[pptp-server] Poptop and Windows clients

[Micah Seymour]

On Tue, 17 Oct 2000, Philip Van Baren wrote:

> Chris,
> 
> The options you list are all viable options - you should be able to get it
> to work with or without a WINS server.
> 
> The hosts and lmhosts files are used just for name resolution.  When you
> have these files set up properly, you can access "\\machinename\sharename"
> without having to use WINS.  These files do not affect browsing, so browsing
> may still fail even if you have hosts and lmhosts properly set up.
> 
> To get browsing without WINS, you need a samba server (which maintains
> browse lists) running on the same machine as pptpd, and accessible from the
> VPN machine.  The VPN machines will then be able to get the browse list off
> of that samba server.
> 
> To use a WINS server, either on the pptpd machine or on another machine, ALL
> machines on your network must be configured to use the same WINS server,
> because the WINS server will only know about machines that are using WINS.
> 
> Using a WINS server to do the name resolution can significantly slow down
> the name resolution, especially when the WINS servers is on the other end of
> a slow network connection.  If you don't use a WINS server, and instead put
> the names/ip addresses in the hosts/lmhosts files, the name resolution is
> done from local files, so the name resolution is much faster.
> 
> You can have both WINS and lmhosts, but Windows will always try WINS first,
> and if that fails, will look in the lmhosts file, so if you have both you
> will still have slow name resolution.  (This is the opposite of the way DNS
> works--DNS looks in hosts first, then checks with the DNS server.  Microsoft
> always likes to do things different!)  To get faster name resolution you
> must remove the WINS server configuration from your VPN client, and only use
> hosts and lmhosts files.
> 
> Another thing to consider is that typically you have to wait a little while
> after connecting the VPN before you can browse the network neighborhood.  If
> you wait 30 to 60 seconds before trying to browse the network, then it
> should work.  I think this confuses many people because they try to browse
> the network immediately after connecting the VPN, and after if fails on the
> first try they assume it isn't working.
> 
> Here is a Microsoft article about how name resolution works:
> http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q119/4/93.asp
> 
> Phil
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Chris Carella [mailto:drjchris at yahoo.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 3:16 PM
> > To: Philip Van Baren
> > Subject: RE: [pptp-server] Poptop and Windows clients
> >
> >
> > I've read through various messages on the list and I
> > have a question.
> >
> > The VPN connects fine, but there is no browsing
> > abilities in the network neighborhood, and the initial
> > name resolution to connect to a share takes about 2
> > minutes (way to long).. to fix this which of the
> > following will work (can someone explain why the other
> > won't work).
> >
> > 1) Set up a Samba Wins Server on the PPTPD server
> >
> > 2) Use an exsisting Wins Server on the NT Network
> >
> > 3) Put every machine in the clients lmhosts and hosts
> > file
> >
> > 4) configure the samba box to maintain browse lists
> > (and it actually does this properly: check if the
> >  /var/lock/samba/browse.dat file contains a list of
> > all of your machines
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Christopher Carella

Great thread guys!  Thanks you solved my browsing problem, and my initial
share connection time problem.  This stuff should be in the HOWTO, or at
least a FAQ somewhere.  Speaking of FAQ is there a maintained one
somewhere that I have just missed?

Thanks,
Micah Seymour


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