I connect to a server on my local network via Remote Desktop. I then need to make a VPN connection out to the internet from within that Remote Desktop session. However that immediately disconnects my remote desktop session.
What's happening here and is there a way I can fix it?
Extra Information:
Local Computer #1:
- Initiates RDP Session to #2
- Windows 7
- 10.1.1.140/24
Local Computer #2:
- Windows Vista
- 10.1.1.132/24
- Initiates VPN connection to public IP
- VPN is PPTP
- Set to obtain IP and DNS automatically
- 'Use Default Gateway on Remote network' is unselected
- 'Enable LMHosts' is selected
- 'Enable Netbios' over TCP/IP is selected
- Has the ability to be multi-homed (ie. has 2 nic's)
Public facing ADSL Router:
- VPN Server
- receives connection from #2 via external IP
- Internal network is 192.168.0.0/24
I can make a VPN connection from my PC with no problems (no RDP involved).
Tom suggested using dual NIC's in a comment below. I have dual NIC's in the box
(#2 above) but I'm not sure how to set them up properly, or how to assign the VPN to use one over the other.
I tried setting the extra NIC to be on the same private network (10.1.1.200/24), starting the VPN and then trying to RDP to either of the NIC's, 10.1.1.132 or 10.1.1.200 but didn't have any luck. Is there some way I can tell the VPN to use one NIC over the other?
As requested – here are my routing tables from PC#2:
Before VPN is connected:
IPv4 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
Network Destination Netmask Gateway Interface Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.1.1.254 10.1.1.132 20
10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
10.1.1.132 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
10.1.1.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
127.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
127.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
169.254.0.0 255.255.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 296
169.254.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
===========================================================================
and after VPN is connected:
IPv4 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
Network Destination Netmask Gateway Interface Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.1.1.254 10.1.1.132 20
10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
10.1.1.132 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
10.1.1.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
127.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
127.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
169.254.0.0 255.255.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 296
169.254.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.254 192.168.0.234 267
192.168.0.234 255.255.255.255 On-link 192.168.0.234 522
remote-vpn-ip 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.254 10.1.1.132 21
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 192.168.0.234 522
===========================================================================
I even tried hooking up the second interface (10.1.1.232) and playing with the default routes:
IPv4 Route Table
===========================================================================
Active Routes:
Network Destination Netmask Gateway Interface Metric
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.1.1.254 10.1.1.132 21
10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.254 10.1.1.232 11
10.1.1.132 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
10.1.1.232 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.232 266
127.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
127.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
169.254.0.0 255.255.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 296
169.254.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
192.168.0.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.254 192.168.0.235 267
192.168.0.235 255.255.255.255 On-link 192.168.0.235 522
remote-vpn-ip 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.254 10.1.1.132 21
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
224.0.0.0 240.0.0.0 On-link 10.1.1.232 266
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 127.0.0.1 306
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.132 276
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 10.1.1.232 266
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 On-link 192.168.0.235 522
Best Answer
What's happening is that you're effectively cutting off the IP route from the server to yourself - hence the RDP session loss. You can fix it by setting up the VPN in a way that it's bound to a second interface (physical or virtual) so that both the VPN and RDP link can coexist. How you do this depends enormously on a range of very detailed configurations that we don't know right now, so if you want help with this you'll have to come back to us with a LOT more information, just as much as you can please.