Can't access server over VPN

I have recently been charged with granting a remote office access to the
contents of a Windows 2003 server over a VPN. I work for a very small
company and have a pretty good networking background but not the best. When
I came to work here someone had already setup the server but not in the
"traditional" way. Nobody logs into it and there is no domain on it....it
is really just setup as a simple file sharing server much like what you
might do at home with WinXP and LAN users map a drive to the shared drive on
the server.

This works fine for people in the office with the server but not in the
remote office. I have a site to site VPN established between the two sites
with a pair of NetGear VPN routers and I know it is functioning as I have a
phone system that requires a VPN connection and that works properly. Also I
can connect to the web configuration interface of the remote router using
it's LAN IP. I can even ping the remote server's IP address over the VPN
with no problem. Everything but connect to the server and map a drive. It
does not matter if I use \\server or \\192.168.0.10 (the server's IP) it
always says it cannot find the resource. Even the net use command returns
Error 53.

Through my limited knowledge I think this is an address resolution issue but
why does everything else work over the VPN? If anyone can point me in the
right direction it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

System error 53 could be name resolution or firewall issues. Since you can
ping the server by IP, I assume this is firewall issue. Check the firewall
or any security settings. Or this search result may help.
Configure ports for sharing
If you can't access a networking computer or can see it but access, it
may be the firewall or the security software block the sharing ports as
listed below, ...
http://www.howtonetworking.com/Secur...forsharing.htm


--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"Brent Harrelson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:6D744697-EA96-442A-AF0C-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have recently been charged with granting a remote office access to the
>contents of a Windows 2003 server over a VPN. I work for a very small
>company and have a pretty good networking background but not the best.
>When I came to work here someone had already setup the server but not in
>the "traditional" way. Nobody logs into it and there is no domain on
>it....it is really just setup as a simple file sharing server much like
>what you might do at home with WinXP and LAN users map a drive to the
>shared drive on the server.
>
> This works fine for people in the office with the server but not in the
> remote office. I have a site to site VPN established between the two
> sites with a pair of NetGear VPN routers and I know it is functioning as I
> have a phone system that requires a VPN connection and that works
> properly. Also I can connect to the web configuration interface of the
> remote router using it's LAN IP. I can even ping the remote server's IP
> address over the VPN with no problem. Everything but connect to the
> server and map a drive. It does not matter if I use \\server or
> \\192.168.0.10 (the server's IP) it always says it cannot find the
> resource. Even the net use command returns Error 53.
>
> Through my limited knowledge I think this is an address resolution issue
> but why does everything else work over the VPN? If anyone can point me in
> the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in
> advance.

Thanks for the help, Robert. You were right. I did not check this because
I was sure I had opened these ports in the firewall on the server...and
indeed I had. Think is Windows firewall only opened them to the subnet the
server was on. After I changed the rule to allow the subnets on both sides
to be allowed all is well. I can't believe it was so simple and it drove me
crazy because I just knew I had opened the ports.......guess not to everyone
though. hehe

Thanks again.

--

"Robert L. (MS-MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> System error 53 could be name resolution or firewall issues. Since you can
> ping the server by IP, I assume this is firewall issue. Check the firewall
> or any security settings. Or this search result may help.
> Configure ports for sharing
> If you can't access a networking computer or can see it but access,
> it may be the firewall or the security software block the sharing ports as
> listed below, ...
> http://www.howtonetworking.com/Secur...forsharing.htm
>
>
> --
> Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
> Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
> http://www.ChicagoTech.net
> How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
> http://www.HowToNetworking.com
> "Brent Harrelson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:6D744697-EA96-442A-AF0C-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>I have recently been charged with granting a remote office access to the
>>contents of a Windows 2003 server over a VPN. I work for a very small
>>company and have a pretty good networking background but not the best.
>>When I came to work here someone had already setup the server but not in
>>the "traditional" way. Nobody logs into it and there is no domain on
>>it....it is really just setup as a simple file sharing server much like
>>what you might do at home with WinXP and LAN users map a drive to the
>>shared drive on the server.
>>
>> This works fine for people in the office with the server but not in the
>> remote office. I have a site to site VPN established between the two
>> sites with a pair of NetGear VPN routers and I know it is functioning as
>> I have a phone system that requires a VPN connection and that works
>> properly. Also I can connect to the web configuration interface of the
>> remote router using it's LAN IP. I can even ping the remote server's IP
>> address over the VPN with no problem. Everything but connect to the
>> server and map a drive. It does not matter if I use \\server or
>> \\192.168.0.10 (the server's IP) it always says it cannot find the
>> resource. Even the net use command returns Error 53.
>>
>> Through my limited knowledge I think this is an address resolution issue
>> but why does everything else work over the VPN? If anyone can point me
>> in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in
>> advance.
>

Thank you for the feedback.

--
Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
http://www.ChicagoTech.net
How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
http://www.HowToNetworking.com
"Brent Harrelson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:14C8D1E0-7EB5-409D-915B-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for the help, Robert. You were right. I did not check this
> because I was sure I had opened these ports in the firewall on the
> server...and indeed I had. Think is Windows firewall only opened them to
> the subnet the server was on. After I changed the rule to allow the
> subnets on both sides to be allowed all is well. I can't believe it was
> so simple and it drove me crazy because I just knew I had opened the
> ports.......guess not to everyone though. hehe
>
> Thanks again.
>
> --
>
> "Robert L. (MS-MVP)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> System error 53 could be name resolution or firewall issues. Since you
>> can ping the server by IP, I assume this is firewall issue. Check the
>> firewall or any security settings. Or this search result may help.
>> Configure ports for sharing
>> If you can't access a networking computer or can see it but access,
>> it may be the firewall or the security software block the sharing ports
>> as listed below, ...
>> http://www.howtonetworking.com/Secur...forsharing.htm
>>
>>
>> --
>> Bob Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
>> Networking, Internet, Routing, VPN Troubleshooting on
>> http://www.ChicagoTech.net
>> How to Setup Windows, Network, VPN & Remote Access on
>> http://www.HowToNetworking.com
>> "Brent Harrelson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:6D744697-EA96-442A-AF0C-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>I have recently been charged with granting a remote office access to the
>>>contents of a Windows 2003 server over a VPN. I work for a very small
>>>company and have a pretty good networking background but not the best.
>>>When I came to work here someone had already setup the server but not in
>>>the "traditional" way. Nobody logs into it and there is no domain on
>>>it....it is really just setup as a simple file sharing server much like
>>>what you might do at home with WinXP and LAN users map a drive to the
>>>shared drive on the server.
>>>
>>> This works fine for people in the office with the server but not in the
>>> remote office. I have a site to site VPN established between the two
>>> sites with a pair of NetGear VPN routers and I know it is functioning as
>>> I have a phone system that requires a VPN connection and that works
>>> properly. Also I can connect to the web configuration interface of the
>>> remote router using it's LAN IP. I can even ping the remote server's IP
>>> address over the VPN with no problem. Everything but connect to the
>>> server and map a drive. It does not matter if I use \\server or
>>> \\192.168.0.10 (the server's IP) it always says it cannot find the
>>> resource. Even the net use command returns Error 53.
>>>
>>> Through my limited knowledge I think this is an address resolution issue
>>> but why does everything else work over the VPN? If anyone can point me
>>> in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in
>>> advance.
>>
>