Cannot make two VPN connections simultaneously

[phsv]

I have one wireless laptop and one desktop (ethernet connection) both with XP Pro at home with Quest DSL. Each individually can establish VPN to office (Microsoft Server 2003 Small Business) and each can connect to respective Remote Desktop. However, I cannot establish a VPN connection (get error 800) when trying simultaneously to connect the second computer to VPN. Any suggestions?

 

[John Lewis]

Perfectly normal beahvior. A MS VPN server can handle one VPN connection from any given IP address. Both of the computers on your home network are translated to a single public IP address, so it appears to the server that you are trying to make a second connection from the same machine.

It is possible to overcome this by making the VPN connection with one machine and routing the traffic to the other. You would need to modify the routing table on the second machine and your home router as well as the second machine at work and the VPN server. This would introduce a slight security risk to your work network.

 

[phsv]

My tech guy says he can log into three VPN connections from the same IP address and shows me proof of this. However, he cannot figure out what is keeping me from logging into multiple VPN's. Are you sure? Any other thoughts?

 

[John Lewis]

Perhaps MS has since fixed their part of the problem. Have not checked for a while.

Next problem would be your router. Many of these devices also have problems keeping track of multiple tunnels to the same IP.