Stumped! - Unable to authenticate to SBS domain over Cisco VPN 2

[panini]

Hi Experts,

I'm pulling my hair out trying to authenticate over my VPN - we have a new SBS 2003 server which is running away quite happily when you're on the local LAN - you can login, it maps home / group drives etc.

I'm now trying to connect over my cisco VPN client and get access to shared drives, the exchange server, etc, but am getting stuck for some reason - here's what i've tried:

BTW you can ping the ip address and get a terminal services connection to the server no problem

So,

1. I added the server and the fully qualified name to my hosts file - you can ping the names now, but still no joy with MS Exchange or authentication.

2. made sure that my primary DNS was the local server and that that in turn forwarded DNS requests to external DNS boxes

3. Thought WINS might help so made sure it was added to my ip config and that the SBS WINS server had the server as the domain controller / master browser, etc

4. added stuff to the lmhosts file to tell it which ip was the domain controller.

5. changed the cisco vpn client config so it connects before you ctrl-alt-del to login to windows.

but still no joy - if i try to access any resources on the server i get "there are currently no logon servers available to service the logon request"

and if i rem out the lines in the hosts file i can't even get name resolution - so it looks like my wins and dns aren't working at all despite the fact i've added them in on my NIC and can ping the box.

oh and i've enabled netbios over ip

many thanks for any suggestions

 

[wdoellefeld]

Hi panini,

Your using the Cisco VPN client, what are you conecting to? A Cisco VPN appliance?



FRCP

http://www.frcp.net

 

[markdmac]

SBS has a nice little connection manager you might want to try. Also you mention Exchange, why don't you either use OWA or Outlook over HTTP?

I hope you find this post helpful. Please let me know if it was.

Regards,

Mark

 

[panini]

Hi guys - thanks for your response - I'm connecting to a PIX 501 using the vpn client 4.0.3, my client OS is W2K....

Mark, thanks for the advice - I'll use that as a backup if I can't get the vpn access working as it should - where is the connection manager though - couldn't find it!

 

[markdmac]

You can get to it with a web browser. Use either the FQDN of ther server or IP address with /remote on the end.

http://serverip/remote

I hope you find this post helpful. Please let me know if it was.

Regards,

Mark

 

[dkediger]

The Connection Manager is normally accessed through the Internet and Email section of the Server Manager. There is a wizard for Remote Access which will establish the configuration settings for the Connection Manager. There is a link to create an install disk to use on the remote computer.

Check out Remote Web Access as well. This is essentially a secure portal to the SBS system - but the best part is it provides Remote Desktop functionality to the server and also to workstations running Windows XP.

Remote Web Workplace and OWA might very well provide the needed - or even superior - functionality to the VPN.

 

[panini]

hi guys - thanks for advice - I'm loving the new OWA - so much better than exchange 2k which was the last i used - but still no joy with the connection i'm afraid

 

[markdmac]

We support a number of customers with SBS 2003 and a Pix. You just need to open up port 80 to allow traffic to your server. If you are using NAT, direct port 80 to your server. I would also suggest you forward port 443 for SSL to your server as well as this will allow you to use Outlook over HTTP which is WAY COOL!

Once you have done this you should be able to access the Remote Workplace site from the Internet.

Some other ports you might want to open up:

3389 for Terminal Services
1723 PPTP
500(UDP) L2TP

The 1723 and 500 should help with your VPN. Some Cisco clients also require 50 and 51.


I hope you find this post helpful. Please let me know if it was.

Regards,

Mark

 

[panini]

Hi guys,

Many Thanks for all your help - in the end it's the easy things that you miss isn't it? the problem was the dhcp ipconfig that the pix was sending down to the vpn adapter was overiding the dns settings i was putting in - when the primary dns was pointed at the sbs server it worked fine - many thanks to you all for expanding my knowledge of sbs remote tools though - will definately be using them now.

Have a great 2005