP functionality..thats why you cant login to Citrix applications. Dont upgrade higher then 5..anything newer gives her a VPN setting that totally hoses her citrix connection.

Hope that helps..

 

[MISAdmin]

Thanks for all the info. I'll check her client settings the next time she brings her laptop in. Glad to know that some of you actually have this working with AOL...