Linux - NetworkingThis forum is for any issue related to networks or networking.
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I'm trying to set up a VPN server that supports Windows clients. Therefore I installed ClarkConnect VPN edition 2.2 beta.
The VPN part works fine. Users can log in and are connected. BUT THEY CAN'T SEE/PING EACHOTHER I read I have to install a WINS server. Can this WINS server be on my LAN (on a seperate linux box)???
After the WINS server works, should all clients and computers on my LAN using the WINS server be able to ping/see eachother?
INTERNET <===> ROUTER <===> LAN (VPN server is here)
IP VPN: 192.168.1.11
IP WINS server: 192.168.1.10
IP LAN: 192.168.1.x
Subnet: 255.255.255.0
I have not used ClarckCOnnect VPN, only Poptop, however, as long as the config options supports an argument for a wins server, it should work, no problem. Again, however, you should be able to ping the other computers by IP, even if there is no Wins server, if you are unable to do that you're connectivity issue goes deeper than wins and you will have to look harder, good luck (as far as file, printer sharing goes you do need a wins server, unless you want to put a lnhosts file on each computer with each VPN machine name and private IP)
Hmmmm. I was under the impression that I need a WINS server, so that the PC's on the VPN can 'see' eachother through the VPN-tunnel. That seems to be some kind of requirement.
Can it be that the VPN IP range may not be the same as the the LAN IP range?
VPN: 192.168.1.x
Remote client: 192.168.2.x (this may not be 192.168.1.x)
When the VPN is active and working, should the remote computers just 'pop up' in my network neighbourhood? So, should they just 'look' like other computers in my network?
Well first of all usually the VPN assigns, or has a DHCP server assign, IP numbers from the same ip range as your LAN computers so if you are using 192.168.1.x then the server should be sonfigured to assign 192.168.1.x addresses. unless the Clarckconnect server is different than others I have seen this is how it works. If that is the case(that clarkconnect works like other VPNs) if it is assigning ip addresses from a different range ie 192.168.2.x than it is configured incorrectly. As for the net neighborhood. It resolves Hosts by sonsulting the lmhosts file first, then the hosts, file, then wins, the Broadcast. If it finds what you're looking for on none of them then the vpn is setup incorrectly. If you logon with a computer and the VPN is set up properly, you will also see them pop, up, it may take some time, due to the way MS works, if there is no wins server on a peer-to-peer, the computers are polled every 15 minutes(I may be wrong on the time frame) as to which computer gets to play wins server. NT has priority over 95 based OS (98, me) XP 2000 and XP have dominance over NT, etc..., if there are machines with these OSes than they will be selected for the wins servers. Where a dedicated wins server comes in is if you are attempting to browse across subnets, ie 192.168.1.x to 192.168.2.x than you do need a wins server to bridge these two subnets. I hope this helps if not I am sorry, I can try to explain better if you like. BTW how does Clarkconnect work? I have been using poptop and the Windows VPN PPTP clients, in combination with Samba, and it works quite well thus far.
WINS stands for Windows Internetworking Name Server.
All it does is provide a convenient way of being able to see machines by 'name' as opposed to having to know specific IP addresses.
The only reason you might need WINS on your VPN is to be able to access machines by name, and also I can't recall, but it may facilitate network browsing somewhat?
Also, don't be surprised in your VPN environment if various logged in users can't see other VPN users. I've seen plenty of VPN environments where that is the case.
have a vpn logged on computer attempt to ping a LAN connected computer by it's IP number, then do the same from the LAN computer to the VPN computer using the IP if it works the VPN connection is good, if not then you connectivity issues. If you can ping with IP numbers, then the next step is to try to ping the computers by their computer names, if that does not work, then you have a wins resolution problem, this problem can be fixed in two relatively easy ways. One is to use a linux box running Samba and assign this box a static IP, then if Clarckconnect has the option, to assign a WINS server, use it, this option will tell all compuuter logging onto the VPN to use the linux box as the wins server. The other option, if available with Clarckconnect, is to have a static IP assigned using the logon usernames. Then create an LMhosts file with all computer names and their associated statically assigned IP addresses. This way when a computer looks up another computer by name it will try to connect to it using the IP assigned to it in LMhosts. I it can't find the computer (likely that the computer is not VPNed in or turned on) it will give a network not found error.
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