VPN connection is not auto dialed

[endx]

I have a routing setup with the following architecture: my local home lan is connected to the provider's wan via ethernet and then I connect to Web via VPN connection. The problem is, I need this VPN connection to be held persistent, dialed when computer starts and auto-redialed whenever it's dropped. Theoretically it should be dialed "automatically on behalf of a client", but I use NAT, and the vpn connection is not dialed when I try to open a Web page on a client, for instance. Please advice.

I also got a strange bug - I set "retry all" to 99 and clicked Dial (I have only one vpn profile) - the connection was established at once, but in the Dialer General dialog the status was still blinking fast as if it was still retrying.

[jamesc]

Theoretically it should be dialed "automatically on behalf of a client", but I use NAT, and the vpn connection is not dialed when I try to open a Web page on a client, for instance. Please advice.

Please do the following tests.

1. Test with an ip address to see if it dials.
(Windows) Start menu --> run --> telnet 210.55.214.36 80

2. Confirm that in WinGate's DNS Service that you have set "Allow DNS requests to initiate the dialer"

3. Confirm that your network adapters are correctly marked as Internal / External for connectivity and firewall purposes. The network card / modem pointing towards the internet should be set as EXTERNAL in WinGate, and the network card pointing towards your LAN is marked as INTERNAL. FYI: If you only have one network card, and it has a default gateway set to a hardware router with a firewall, then you can set it as INTERNAL in WinGate; WinGate can do single network card NAT.



4. If you have a DNS Server or Default Gateway on your Internal Network card then please review if you really need it; ask for advice if you are not sure.

5. The Windows Firewall is best disabled in the Windows Services for the sake of testing if you deem it safe; not the Windows Control panel when testing. You should also disable any other security suites for the sake of testing if you deem it safe.



And if you are still having problems then please elaborate / consider the following:

I have a routing setup with the following architecture: my local home lan is connected to the provider's wan via ethernet and then I connect to Web via VPN connection.

6. Who's VPN Connection? WinGate VPN, MS VPN or another VPN Product?
7. Where is the Dialer for it reside? Is it proprietary software or is it in the Windows Network Connections?
8. Have you setup your Dialer correctly within GateKeeper --> Dialer?

The problem is, I need this VPN connection to be held persistent, dialed when computer starts and auto-redialed whenever it's dropped.

--> So your VPN Software has no way to keep a persistent connection or auto dial on connection failure, hence you are trying to use WinGate to do it for you? Because if your VPN software does have that setting then what difference will it make if WinGate dials it or Windows / Third party dials it? Obviously we can advise on getting it going, but if they both have the same result then possibly use an option you know how to configure?

[endx]

Thank you for your kind help, but it didn't work for me. I disconnected VPN, tried telnetting that IP and nothing happened, except for telnet's failure.

6. Who's VPN Connection? WinGate VPN, MS VPN or another VPN Product?

A connection I make in Windows Network Connections to maintain a PPPTP connection to a remote VPN server that actually gives me access to Internet.

7. Where is the Dialer for it reside? Is it proprietary software or is it in the Windows Network Connections?

It is in Network Connections and it is available in the Wingate connections list. I'll appreciate any alternative methods of creating such a connection, if it will allow auto-dialing with WinGate.

8. Have you setup your Dialer correctly within GateKeeper --> Dialer?

As correctly as I could, and it dials OK from Dialer dialog. But it does not auto-dial neither when it's broken, nor on windows startup. To dial it, I need to go to Dialer, open the connection and click Dial.

Because if your VPN software does have that setting then what difference will it make if WinGate dials it or Windows / Third party dials it?

Firstly, no Windows option can make the VPN connection to be dialed automatically upon system / WinGate startup (or, to be more precise, upon establishing the External WAN connection).

Secondly, Windows does not work in the circumstances - if I plug out the External network from my PC, then plug it in back (simulating WAN disconnections we often have), VPN is broken, but Windows does not feel like redialing it. No matter how much retries do I set up in its settings.

And thirdly, have you ever seen how RAS redials Windows connections? Its dialog will popup and focus on itself each time a try is made, without an option to turn it off, thus making the computer practically unusable during the redialing process.

If there's no way to make WinGate dial/redial VPN automatically, can someone clearify if the connection must be initiated from within WinGate, or can I use a 3rd party dialer (or write my own) for the VPN connection? Will it work then with WinGate?

[jamesc]

Thanks for the details. I just created your scenario in the lab and it worked as expected. Please confirm that your Dialer for the VPN connection to the ISP is marked as EXTERNAL in WinGate.

Let us know how you get on.

[endx]

Thank you, yes, it is marked as external, but your scenario is not complete. I can't seem to post an image here, but the thing is - you need to have two LAN connections to make the experiment exact: one internal, the other external. And the VPN connection can only be established via the external LAN connection. Then, if you disconnect the external LAN, and connect it back, the VPN connection will not be automatically re-dialed. Maybe it doesn't work only because there is 2 LAN connection...

But what is "expected" from a redialing mechanism, maybe it's supposed to work the way it does? Probably it cannot be setup to automatically dialing the VPN whenever an external LAN connection is established

[jamesc]

1. So you have one network card that is Internal.
Another network card that is External.
And a MS PPTP connection that is External

Correct?

2. But the External network card (not PPTP) is not always connected to the internet; then how do you connect that connection to the internet?

[endx]

I must explain that the aforesaid events are happening in a place called Russia, so there are no 100% reliable connections here, and things are pretty complicated. This external connection is WAN, which connects buildings into one big neighbourhood network, and this network is rather unreliable. Rats chew wires, punks steal switches, electrical cut-offs kill or halt devices, etc, etc. So this WAN is unreliable, thus disconnections happen. But the most funny thing happened today, when the WAN is not working (again) and I tried to add our secondary ADSL channel into the WinGate configuration. It is more reliable, but slower. ADSL connection was recognized as "Dial-up", and the following situation happened:

The internal LAN is enabled and active.
The external has yellow "i" (but Wingate seems to not aknoledge that)
The ADSL connection is dialed manually and is working fine.
THEN: The VPN connection starts to dial through ADSL connection!!! And connects!

Such a mess! You should really make it possible to specify which connection depend on which, and make it possible to have several dialup/vpn connections for such backup channel situations.