Windows

Users VPNing in, need to have a local HOSTS file on their computers with each of the servers name and ip address that they will need access to in order to browse network shares.

Make that an LMHOSTS file and you're right.

ralph

Change that to LMHOSTS file and you're right

ralph

There is a WINS server on the network and the IP address of the WINS server is hard-coded into the PCs. We can ping the host names of all of the nodes on the network. This tells me that the wins server is working because it is resolving host namesto ip addresses. Any suggestions??

You don't mention if you have a firewall or proxy server. If you do, you'll have to enable NetBIOS at the proxy or firewall. MS proxy server has a preconfigured packet filter exception for allowing NetBIOS for WINS clients only. The LMHosts file would be another possibility if you don't want to allow NetBIOS to pass through the router. Hope this helps!

Another option might be to have your remote VPN user use the WINS servers in your office. Most home users don't need WINS anyway so this should not conflict with their local settings.