A computer dilemma

[iSon]

Hello all your much more technilogically minded people...

I have a query that could do with some advice on.

Here at home I have ntl broadband which is connected to my main PCs USB port and works fine. I've enabled Internet Connection Sharing on this connection and it's shared with my laptop over a wireless network...with me so far?

Anyway the dilemma comes when I want to access my work's network - which is done through VPN. I can connect fine to the company's network and it's not a problem - but then I cannot access the internet on either my laptop or desktop PC.

I know it's because the VPN connection assumes the role of the internet - but I don't want to connect through the company's internet gateway (it's very slow and has a lot of ports blocked off and besides I don't need to anyway!)

I've done a bit of reading about the conflicts between ICS and VPN but can't seem to find a solution.

Can anyone shed any light on the matter that will allow me to still use the Internet Connection Sharing connection but also remained connected to the company network via VPN.

Both computer's are running Windows XP Pro if that's any help either.

Would appreciate any advice.

[Neil Jones]

From http://www.chicagotech.net/vpn.htm

Do not install VPN on W2K with ICS running

Many users have reported that they were experienced some difficulties after installing VPN on w2k/xp running ICS and ICS clients may receive "Error: Page Can Not be Displayed" message. The reason is that establishing a VPN connection on the ICS Host modifies the Routing Table on the ICS Host. that will forces all clients that try to connect to the Internet to use the VPN routing table instead of the ICS routing table used to connect to the Internet service provider (ISP).

What this basically means in English is that by starting a VPN session on your main computer makes every other system on your network (in your case your laptop) use the VPN network as opposed to the broadband internet connection.

I can only assume that this is by design.

[iSon]

From http://www.chicagotech.net/vpn.htm

Do not install VPN on W2K with ICS running

Many users have reported that they were experienced some difficulties after installing VPN on w2k/xp running ICS and ICS clients may receive "Error: Page Can Not be Displayed" message. The reason is that establishing a VPN connection on the ICS Host modifies the Routing Table on the ICS Host. that will forces all clients that try to connect to the Internet to use the VPN routing table instead of the ICS routing table used to connect to the Internet service provider (ISP).

What this basically means in English is that by starting a VPN session on your main computer makes every other system on your network (in your case your laptop) use the VPN network as opposed to the broadband internet connection.

I can only assume that this is by design.

Yeah that's what I feared - I asked the head of IT and he just shrugged - I asked director of operations and said "you can dial in from home!?" so that just goes to show what kind of crack IT team I'm used to.

Cheers anyway!

Though as an extra thought - would it be possible to overcome this with the use of a router? Then there wouldn't be any internet connection sharing - it's mainly cos one of us can dial in to the VPN work network on this here main PC and the other can you use the net on the laptop unaffected.

Surely if the wireless broadband connection was coming from a router than it would bypass the problem of VPN taking over on the host PC? I've been meaning to invest in a router for ages so this could be the good excuse to spend that christmas bonus.

[Bail]

A router should help, but one thing you could try is bridging the two connections? No idea if it will work, but it's worth a try.

[Neil Jones]

Though as an extra thought - would it be possible to overcome this with the use of a router? Then there wouldn't be any internet connection sharing - it's mainly cos one of us can dial in to the VPN work network on this here main PC and the other can you use the net on the laptop unaffected.

I've never used VPN over a router so I can't comment on how it would work.

But having said that, there's no reason why it shouldn't work. Plus you can of course use the router for the laptop and the main PC as normal; a VPN network shouldn't affect it. The router by its design will handle all the internet sharing and stuff in a rather more graceful and easier way than Windows ever will.

Things to look out for with a router:

1) Buy the right type. Don't buy an ADSL one if you don't have a BT Line and don't buy a DSL one if you don't have a Telewest line.

2) Most routers have four LAN ports on the back. Cheapers ones only have one which could affect future plans.

3) Don't buy it from PC World - they don't even check what type of line you have before throwing a router at you. Apparently.

4) Actually, don't buy ANYTHING from PC World. Ever.

[cwathen]

4) Actually, don't buy ANYTHING from PC World. Ever.

Indeed, going completely off topic but for some reason they think they can charge £15.99 for a standard IDE cable which can be had for a couple of quid in most places, and think that if you put 'high speed' in front of 'modem cable' then it will make people pay over a tenner for a lead so cheap that virtually all manufacturers chuck one in for free.

[Sput]

it will make people pay over a tenner for a lead so cheap that virtually all manufacturers chuck one in for free.

But...but...It's GOLD PLATED! SURELY that's worth a tenner alone because the man told me that movies travel faster through gold!

[Sput]

it will make people pay over a tenner for a lead so cheap that virtually all manufacturers chuck one in for free.

But...but...It's GOLD PLATED! SURELY that's worth a tenner alone because the man told me that photos travel faster through gold!

[Nick Harvey]

But...but...It's GOLD PLATED! SURELY that's worth a tenner alone because the man told me that movies travel faster through gold!

But...but...It's GOLD PLATED! SURELY that's worth a tenner alone because the man told me that photos travel faster through gold!

I claim tonight's star prize by identifying that movies became photos.

[Sput]

LOL! This is my problem. I'm too honest! And in this spirit of honesty and transparency, I will henceforth double my post count by quoting myself when I change things!

AND FINALLY I WILL WIN THE NICK HARVEY POST TOTAL CHALLENGE.

Will you?