Browsing through VPN....How?

[mikenova]

Hi!

I have a VPN between two offices ( INGATE FW ).. I got problems with browsing the nets through "my network icon"... I can reach all computers with their IP's and the strange thing is that the browsing through " my network icon" works from time to time?!!

I'm gonna try to write down the facts:

Network one: with AD, can browse network2 all the time, even through "my network icon".. I got a fully functional WINS and an DNS that is "almost functional" ( got some error messages, but DNS has nothing to do with this.. ( or am i incorrect?)

Network two: WinNT4 PDC that got WINS on it, is functional! The DNS server is an Win2k server and is also functional.. They are in different domains.

I hope that anyone of you all out there have had simmilar problem, please help me, getting really tired of this!

//Mike

 

[EricT]

What have you done on either side to enable name resolution to the other side ?
Are both WINS servers replicating with each other ? If not do you have static entries on both to point to the other side ?

Same for both DNS boxes, are they root & forwarder in the same DNS structure or completely separate ? If the latter, are both DNS servers set up to use each other as forwarder or do they contain at least records for each other's servers ?

If you are browsing the network using a win 95-98-ME or NT4 client, you are basically relying 100% on WINS & broadcasts for your browsing. If you are using Win2K or XP machines then "just" the Win2K DDNS should be enough to allow browsing, provided ofcours (in both cases) that the WINS or DNS server that the workstation is talking to "knows" about the network on the other side of the VPN.

 

[Shadow07]

Exactly. You need to make sure that your WINS servers and/or DNS servers are replicating with each other. For your WINS servers, make them PUSH and PULL partners with eachother. With your DNS servers, make a secondary DNS zone for the domain that sites on the opposite side of the VPN connection.

HTH.

 

[mikenova]

Thanks for the answers!

The Wins are working fine.. But I'm a kind of "nobody" in DNS... How am i supposed to set up the DNS? My network contains of totally three domains, two of them om my primary side of the tunnel (192.168.169.0).. And the last one is on the secondary side of the tunnel(200.200.200.0)..
How do i make a secondary DNS zone for the domain that sites on the opposite side of the VPN connection?

/Mike

 

[Shadow07]

If you are running Windows 2000, and it has the DNS service, then open the DNS MMC console. RIght-click your DNS server, and select New Zone. In the wizard, the type of zone you will select is SECONDARY. Then, when it prompts you for the Primary Zone server, enter in the DNS server on the other side of the tunnel.

But, if you say your WINS servers are replicating with each other, check the Application event log to make sure there are no errors.