Static IP hidden when VPN Client running?

[KraftyDood]

Hi,

I have a problem that I just can't solve. I've contacted my ISP, NETGEAR, etc., and even brought in someone who claimed to be a networking expert. No-one has been able to help me solve or understand this problem.

I have a static ip addresss from my internet service provider (SHAW), and on my server I am developing a web application. I can access my web server via the static ip from an outside computer - up until I start a VPN client (Nortel) running on my server. After that I just get timeouts when trying to access the server from an outside computer. I need to run the VPN on my server because it needs to access a database on a government network. With the VPN running on my server, I can still access the server via the static ip address from another computer on my LAN though (when I am using a router).

I've tried this going directly to the cable modem, or through a router - same thing happens.

Other strange things: If I just connect my computer to the cable modem, the default ip address I am assigned is not the static ip address I was assigned by shaw - I need to go into my TCP/IP settings and manually set the static ip address I want. Is this normal?

Also, even before I run a VPN client on my server, I cannot PING my static ip address (though shaw says it is working) from my LAN (when I am using a router) or from an outside computer - I just get timeout.

When I run the Nortel VPN Client, it shows an Assigned Ip Address. I can access my server through this Ip Address from anywhere, but this doesn't really do me any good - I need to be able to access my server using my static ip address.

Am I just missing something about how VPN works, or is there a setting somewhere I am missing, or maybe the cable modem (Motorola Surfboard SB5100) has limitations I am not aware of.

I really would appreciate any help.

 

[lgarner]

Can you access the Internet from your server directly, or are you tunnelled through the VPN endpoint? I'm not familiar with Nortel, but Cisco has a feature which effectively disconnects all network access for the client except for VPN traffic. This sounds a lot like that.

As for the direct modem connection- yes, that's normal.

If you're accessing a government database via VPN, then I imagine (hope) that the government has configured their VPN to disable network access so that no one can connect to them through your computer.

 

[KraftyDood]

Yes, I can access the internet directly from my server, both when the VPN is running and not running. I think you are right - the Nortel VPN Client is just doing what it is supposed to do. I'm a bit surprised that no-one at my ISP (shaw) or at the government technical support unit could have told me this - I've talked to five different technical people there so far.

The only mystery left I guess, is why I can't PING my static ip address from within my own network (with no VPN running)- not that it really matters. Shaw tells me they are able to PING the static ip address. Also VPN-unreleated, I am wondering why I am on my server I can only browse

http://localhost/

and not

http://<ip-address>,

when I can browse

http://<ip-address>

from other computers on my network and outside my network.