Network VPN setup!! Cannot find other office!!

[Blammo300]

I am having some issues with our Network at my work office. We have 2 offices which connect to each other using 2 VPN Linksys routers. Office 1 has a server running Windows 2000 server and a HP 5500 printer. Office 2 connects to office 1 using a remote desktop connection through the VPN.

The problem is that I cannot get the 2 offices on the same network. If I am at office 2 I cannot find the HP 5500 at office 1 on the network unless I connect over the VPN remote desktop. If I am at office 1 I cannot see any of the computers over the network for office 2.

I can ping computers from both sides and I get a reply. The server at office 1 is running a domain and the computers at office 2 are using a workgroup.

Can anyone give me an idea on what I might be doing wrong?

 

[spidey07]

you need a wins and dns server.

 

[Blammo300]

Can you clarify a bit on how I can setup a wins and dns server?

 

[spidey07]

its been a while and I'm not a server guy.

you could try microsoft.com

 

[Blammo300]

I am lost on this DNS Wins thing. Does the Static Routing under advanced routing do anything for what I am trying to do.

 

[Crusty]

You need to setup your Windows Server for WINS(if you have NT 4 machines) or for DNS(if your machines are Win2k or above). Then in your VPN router specify the IP of the DNS server on your network. This is all assuming you are using AD on your network.

Try to access the printers/computers by IP instead of by name.

 

[Blammo300]

MCrusty where in the Lionksys VPN settings would I enter that info? I see a DDNS with only 2 choices to choose from DynDNS.org and Tzo.com.

 

[Crusty]

Where you setup the info for the IP of the router. Is your public IP given by DHCP or is it static?

 

[Blammo300]

It is a Static connection at both offices, ISP is provided by Verizon DSL.

 

[Crusty]

at your remote site, you should be able to specify more then DNS server in your static IP settings, make sure your DNS server for you network is in there.

You can also just set it individually on each computer.

 

[Blammo300]

I have the DNS for both Routers setup as:

DNS 1: 4.2.2.1
DNS 2: 4.2.2.2

 

[Crusty]

Since those are both Verizon DNS servers, they have absolutely NO WAY to resolve a host name on your internal network. You need to use your OWN DNS in order to resolve host names for your internal network. Unless you feel like putting in an entry in your HOSTS file for everyone device on your network.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
Since those are both Verizon DNS servers, they have absolutely NO WAY to resolve a host name on your internal network. You need to use your OWN DNS in order to resolve host names for your internal network. Unless you feel like putting in an entry in your HOSTS file for everyone device on your network.

seconded. Once you move to a routed network you have to consider a few other things (like not being able to resolve names/resources by broadcast)

Setup a DNS server somewhere (its absolutely necessary on just about any network, especially if you are trying to run a domain/AD)

Its just a service you can start/install on your primary server. The load is of no consequence for a small network (heck for even medium sized networks)

Then point all clients to this via DHCP.

 

[Crusty]

not to mention that using a dns or wins server will resolve your hostnames much quicker

 

[Blammo300]

Thanks for the advice guys but I am still a little lost. The computer using windows server 2000 at office 1 has a DNS program I can access from administrative tools. When I look inside I see 2 folders Forward lookup and Reverse lookup. The Forward lookup has a folder with our domain name in it, the reverse lookup has a folder in it titled 192.168.2.x Subnet.

 

[Crusty]

Yes, so your remote network needs to use your server as it's DNS server, or else it won't be able to resolve hostnames into IP's.

 

[Blammo300]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
Yes, so your remote network needs to use your server as it's DNS server, or else it won't be able to resolve hostnames into IP's.

So that would be a Router function right? Would I enter the 192.168.2.x as the DNS server into the Linksys router at the remote location?

 

[Crusty]

yes.... :roll:

 

[Blammo300]

I just tried removing th 4.2.2.1 -.2 DNS settings from the Remote Router, I input 192.168.2.0 and it brought down the VPN tunnel and would not come back up.

I would be able to try more combinations on the router but we have people currently using the tunnel so I have to have downtime to a minimal.

What am I doing wrong for the DNS settings at the Remote router? There are 3 lines of DNS do I leave the 4.2.2.1 - .2 and enter 192.168.2.0 as the third? Do I need to enter anything on the server side router DNS settings?

 

[Crusty]

Yeah, try and leave the verizon dns servers in there as well as your domain dns server.

Is there any reason the remote office is not part of the domain and are their own workgroup?

 

[Blammo300]

Originally posted by: MCrusty
Yeah, try and leave the verizon dns servers in there as well as your domain dns server.

Is there any reason the remote office is not part of the domain and are their own workgroup?

The reason the remote office is part of there own workgroup and not part of the server domain is the fact that I do not know how to set that up.

This is what my DNS looks like on the Remote Router.
DNS 1: 4.2.2.1
DNS 2: 4.2.2.2
DNS 3: 192.168.2.0

 

[Crusty]

You don't know how to add a computer to the domain?

Right click my computer->Properties->Network Identification->Properties...

Seriously, if you are having issues adding a computer to a domain, I would pick up a few books on Windows Networking and Windows Domains before you touch the network. Maybe even take a class or two.

 

[Blammo300]

I have tried that before, what I meant was I dont know how to get it to work. I have always had an error when trying to add these computers to the domain like that.

This is the Error:
The following error occurred when DNS was queried for the service location (SRV) resource record used to locate a domain controller for domain 1stManhattan.local:

The error is:

The following error occurred when DNS was queried for the service location (SRV) resource record used to locate a domain controller for domain 1stManhattan.local:

The error was: "DNS name does not exist."
(error code 0x0000232B RCODE_NAME_ERROR)

The query was for the SRV record for _ldap._tcp.dc._msdcs.1stManhattan.local

Common causes of this error include the following:

- The DNS SRV record is not registered in DNS.

- One or more of the following zones do not include delegation to its child zone:

1stManhattan.local
local
. (the root zone)

 

[tyanni]

I'm going to second MCrusty. You need to hire someone to do this - you are going to end up causing more trouble by playing around with the settings and not knowing what you are doing. However, if you insist on doing it yourself, I'd go to the store and grab a book on DNS (as Mcrusty mentioned) and check definitely check out microsoft's info on server 2000 before you change anything else.

 

[Crusty]

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Networking/Q_20872077.html