License activation trouble

[minelle]

I am trying to install Wingate VPN on 2 pc's (in one LAN). I have bought one 3-user license.

For the first pc, everything went ok.
During installation of the second pc, I try to activate the license key (same key as first pc). But I get an error message this key is already activated on another computer. True, but am I not allowed to use this key 3 times?????

Is there a different installation procedure for multi user environments?

I did have problems to activate the key initially, connecting to the activation server took so long that I closed the window and re-tried.

[Pascal]

No, a 3 user license allows 3 users to use the VPN simultaneously from one VPN Node. You still need a license per node. Refer to the VPN's pricing page http://www.wingate.com/pricing-vpn.php for an explanation of how to pick the right license size.

I'd suggest that you talk to Matt Parker about this.

[minelle]

I had my wingate configuration up and running, but all of the sudden it doesn't work anymore. As for I can tell, nothing has changed in configuration, firewalls, IP addresses etc.

I bought a 6-user license, for 2 pc's in a business network to be accessible from 3 or 4 pc's in various homes.

Is that the wrong way? should I have bought one 2-user license (if such exists) plus 3 or 4 single-user licenses?

Can this be the cause of things not working any more? In my network log, I do get the message "register for everything", so I would understand if that's the problem.

If this is the problem, is it possible to return my 6-user license and buy the licenses I do need?

what you would need is a gateway license for 3 user LAN for the host, then a single user license for each remote VPN client connecting in.

http://www.wingate.com/showfaq.php?faqid=15

has more information. We can trade your gateway license for 6 user LAN in if you like.

Adrien

So Pascal, did Adrien mis-inform me?
Please tell me how to install a 3 user license

[Pascal]

a 3 user license allows 3 users to use the VPN simultaneously from one VPN Node. You still need a license per node

what you would need is a gateway license for 3 user LAN for the host, then a single user license for each remote VPN client connecting in.

True, but am I not allowed to use this key 3 times?????

Adrien is 100 000% correct. You use the one 3 user license for one LAN, then you need additional licenses for each additional LAN. I just re-read your post - you say you are installing the VPN on more than one PC in the same LAN.

Why? You only need it on one machine, which becomes the VPN Node for that LAN. Then you have another installation on a different LAN, where you will have another license.

[minelle]

Hello Pascal,

We want two access the two pc's using VPN to the remote desktop on XP. So in my opinion, we do need two nodes from one LAN.
And I still don't know how to activate the same key for the second pc.....

[Pascal]

Network to network communication is your VPN link. Multiple PCs on one network can access the other network, so long as the VPN is configured properly. (You do not need the software installed on every machine, it's not like WGIC)

Refer to http://www.wingate.com/files/VPN_Setup_Guide.pdf which has a good explanation of how to setup a VPN.

[minelle]

So what you're saying is that I only need a single user license for the LAN?
What are you selling multi user licenses for then?
When I connect to one pc I can't access the other, so I need the installation on both pc's
My question is not whether I need a single or multi user license, but how to install and activate a multi user license key on the second and third pc.
Please help me to solve this and I won't bother you again. I take it that I'm not the first to buy a multi user license????
Note that due to this licensing trouble we haven't been able to remotely connect to the LAN since october 5th!!!

[Pascal]

No, that's not what I am saying. We sell multi-user licenses for networks with more than one computer on them.

For each network you have that participates in the VPN you need one license.A network, for purpose of this, is a group of computers at one physical location (Like one office building) who are normally on a single LAN.
The number of computers that you have on each network determines the size of that license.

You generally only have one actual installation on each network. This is on one computer, usually the Internet Gateway for that LAN. That machine has WinGate VPN installed on it, and gets the license activated on it.

Then, you configure the other machines on that network (LAN) to connect to the VPN through the one with WinGate VPN installed on it.

[Pascal]

In about 9 hours from now, phone support will be online again. Can I recommend that you give them a call - it might be easier to explain this over the phone and probably a lot faster and less frustrating for you.

[MattP]

Hi Minelle,

Would you like me to give you a call? You can email me with your phone number, mattp at qbik dot com.

I will email you a visio document that might explain things a little easier.

Regards,

Matt

[minelle]

I will be in the office next tuesday, then I will look at the visio document.
Calling you (thanks for the offer) will be difficult because of the time difference (I could call at 11pm but I would be at home, not in the office).

On the previous installation, I could see the other computers in the LAN but couldn't connect to them, only the pc that had the VPN connection directly.

Pascal, the situation you describe is the exact opposite of what I'm trying to do: I want the home users (=2 single user licenses) to be able to connect to different pc's within the LAN (= 1 three-user license). Does that work the same way through the gateway????

Anyway, thanks for the help so far!

[Pascal]

Yup. Works exactly the same way. If you just picture the two VPN Nodes (Server and Client) as the two ends of a big network cable, you're heading in the right direction.

[Pascal]

On the previous installation, I could see the other computers in the LAN but couldn't connect to them, only the pc that had the VPN connection directly.

That normally happens when the client computers (On the Server's LAN) have not been configured yet. Although you do not need the software installed on them, you must make them aware of the fact that there is a VPN available.

To do this, you generally tell them that they must route traffic to the remote network through the VPN Server. That can be done by either making the VPN Server their default gateway, by installing the RIP v 2 client on them and ensuring the VPN Server broadcast RIP updates, or by adding static routes to the remote network.

Those three options, along with appropriate tests, etc. are described in http://www.wingate.com/files/VPN_Setup_Guide.pdf

[minelle]

Hello Pascal and Matt,

I've been trying and retrying, but I still can't connect to the second pc within the LAN.

The three options you mentioned - as for I can tell - I should use when I want to connect TO the remote pc FROM the second pc in the LAN.

I want to connect the remote pc to the second pc in the LAN through the VPN server. I don't think this is done by setting the default gateway.

Please correct me if I'm wrong....

From the VPN server, I can connect to the second pc (as it is in the same LAN), I set the local participation to "Local network" and published the necessary routes (all IP addresses within the LAN)

At the remote pc, I have also set the local participation to "local network"
I can see all pc's and servers connected in the LAN, but they all read "not accessible"

I find this very strange, as I do have a connection with the VPN server, and from the VPN server I have a connection to the other pc.

[minelle]

Additional info:

I have set the default gateway of the second pc (I'm not sure if that does the trick), and I can ping the local ip address of that machine (and not the other pc's in the LAN)
But, if I want to explore that pc (by opening "\\ip-address" in windows explorer) I get an error message, neither can I connect to it by remote desktop.

[Pascal]

Congratulations, that's the right place to put the default gateway. The routing information has to go both ways (Which is what the default gateway setting crudely created). First, the remote computers need to know how to reach that machine. But, the machine on your local network must also know how to reply to them. Setting the default gateway achieves that. (There are other ways too)

Now, the next thing might be an MTU problem. If you have a look at that document (Guidline to setting up a VPN, http://www.wingate.com/files/VPN_Setup_Guide.pdf ) that gives you details on how to test if it is an MTU problem.

Can you run those tests please, and confirm if that is the case or not?

[minelle]

test on page 19:
sending a packet of a certain size
successful, tested up to 5000 bytes

tests on page 21:
ping <machine name>
unsuccessful, couldn't resolve machine name (neither server nor participant)

ping <ip address>
successful for both server and participant

nbtstat -a <ip address>
unsuccessful for both server and participant

[Pascal]

Did you try to ping across the VPN or only on your local network? 5000byte ping with -f flag specified sounds a bit big.

Would it be possible to repost those results with more information about the network? (So we can see which machines you were testing, which side of the VPN they were on, etc.)

That will help diagnose this.

[minelle]

I ran all the tests on a remote computer, connected to the internet with a phone line. Tried to connect through VPN to the VPN server and participant.
I pinged the 5000 bytes with the -l flag, like the example in the configuration guide. I don't know what the -f flag does.

[Pascal]

Usage: ping [-t] [-a] [-n count] [-l size] [-f] [-i TTL] [-v TOS]
[-r count] [-s count] [[-j host-list] | [-k host-list]]
[-w timeout] target_name

Options:
-t Ping the specified host until stopped.
To see statistics and continue - type Control-Break;
To stop - type Control-C.
-a Resolve addresses to hostnames.
-n count Number of echo requests to send.
-l size Send buffer size.
-f Set Don't Fragment flag in packet.
-i TTL Time To Live.
-v TOS Type Of Service.
-r count Record route for count hops.
-s count Timestamp for count hops.
-j host-list Loose source route along host-list.
-k host-list Strict source route along host-list.
-w timeout Timeout in milliseconds to wait for each reply.

Those two options should be used. I'll double check the documentation. The information was things like:

(a) IP addresses / ranges in use at each end
(b) Routers / Firewalls / additional networking products (Like ZoneAlarm, etc.)
(c) Means of connecting to the internet (ADSL, Dial-up, etc.)