Re: VPN access to network file shares

Ari,

Thanks for your help.

Yes. "The file shares are on a server running Windows Small Business Server
2003
R2."

Agreed about how the shares are seen in an RDC session. The VBS script
would not be required because the login batch file would set them up.

Our setup differs in that RDC is not used at all (other than for work on the
server itself, which would not be allowed for the inexperienced user in
question). There is just one rather low powered server, and so I think TS
would be out of the question even if it were free.

Are you saying that RDC is the only way a user on XP Home can access the
fileshares over the VPN? (It is certainly not necessary for XP Pro.) This
is the crux of it.

The nature of the office (v. old building with poor fire protection) means
that it is policy not to leave PCs running overnight, although maybe that
could be reviewed to allow access via RDC. After all, they now have a server
which is left on.

I'm not sure how to configure the PC in the office (running XP Pro) for
access via RDC, or how to configure ISA Server for it, but am sure I could
work it out. Specifying the PC to connect to might also be awkward; the
network is:
router - (NIC1) server (NIC2) - LAN - PCs

JPL

"spodosaurus" wrote:

JPL wrote:
Hi,

I provide IT support to a locally based charity, and would like help to get
one of their users connected to their file shares over a VPN connection.

The file shares are on a server running Windows Small Business Server 2003
R2. The VPN connection is directly to the server using Microsoft PPTP.

The user can connect to the server via VPN and can use Outlook Web Access
without problems.

The network file shares appear to be setup correctly. This is done via a
VBS script, which reports via WScript.Network.EnumNetworkDrives.Item(i) that
the mappings have been successful.

However, the newly mapped drives (P:, Q:, etc.) are not shown in the Windows
Explorer Folders pane, and the user is unable to find them, much less access
them.

I suspect the problem relates to the PC OS, as the PC runs Windows XP Home
Edition. (Everything works without any problem when connecting from a PC
running XP Pro.)

I have no access to an XP Home PC myself, although I understand that XP Home
cannot join a domain and is restricted to Simple File Sharing. I have not
used Simple File Sharing and do not understand the details of its operation
or limitations.

Is it possible to connect to the network shares from XP Home?
If so, how may this be configured?

JPL


The network shares are at the remote site with the SBS server, correct?
I just want to make absolutely sure before I ramble. If they are on the
users home network, then that network will be lost when the VPN is
established as Cris was suggesting - the XP Home PC will be assigned an
IP in accordance with the remote network, and all IPs will be for the
remote network not his home network.

That said, yes, it is possible to connect to remote shares using XP
home. This is how I set up users to do it on the last network I maintained:

- User initiates a PPTP VPN to remote workplace.
- Router forwards PPTP VPN to SBS 2003 R2 for authentication.
- User initiates Remote Desktop Connection to either a PC at the remote
workplace with login enabled or to a TS server.
- Shares are available in windows explorer in the RDC as if the user was
there at the remote site.
- Some shares are mapped using the SBS login batch file.
- These shares are ONLY visible in a Windows Explorer window opened
within the remote desktop. They are NOT visible on the users local PC's
windows explorer.

* the user can have access to their local C: drive within the remote
desktop windows explorer window if this is enabled in the RDC settings.

Other than the VBS mapping, how does your setup differ?

Regards,

Ari
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