error 53/no network path found/no network provider accepted

[jajest]

I have ISA server 2000 installed as firewall/vpn server in a windows 2000 AD domain. I use the RRA service for VPN users at home over the internet. This works fine. Once users are VPN authenticated, they launch a terminal server session. There is a mix of windows 2000 TS and windows 2003 TS.

Only I have this issue that SOMETIMES when trying to access a network share (while having VPN access) there's a error message as follows:

- if you try to access a network share (net view \\pcname) in a DOS box, it says: "system error 53 has occured, the network path was not found"

- in a TS 2000 session (start/run/ \\pcname\share), it says "network path not found"

- if you try in a TS 2003 session (start/run/ \\pcname\share), it says "no network provider accepted the given path"

the strange thing is if you disconnect the TS session + VPN and reconnect both, there's a change that it works without problems.

worth mentioning also is the fact when the problem happens, I'm able to ping the machine I want to map to by its name and/or IP address. so it's not a DNS matter.

any ideas ?

 

[jajest]

forgot to mention this:

another interesting fact is if the VPN is connected and the problem does not occur, you can disconnect your TS session as many as you want, once you reconnect the TS session, it keeps working fine. But disconnect the VPN session, there's a big chance that the problem occurs. So I think this is VPN related issue.


marc

 

[racy]

Marc,

It is just a hunch ....

Is it possible to be a netbios problem (WINS) ?
Do you have a rule allowing the wins queries for the vpn clients ?

Did you try to see if when you use a FQDN it works ?


Best Regards


Racy

 

[jajest]

Racy,

WINS is not used in our organization and a FQDN works sometimes... but ....

I am happy (and a little bit proud too) to announce that after posting my first post I started to experiment with the different properties of the TCP/IP properties in the VPN network icon.
And... I think I found how to avoid the problem. In order to help other people who experience the same problem, here is the answer (that helped in my case).

Right click on the VPN connection icon and choose:
properties/networking/TCP/IP properties/Advanced and on the general tab, select "use default gateway on the remote network".

In my case, it was not selected causing the problems.

I have done some test and so far, it looks good. Here are the results:

I have done 12 tests (make VPN/then TS session) and disconnected both after each test.

with "use gateway" not selected: 10 sessions out of 12 gave a problem
with "use gateway" selected: : 0 sessions out of 12 gave a problem.

hope this helps.

Marc

PS: it would be nice to hear from an operator (or somebody else) if this "solution" makes sense or what...

 

[racy]

Marc,


Good to hear that now your vpn clients are ok !!


Best Regards


Racy

p.s -> I created a vpn client and the gateway option was on by default