Can't access networkdrives when connecting via vpn

29 Sep 2006 2:50 PM

Bernhard Jasny

Greetings,

We are using notebooks with windows xp sp2 and a server with windows sbs
2003 sp1.
Our users are allowed to make the mounted networkdrives (logon script: net
use i: \\172.25.101.2\business /persistent:yes) offline available, which is
working great.
Now our company got vpn, realized with a Zyxel ZyWall 35 and the Zyxel VPN
Client (SafeNet).
The vpn connection is functional, but if I'm offline and connect to the
server, only the offline files are shown in the networkdrives. The
workaround described in the MS KB doesn't work (Only the Offline Files Are
Displayed When You Use a Remote Access or Virtual Private Network
Connection; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290523/en-us).
When I'm opening the unc \\172.25.101.2\business, all files are shown, but
windows doesn't realize, that I'm online now.

Does anybody have an idea, what to do?

Thanks a lot,
Bernhard Jasny

1 Oct 2006 5:58 PM

Jeffrey Randow

You are having problems with Slow-Link Detection:

Overview of the "Configure Slow Link Speed" feature
In Windows XP and Windows 2000, there is a Configure Slow Link Speed
Group Policy setting to define a slow link speed for use with Offline
Files. You can configure a threshold value that Offline Files
recognizes as a "slow" network connection. Offline Files then
recognizes any network connection speed that is slower than this value
as a slow link. This policy prevents Offline Files from automatically
reconnecting to the server when the server is detected.

However, the behavior of this policy in Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 1
and Windows 2000 SP4 is applicable only after you are already offline.
That is, on a Windows XP or Windows XP SP1-based computer, this policy
does not force Offline Files to offline mode when a slow link is
detected. You must first use the Csccmd /disconnect command-line
option to manually force Offline Files into offline mode.

The new behavior of Offline Files (after you install this update)
permits Offline Files to automatically go offline if a slow link is
detected. When Offline Files starts, it checks the SlowLinkSpeed
setting that is configured either in the registry or in Group Policy.
It compares each server that is in its database to the specified
threshold value, and it individually marks each server that meets the
criteria for a slow link to go into Offline Mode. You do not have to
already be offline (or manually run the Csccmd /disconnect
command-line option to go offline) for the Configure Slow Link Speed
policy to apply on a Windows XP or Windows 2000-based computer that
has this update installed.

This behavior can be altered by group policy.

--
Jeffrey Randow
jeffreycen***@gmail.com
Windows Networking MVP 2001-2006

http://www.networkblog.net

..On Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:50:20 +0200, "Bernhard Jasny"
<bernhard.ja***@intellion.com> wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

>Greetings,
>
>We are using notebooks with windows xp sp2 and a server with windows sbs
>2003 sp1.
>Our users are allowed to make the mounted networkdrives (logon script: net
>use i: \\172.25.101.2\business /persistent:yes) offline available, which is
>working great.
>Now our company got vpn, realized with a Zyxel ZyWall 35 and the Zyxel VPN
>Client (SafeNet).
>The vpn connection is functional, but if I'm offline and connect to the
>server, only the offline files are shown in the networkdrives. The
>workaround described in the MS KB doesn't work (Only the Offline Files Are
>Displayed When You Use a Remote Access or Virtual Private Network
>Connection; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290523/en-us).
>When I'm opening the unc \\172.25.101.2\business, all files are shown, but
>windows doesn't realize, that I'm online now.
>
>Does anybody have an idea, what to do?
>
>Thanks a lot,
>Bernhard Jasny
>
>