additional routes for pptp vpn

We have a Windows 2003 setup as a PPTP server. Windows XP clients have
no problem connecting to the PPTP server and accessing the local ip
network of the Windows 2003 server. The PPTP clinet in Windows XP
automatically adds a route for a class C network to the pptp interface.

Active Routes:
Network Destination Netmask Gateway Interface Metric
192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.23 192.168.1.23 1
192.168.1.23 255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1
50
192.168.1.255 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.23 192.168.1.23
50

I also want the 192.168.2.0/24 network to be routed to the pptp
interface, so I enter "route add 192.168.2.0 mask 255.255.255.0
192.168.1.23. This works well. However, a typical end user finds this
very difficult to do. They must first establish the vpn, open a dos
window, do an ipconfig to find the ip adress of the pptp interface, (as
it will change), and then add the route command using the ip address of
the pptp interface. To complicated for most.

Is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force the
Windows XP client to add this route?

If not, is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to
force the Windows XP clinet to use a different netmask. In the case
above, 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.252.0 to gateway 192.168.1.23 would
do what I'm looking for.

I've found very little about this on the net, and get the impression
that the Windows PPTP client obtains the netmask from the IP address the
PPTP server issues. For example, anything in the 192.168.x.x range is
given a net mask of 255.255.255.0. Anything in the 10.x.x.x range is
given a netmask of 255.0.0.0. And there's nothing I can do about it.
Please tell me I'm wrong.

Now, if that is the case, I was thinking of changing the 192.168.1.0/24
network, (which has the Win2K PPTP server) to 192.168.1.0/25, and
changing the 192.168.2.0/24 network to 192.168.1.128/25. Under this
configuration, if the PPTP client still uses a netmask of 255.255.255.0,
everything should work OK. Not a nice solution, and not scalable. I'd
be in trouble if I need more nets, or larger nets.

Oh, and yes, I could set the use default gateway on remote network, but
then all internet traffic is sent down the pptp tunnel.

Domenic

>
> Is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force the
> Windows XP client to add this route?

I don't believe there is.

You could always write a script that initiates the conenction, finds the
address, then applies the route. Have the user execute the script to
connect.

Oliver


>
> If not, is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force
> the Windows XP clinet to use a different netmask. In the case above,
> 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.252.0 to gateway 192.168.1.23 would do what
> I'm looking for.
>
> I've found very little about this on the net, and get the impression that
> the Windows PPTP client obtains the netmask from the IP address the PPTP
> server issues. For example, anything in the 192.168.x.x range is given a
> net mask of 255.255.255.0. Anything in the 10.x.x.x range is given a
> netmask of 255.0.0.0. And there's nothing I can do about it. Please tell
> me I'm wrong.
>
> Now, if that is the case, I was thinking of changing the 192.168.1.0/24
> network, (which has the Win2K PPTP server) to 192.168.1.0/25, and changing
> the 192.168.2.0/24 network to 192.168.1.128/25. Under this configuration,
> if the PPTP client still uses a netmask of 255.255.255.0, everything
> should work OK. Not a nice solution, and not scalable. I'd be in trouble
> if I need more nets, or larger nets.
>
> Oh, and yes, I could set the use default gateway on remote network, but
> then all internet traffic is sent down the pptp tunnel.
>
> Domenic

Thanks Oliver. However, I'm not good at righting scripts. How would I
parse out the ip address of the pptp connection? Any pointers.



Oliver O'Boyle wrote:
>>Is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force the
>>Windows XP client to add this route?
>
>
> I don't believe there is.
>
> You could always write a script that initiates the conenction, finds the
> address, then applies the route. Have the user execute the script to
> connect.
>
> Oliver
>
>
>
>>If not, is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force
>>the Windows XP clinet to use a different netmask. In the case above,
>>192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.252.0 to gateway 192.168.1.23 would do what
>>I'm looking for.
>>
>>I've found very little about this on the net, and get the impression that
>>the Windows PPTP client obtains the netmask from the IP address the PPTP
>>server issues. For example, anything in the 192.168.x.x range is given a
>>net mask of 255.255.255.0. Anything in the 10.x.x.x range is given a
>>netmask of 255.0.0.0. And there's nothing I can do about it. Please tell
>>me I'm wrong.
>>
>>Now, if that is the case, I was thinking of changing the 192.168.1.0/24
>>network, (which has the Win2K PPTP server) to 192.168.1.0/25, and changing
>>the 192.168.2.0/24 network to 192.168.1.128/25. Under this configuration,
>>if the PPTP client still uses a netmask of 255.255.255.0, everything
>>should work OK. Not a nice solution, and not scalable. I'd be in trouble
>>if I need more nets, or larger nets.
>>
>>Oh, and yes, I could set the use default gateway on remote network, but
>>then all internet traffic is sent down the pptp tunnel.
>>
>>Domenic
>
>
>

> Thanks Oliver. However, I'm not good at righting scripts. How would I
> parse out the ip address of the pptp connection? Any pointers.

use the "find" command. type "find /?" for the parameters it's looking for.

you can also use the pipe symbol "|" to push the output of the "route print"
or "ipconfig" commands through "find", which will search the output for the
"string" you specified on the "find" command.

the "string" would be the IP address or the dynamic interface created when
the VPN is initiated.

once you can isolate the either the interface, or the IP address, your
script can use that to "echo route add 192.168.2.0 mask 255.255.255.0 if
0x<interface>" or the command you provided below.

You'll just have to play around with it.

Good luck
Oliver

>
>
>
> Oliver O'Boyle wrote:
>>>Is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force the
>>>Windows XP client to add this route?
>>
>>
>> I don't believe there is.
>>
>> You could always write a script that initiates the conenction, finds the
>> address, then applies the route. Have the user execute the script to
>> connect.
>>
>> Oliver
>>
>>
>>
>>>If not, is there a way to configure the Windows 2003 PPTP server to force
>>>the Windows XP clinet to use a different netmask. In the case above,
>>>192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.252.0 to gateway 192.168.1.23 would do what
>>>I'm looking for.
>>>
>>>I've found very little about this on the net, and get the impression that
>>>the Windows PPTP client obtains the netmask from the IP address the PPTP
>>>server issues. For example, anything in the 192.168.x.x range is given a
>>>net mask of 255.255.255.0. Anything in the 10.x.x.x range is given a
>>>netmask of 255.0.0.0. And there's nothing I can do about it. Please tell
>>>me I'm wrong.
>>>
>>>Now, if that is the case, I was thinking of changing the 192.168.1.0/24
>>>network, (which has the Win2K PPTP server) to 192.168.1.0/25, and
>>>changing the 192.168.2.0/24 network to 192.168.1.128/25. Under this
>>>configuration, if the PPTP client still uses a netmask of 255.255.255.0,
>>>everything should work OK. Not a nice solution, and not scalable. I'd
>>>be in trouble if I need more nets, or larger nets.
>>>
>>>Oh, and yes, I could set the use default gateway on remote network, but
>>>then all internet traffic is sent down the pptp tunnel.
>>>
>>>Domenic
>>
>>