VPN connection fails; used to work

[MakeItSo]

Hi friends,

I am encountering a most unnerving problem here:

Running Windows 2003 Server R2 Standard, Dray-Tek Vigor router with active VPN accounts & all VPN protocols activated.
Inhouse, all domain activities function well, no problems. Several colleagues working from home via VPN, no problems either.
One colleague used to have no problems but does since the day before yesterday, since the evening to be precise.
She cannot connect anymore.
Internet works, no probs.

All client computer, hers included, have the same configuration:
All are HP 6715 S notebooks running XP Pro SP3, McAfee Total AV 8.7, Windows firewall deactivated when connected via VPN, all have identical network settings. Daily shutdown includes a winsock fix in order to remedy the slowing down of connections (a built-in sickness of the net cards in these HPs).

I am running out of ideas now. Nothing seems to be wrong with her machine, no change in either ISP or hardware at home. We have encountered such temporary dropouts before, however none lasted longer than 2-3 hours and was hitherto due to local net strain at the colleagues home grid.

Her ISP is not known for trouble with VPN, neither is her router (a Samsung).
Her (measured) MTU value is 1480; good enough methinks.

Have any of you encountered similar temporary (hopefully) problems?
Any idea what the cause might be?

Thanks for any hint!

Cheers,
MakeItSo

[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[Lemon13]

what error message does she get, or is it just sitting there or....?

M. Knorr

MCSE, MCTS, MCSA, CCNA

 

[MakeItSo]

She simply gets "cannot establish connection with VPN Server". No prompt for user name / password. It just won't connect at all.

Thanks!

[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[itsp1965]

Are you sure that she hasn't downloaded a program/software update that might interfere with her connectivity? Check her network properties again to ensure that there are no additional drivers/services installed

 

[Lemon13]

check eventviewer, whats reported there
you verified that firewall is off?!


M. Knorr

MCSE, MCTS, MCSA, CCNA

 

[MakeItSo]

@itsp & M. Knorr:

1) Network properties: all computers are set up identically; dynamic IP, assigned by our DHCP server. Functions well, once she is connected to VPN. Worked for ~ 1 year now rather smoothly.
Also made sure VPN-specific settings were correct, according to KB article 918672 (=VPN type: automatic, "Use standard gateway..." deactivated)

2) Firewall off. First thing I checked. Cannotcheck eventviewer right now. Will do as soon as I get to it. Don't expect anything weird though. I would if she got half connected and rejected.

3) No additional downloads/installations without my approval. My colleagues stick to that - and she most of all.
The only installations - and the only thing I could currently suspect as a culprit - have been Windows updates. There have been quite a pack of them recently; perhaps one messed up something in the thicket called "Windows".

I might give it a try and simply create a new VPN connection for her. See if that fixes it.
*shrug*

Over my head all that, really...


[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[MakeItSo]

Update:

She managed to get in just this very minute. No measures taken; it just works again.
She told me that the same thing had happened yesterday evening, and that she had thought "so it's fine again", but failed again this morning.

I'll contact the ISP now. Seems to be their thing after all...

Wonder how they'll like my question whether they pay for lost business...


[navy]"We had to turn off that service to comply with the CDA Bill."[/navy]
- The Bastard Operator From Hell

 

[technome]

Have your significant IT other pathping your office router before and after the dropout occurs, to see if your getting an unusual amount of lost packets during the dropouts, could be a nasty router along the path dropping to many packets with your present MTU setting, as the route might change when the issue occurs.


........................................
Chernobyl disaster..a must see pictorial

http://www.kiddofspeed.com/default.htm