Mapping network Drive

finbar123 · 03-05-2009, 02:40 PM

Hi I not sure if i'm posting in the right section but we are having a problem mapping a network drive using the server name.

The environment is a Windows 2003 server setup (fully patched) and we are accessing the network from a remote XP PC via a Netgear VPN. The XP workstation is in a workgroup and the server is in a domain

We can ping the server across the VPN and we can mapped a drive using the

//192.168,2.4/sharename syntax and it works fine. If however we try and use the server name it can nolt find it.

If we try and use the browse function on the Map Drive screen the Domain is not shown just the local workgroup. Do I have a DNS problem

Many Thanks

**lorjack** · 03-05-2009, 04:46 PM

Yep, it sounds like a DNS problem. What I'm thinking is that the client is set up to use a local DNS server, instead of one where the other server is. You can check it in client's VPN properties.

finbar123 · 03-06-2009, 02:25 AM

lorjack

thanks the VPN is setup using a netgear prosafe vpn client to a netgear router

there doesn't seem to be anything in the configuration that allows the DNS to be set. I have tried changing the TCP/IP properties on the workstation to point at the server which is running DNS but that didn't seem to make a difference.

How can I find out where the workstation is looking for DNS first / how can I change it

Thks

F

**djaburg** · 03-06-2009, 08:54 PM

My guess is it's a little more than a DNS issue. My guess is that you're having an issue with routing across the VPN. The best example I can give is a scenario I had with two routers creating a point to point vpn. One router was in California and the other in South Dakota. I was able to establish a point to point vpn connection, computers could connect to the server via IP, but NOT via netbios name and they couldn't browse the remote network. What I found was that I needed to configure the router on the distant end (south dakota) to have a route that specified that the local computers could route to the distant computers. Basically it was that comptuters on the subnet 192.168.2.0 could access computers on the other subnet 192.168.1.0. That cured the issue. Not sure what your vpn client supports, but I'd look at that.

03-05-2009, 02:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
finbar123 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2 OS: windows 2003	Mapping network Drive Hi I not sure if i'm posting in the right section but we are having a problem mapping a network drive using the server name. The environment is a Windows 2003 server setup (fully patched) and we are accessing the network from a remote XP PC via a Netgear VPN. The XP workstation is in a workgroup and the server is in a domain We can ping the server across the VPN and we can mapped a drive using the //192.168,2.4/sharename syntax and it works fine. If however we try and use the server name it can nolt find it. If we try and use the browse function on the Map Drive screen the Domain is not shown just the local workgroup. Do I have a DNS problem Many Thanks

03-05-2009, 04:46 PM	#2 (permalink)
lorjack TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 2,205 OS: Windows 2K, XP Pro sp3, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu	Re: Mapping network Drive Yep, it sounds like a DNS problem. What I'm thinking is that the client is set up to use a local DNS server, instead of one where the other server is. You can check it in client's VPN properties.

03-06-2009, 02:25 AM	#3 (permalink)
finbar123 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2 OS: windows 2003	Re: Mapping network Drive lorjack thanks the VPN is setup using a netgear prosafe vpn client to a netgear router there doesn't seem to be anything in the configuration that allows the DNS to be set. I have tried changing the TCP/IP properties on the workstation to point at the server which is running DNS but that didn't seem to make a difference. How can I find out where the workstation is looking for DNS first / how can I change it Thks F

03-06-2009, 08:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
djaburg TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,321 OS: XP SP3/Vista/7 Server 2K/2K3/2K8	Re: Mapping network Drive My guess is it's a little more than a DNS issue. My guess is that you're having an issue with routing across the VPN. The best example I can give is a scenario I had with two routers creating a point to point vpn. One router was in California and the other in South Dakota. I was able to establish a point to point vpn connection, computers could connect to the server via IP, but NOT via netbios name and they couldn't browse the remote network. What I found was that I needed to configure the router on the distant end (south dakota) to have a route that specified that the local computers could route to the distant computers. Basically it was that comptuters on the subnet 192.168.2.0 could access computers on the other subnet 192.168.1.0. That cured the issue. Not sure what your vpn client supports, but I'd look at that. __________________ Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done. The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven division of blessings, while the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal division of misery.