VPN Tunnel Connected but Remote Desktop wont connect!!

[Blammo300]

We have a server with a VPN connection already setu for it. I am trying to connect to the server from another location using the Remote Desktop. At the remote office I installed a BEFSX41 VPN router which is then connected through a WRT54G router which supplies internet and wireless.

I setup the VPN and it says "Connected" without any problems. But when I try to connect to the VPN tunnel through remote desktop it doesnt do anything. Is there a router setting that could be resposible for this or is it the computer? Could it be the act I am running the BEFSX41 router through a WRT54G?

 

[spidey07]

see if you can ping first. that will let you know if your VPN is good. Just because it says connected doesn't mean you can actually pass traffic over it.

If there is NAT occuring anywhere between the tunnel endpoints you won't be able to pass traffic without using some sort of NAT traversal.

 

[Blammo300]

I can ping the Server's private IP address and get replies. How would I set up a NAT Traversal?

 

[nweaver]

I'm confused...

have you forwarded ports on the WRT?

YOu have (if I read this correctly) Internet->VPN router->WRT->Server

that means you need to connect to the WAN IP via VPN of the VPN router, that puts you on his local network. Then you forward port 3389 to your server on the WRT, and RDP to the WAN IP of the WRT.

Also, the WRT and VPN router need to be on different subnets

 

[Blammo300]

Originally posted by: nweaver
I'm confused...

have you forwarded ports on the WRT?

YOu have (if I read this correctly) Internet->VPN router->WRT->Server

that means you need to connect to the WAN IP via VPN of the VPN router, that puts you on his local network. Then you forward port 3389 to your server on the WRT, and RDP to the WAN IP of the WRT.

Also, the WRT and VPN router need to be on different subnets

Right now at the Remote location I have it setup as: DSL >WRT54G>BEFSX41(VPN)>Computer.

At the server location I have a VPN router>Server.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Blammo300
I can ping the Server's private IP address and get replies.

Make sure that the Remote Desktop service is running. If this is a Windos 2003 Server box, I believe you will have to enable it through the registry under \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Services

Set REG_DWORD fDenyTSConnections to 0.

2. Make sure that you don't have the port 3389 blocked on the server.

 

[RebateMonger]

First, I'd remove the second Linksys router from the path. It makes life more complicated without adding anything. If you need to use its wireless section, cover its WAN port with tape, turn off its DHCP Server, and use it as a switch/WiFi access point.

Effectively, you'd now have:
Remote Site: Internet===>VPN Router 1===>Client PC
Server Site: Internet===>VPN Router 2===>Server

THAT should be a lot easier to make work.

You can test whether Remote Desktop is working on the Server by connecting a PC locally to one of VPN Router 2's LAN Ports and trying a RDP connection.

 

[jcmuse]

Originally posted by: Blammo300

Originally posted by: nweaver
I'm confused...

have you forwarded ports on the WRT?

YOu have (if I read this correctly) Internet->VPN router->WRT->Server

that means you need to connect to the WAN IP via VPN of the VPN router, that puts you on his local network. Then you forward port 3389 to your server on the WRT, and RDP to the WAN IP of the WRT.

Also, the WRT and VPN router need to be on different subnets

Right now at the Remote location I have it setup as: DSL >WRT54G>BEFSX41(VPN)>Computer.

At the server location I have a VPN router>Server.

what are you using at the server end as a VPN router?

i agree with others.. you should set it up like BEFSX41>WRT54G>computers. just set the WRT54G as a switch. that way you have no problems with the WRT54G and VPN traffic passthrough.

btw RM, if he is connected via vpn, why should he have to forward RDP port to server local ip?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: jcmuse
btw RM, if he is connected via vpn, why should he have to forward RDP port to server local ip?

Whoops! You're right. I've dropped that line from my previous response.