VPN : Win98SE client, Win2K server, Linksys routers

[eerikson]

I realize this thread shares a lot of specifics as some of the other threads in this forum, but I figured the specifics of my situation might distinguish it.

I have a Win2K VPN server.
My partner has a Win98SE VPN client.
We both have Linksys BEFSR41 routers.
I have assigned a static LAN IP address to my Win2K machine (192.168.1.100).

We are both getting WAN IP addresses from our ISP's (cable modems). I send my partner this IP address that he then uses to connect to my VPN.

My partner can connect to my VPN server. I can see that he has connected from my side. However, once he is connected, he cannot see any of my shared folders (using the \\192.168.1.100\Test or the NET USE x: DOS command). Nor is he able to Ping my server's LAN IP address (he gets a Destination Address Unreachable).

Note that I had a friend who had a Win2K VPN client who was able to connect to my VPN server *and* see my shared folder by using the \\192.168.1.100\Test address.

I do not have Active Directory running. I do not have a registered domain (we use the same workgroup name). I am not running DNS.

Is there something obvious that I am missing?
Any suggestions would be extraordinarily welcome.

Thanks,
Erik

 

[eerikson]

Sorry... more information.

Apparently, when my partner tries to log on using the MSHOME domain (the workgroup that my VPN server uses), he gets a "username / password is not valid for this domain" error message.

If he tries to log on using a blank domain, he is able to log in, but he cannot see any shared files.

Perhaps this is part of the problem?

When my partner connects, and runs ipconfig, he sees two PPP adapters (one of which has an IP address of 0.0.0.0). I don't know if this is useful information.

Thanks again,
Erik

 

[eerikson]

One more piece of information...
My friend (who was able to connect and see shared folders from a Win2K client), logged in using the same name/password as my partner, and did not use a domain / workgroup (left it blank).

Erik

 

[gwinn7]

I have a similar situation and will let you know if I first discover the resolution.

Gary
gwinn7
A+, Network+

 

[eerikson]

Success!

Originally, my problem was that I could connect a WinME VPN client to a Win2K VPN server... however, the WinME client could not see the shared files/folders of the Win2K machine.

Note that both machines were behind Linksys routers... which default to a 255.255.255.0 submask. So, both of our local networks had IP addresses that looked like 192.168.1.XXX.

Evidently, this confuses the VPN. It doesn't know whether an IP address is local or on the VPN server.

We resolved this by making our router's submasks 255.255.255.128. I took the addresses 192.168.1.[1-127] and my partner took the addresses 192.168.1.[128-255].

Since our routers were now able to distinguish between local IP addresses and addresses on the VPN server, everything started working.

Happy day!