Gatekeeper and remote history viewing

[tb]

I've just updated the WinGate machine onto a totally new system after a disc crash and all is okay - except that I can no longer access the History remotely via Gatekeeper.

Yes, I'm running Gatekeeper.exe via a mapped network share from the proxy machine, set up as described, logged in as Admin as I've used before successfully. Remote shows activity okay but no History or Firewall logs.

I've deleted the history files but no effect. These are also a problem - they run for about 12 hours then stop working until cleared.

WinGate runs under XP SP 2 as before and the remote machines are both running fully patched Vistas as they have been for some time.

Ideas please?

[Nev]

These are also a problem - they run for about 12 hours then stop working until cleared. Ideas please?

Hi,

Which version of Wingate, 6.2.x are you using?

For remote access the version of Gatekeeper must be the same, although I think you would report a 'protocol error' if it wasn't right.

Do you leave Gatekeeper open all the time watching the traffic?

This can load the server if you do, to push all that information to the GUI and isn't really recommended.

[tb]

Which version of Wingate, 6.2.x are you using?

6.2.2.1137-USE

For remote access the version of Gatekeeper must be the same, although I think you would report a 'protocol error' if it wasn't right.

Well, as it's running remotely from the server .exe....

Do you leave Gatekeeper open all the time watching the traffic?

This can load the server if you do, to push all that information to the GUI and isn't really recommended.

It has run most days remotely for several years in the past but it's never worked since installed this time. Can't say I've ever noticed any particular load, maybe a few percent of CPU usage when updating.

The History log on the proxy machine seems okay for a day or two now but the remote tab is completely blank. It does show some Firewall traffic but that looks like it's real time only.

[ekkas2]

Is your 'Remote control' service (System tab/Port 808) running with sufficient rights?

[tb]

Is your 'Remote control' service (System tab/Port 808) running with sufficient rights?

Well it's running as a mapped copy off the server installation so it'll be the same rights as the version on the server.... Everyone with unrestricted rights

A worse problem now, it's started losing the internet connection every 6 hours or so - at the same time the History tab fills with DNS lookup entries - at over 400 per second! There are so many being written it's next to impossible to take any control over Wingate. DNS timeout is 180 secs.

I did manage to stop the engine eventually and restart but still the same. The PC itself (a dual processor 2.8Ghz Pentium 4 with 1Gb of memory) seems fine in itself. Restarting the machine is the only solution.

I'm tempted to go back a version (the old machine was running 6.2.1 if can find a copy) and/or deinstall/reinstall Wingate. The PC is up to date as far as SP1 and updates go.

[ekkas2]

You don't have to 'map' it, in fact, that wouldn't make a difference. Just copy gatekeeper.exe to the PC you want to use and punch in the IP of the WG server on logon.
400DNS/sec sounds more like a virus to me... I find disabling the history cures a few hanging/locking up problems, see recent post.
Also make sure your MTU issues are in sync, i.e. test MTU with TCPoptimizer (www.speedguide.net I think) straight onto your Internet line, then in Network tab, override the Internet (external) adapter's MTU if needed. Also set your internet router's MTU to that value if needed. By the way, you have marked the appropriate intefaces as external/internal have you?

Good luck
Ekkas

[Nev]

A worse problem now, it's

As a thought, the internal NIC in the server does it have a gateway defined?

[tb]

A worse problem now, it's

As a thought, the internal NIC in the server does it have a gateway defined?

Yes - the internal card is set to the IP of the proxy itself, the external to the ADSL Modem.

DNS on internal is set to the machine itself and external to the ISP DNS servers (yell if that's wrong, it's taken from a dump of the old machine - but see below)

I did some testing yesterday and the DNS problem only happens when there's no internet connection. If you pull the connector, of it goes as soon as there's a call for DNS. Plug it back in and all goes back to normal.

Now, I am a sure as I can be that on the old system (which AFAIAA this system is set up the same as as I used a dump of the old config to set this one up), I never even saw any DNS History entries at all when it was running which made me wonder if I needed the DNS service at all for some reason - so I stopped it and it's still all running some twelve hours later....

Of course, checking the old registration dump from October shows it's set to 0001 which is Manual Start/Stop so it would have not been running....

I've run Virus checks on the machine (it has a resident scanner) but no sign of anything. WinGate knows which NICs are which. So far, it's been running for longer than previously with no problems with the DNS disabled.

Thanks to Logan BTW for deactivating my licence quickly so I could get it running on the new server!

[ekkas2]

Yes - the internal card is set to the IP of the proxy itself, the external to the ADSL Modem.

Just read the installation instructions again...
On the server external card, you need gateway & DNS's
On server internal card(s) you need just IP and Subnet, no gateway, no DNS.

Only on client PCs do you need Gateway & DNS pointing to WG server (using NAT), unless you use proxy, then gateway & DNS can also be left out but it's propably better to just DHCP them.

The DNS boom without Internet is 'normal' here by me as well, as Skype, messenger & other progs that stay online try to find an active server.

Ekkas

[adrien]

Hi

Looks like there's 2 issues.

1. Remote history viewing. WinGate has actually never supported this, unless you either

a) run the GateKeeper.exe out of the same directory as WinGate is installed in using a mapped drive.
b) use remote desktop. With the prevalence of remote desktop, we actually normally recommed this for remote admin.

2. DNS request looping.

This happens when WinGate is configured to use a DNS server, and that DNS server is configured to use WinGate for DNS back again. This most commonly happens in an Active Directory environment when the WinGate machine is on the domain (so uses the AD DNS server), and the AD DNS server forwards to WinGate. To solve this, you must stop WinGate using the AD DNS server (WinGate only cares about resolving internet names, not your AD names). To do this, run from the start menu->Programs->WinGate->WinGate Advanced Options, select the DNS pane, and enter the IP of the AD DNS server. This will prevent WinGate from using that server.

Regards

Adrien

[tb]

1. Remote history viewing. WinGate has actually never supported this, unless you either

a) run the GateKeeper.exe out of the same directory as WinGate is installed in using a mapped drive.
b) use remote desktop. With the prevalence of remote desktop, we actually normally recommed this for remote admin.

Well, the remote map was how I always got it to work in the past but it just won't work now. Anyway, I've taken to using a VNC session and that's fine. RD isn't much use as it stops access to the server by anyone else while it's up...

2. DNS request looping.

This happens when WinGate is configured to use a DNS server, and that DNS server is configured to use WinGate for DNS back again. This most commonly happens in an Active Directory environment when the WinGate machine is on the domain (so uses the AD DNS server), and the AD DNS server forwards to WinGate. To solve this, you must stop WinGate using the AD DNS server (WinGate only cares about resolving internet names, not your AD names). To do this, run from the start menu->Programs->WinGate->WinGate Advanced Options, select the DNS pane, and enter the IP of the AD DNS server. This will prevent WinGate from using that server.

Brilliant! That immediately stopped all the problems I've been having and I guess would for others as well. DNS service is running again and I can pull the feed plug now and the system doesn't go berserk!

Thanks Adrien

Tony