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by mr. origami

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I have searched on this issue only to find a tremendous variety of solutions - some of which contradict each other. So I am asking for somewhat of an authoritative answer.
RRAS configured on Win2k server. First question - do I need both L2TP and PPTP ports or just PPTP?
Secondly - clients can connect to network, but cannot browse via Network Neighborhood (clients are Win98se, Win2k Pro, WinXP Pro). RRAS is configured on server to provide IP, DNS, WINS addresses via DHCP. (One big server - runs RRAS, DHCP, WINS, DNS - everything! Actually - Small Business Server 2000.) To make matters worse - on one Win2k Pro machine - I can make the VPN connection - but cannot connect to ANY shares even by typing \\. On the Win98 machine, the workgroup name = the domain name. The server has a private addres of let's say 192.168.0.50, but RRAS assigns it another address of let's say 192.168.0.100. Sometimes, my clients can ping the .50, sometimes not. It's all a freakin' mess! Can anyoneoffer a "VPN For Dummies" solution? On the server, do this [1], [2], [3],... On Win98, so this [1], [2], [3], ... On Win2k do this... On XP do this... ?????

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by carol

I know you may not like this solution but it will work.. and it's a fast fix. Enable Netbeui on the internal Server interface, and enable netbeui on the clients VPN connection.. they will get a browse list.

Also what sometimes helps to locate the resource quicker is, from the client side, do a Search (Find on Win9x clients), by computer name (you access this as if you were going to search by file name, but in the second screen you get the option to select "computer name", rather than file/folder name) there select the name of the server they are trying to "see".

by carol

(cont)...
I've set up a lot of VPN's to NT4 domains, and the only one I've really needed to utilize an LMHOST file for getting a browse list is with XP clients (because you can not tunnel netbeui, with XP).

Oh! and don't forget to create computer accounts for the NT-class clients (NT/2000/XP) on the server, the 9x class clients need no such computer accounts.

I'd trouble-shoot 9x clients first, and once you have those accessing *and* receiving browse lists (giving them workgroup names, the same as the domain name is also wise), move up to your Win NT / 2000 clients.

Then lastly get your XP clients going. If you try to troubleshoot the XP first, I just think you're likely to give up too soon, because of the netbeui tunneling issue. For XP create an LMHOST file for the server and for the client, and import them on both. That did the trick for me.. my xp clients can now get a browse list of the domains they VPN into.

Also make certain your VPN users are logged into their operating systems with the same name as the username they are authenticating with on the network. I found several of my users, using their home PC's long ago set up their computers to just autolog in with other names. What happens in that instance is even tho they validate on the domain (initially), when they attempt to open a resource, the server gets the windows username, in which the user is logged into their home computer with, and they are abruptly disconnected.

While I really think since you have DNS running, there is a better solution. I just want to mention that netbeiu is a quick fix for browse list via VPN. I'd also want to mention to make certain that your DNS zones are for the internal name space and not the external name space?

Good luck!

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