topic Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN in Everything else

Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 14:33:24 GMT

Up until the 17th May my work SSTP VPN was working completely fine, however at 16:38 it disconnected and I have been unable to reconnect to it since. After spending a day with my IT department the following has been tried:

-Changing routers and resetting them.

-Trying the VPN on different devices.

The VPN will not connect using my home broadband, I have even moved to a fixed IP to see if this may help but it has not.

I have tried the above devices on different networks including mobile using the same VPN configuration and they connect fine.

This leaves my home broadband as the deciding factor.

Any help on this would be appreciated obviously I am unable to work until this is resolved., I have also phoned and got the standard (we dont support VPNs) and also contacted the twitter support account on it but have yet to receive a response.

Thanks in advance

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 14:34:01 GMT

I can supply DNS entries and IPs to the work connection but I wont post them on the open forum for obvious reasons.

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

Dan_the_Van — Wed, 29 May 2024 15:42:09 GMT

@andrewhawker818

There is an account based Firewall which is worth checking, it can be found in the members centre.

This link might work https://www.plus.net/member-centre/broadband/firewall if not.

From the home page navigate >Broadband >Broadband Firewall see bottom right of screen, it is no longer required.

I would suggest turning it Off if it is set to Low or High

HTH

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

MisterW — Wed, 29 May 2024 15:47:39 GMT

I have even moved to a fixed IP to see if this may help but it has not.

@andrewhawker818 do you mean you've requested a static public IP ? and have you paid the £5 and confirmed its activated ?

Note that the automated system of activating a static IP is broken and it needs to be requested via CSC or the forums

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:25:24 GMT

Yes I added the add on and confirmed it is action, I do now have a fixed IP (using whats my ip)

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:32:01 GMT

I don't have that option under broadband and when I use the link it presents a blank page.

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:37:58 GMT

I have FFTP, I dont know if the firewall is not available for those packages or if there is a bug on the plusnet website etc.

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

MisterW — Wed, 29 May 2024 16:56:51 GMT

@andrewhawker818

The broadband firewall isnt used (or available) on recent accounts.

Did your IT dept pull the VPN logs and check that they can see connection attempts from your IP ?

TBH it sounds like the VPN server has a block on your IP. That would explain why it doesnt work from your home connection but works from elsewhere.

However that theory is somewhat dispelled by the fact that you have changed IP.

There's still the possibility of an IP block due to incorrect geolocation.

Does a tracert to the VPN server complete sucessfully ?

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 17:17:24 GMT

Thanks for the information about the broadband firewall, in regards the logs etc.

The IT department cant find any entry on the firewall (before VPN) from my IP (old dynamic or new static) trying to make a connection.

They did test turning the firewall off but this made no difference they still couldn't see an entry, I've just tried a tracert and it looks like it is reaching the bt.net servers and then getting no further:

1 2 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 5 ms 6 ms 5 ms 250.core.plus.net [195.166.130.250]
3 7 ms 7 ms 6 ms 84.93.253.87
4 7 ms 6 ms 6 ms 195.99.125.140
5 11 ms 8 ms 8 ms core1-hu0-0-0-26.guildford.ukcore.bt.net [62.172.103.138]
6 8 ms 10 ms 8 ms acc2-hu0-0-0-0.guildford.ukcore.bt.net [62.172.102.63]
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.

All other requests timed out

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

MisterW — Wed, 29 May 2024 17:51:51 GMT

That could be a routing problem, or it could just be that some of the routers and the final destaination just dont respond to icmp.

If you're running windows then you might try Test-NetConnection on port 443 which is the SSTP port

https://www.pdq.com/blog/whats-the-powershell-equivalent-of-tracert/

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 21:45:35 GMT

So I did a test using Test-NetConnection one involving going through NordVPN connected which actually allows me to connect to the company VPN once connected. Then a test with NordVPN disconnected to see the difference:

With NordVPN connected:

ComputerName : xxxxxxxxxxx

RemoteAddress : xxxxxxxxxx

RemotePort : 443

InterfaceAlias : Ethernet 2

SourceAddress : 10.8.0.198
TcpTestSucceeded : True

With NordVPN disconnected (normal connection):

ComputerName : xxxxxxxxxxx

RemoteAddress : xxxxxxxxxx

RemotePort : 443
InterfaceAlias : Ethernet
SourceAddress : 192.168.0.21
PingSucceeded : False
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 0 ms
TcpTestSucceeded : False

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Wed, 29 May 2024 21:46:03 GMT

I should note that the NordVPN external IP address is dynamic

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

MisterW — Thu, 30 May 2024 06:23:26 GMT

Sorry to be a pain but could you repeat those tests with some diagnostic options on Test-NetConnection

Add the -DiagnoseRouting and -InformationLevel Detailed options

That might shed a bit more light

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Thu, 30 May 2024 17:39:11 GMT

Hi, I ran the following:

Test-NetConnection -Port 443 "xxxxxxxxxx" -Informationlevel "Detailed"
WARNING: TCP connect to (xxxxxxxxxxx : 443) failed
WARNING: Ping to xxxxxxxxxx failed with status: TimedOut

ComputerName : xxxxxxxxxxx
RemoteAddress : xxxxxxxxxxx
RemotePort : 443
NameResolutionResults : xxxxxxxxxx
MatchingIPsecRules :
NetworkIsolationContext : Internet
InterfaceAlias : Ethernet
SourceAddress : 192.168.0.21
NetRoute (NextHop) : 192.168.0.111
PingSucceeded : False
PingReplyDetails (RTT) : 0 ms
TcpTestSucceeded : False

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Thu, 30 May 2024 17:39:54 GMT

Test-NetConnection "xxxxxxxxxxx" -DiagnoseRouting -InformationLevel Detailed

ComputerName : xxxxxxxxxxx
RemoteAddress : xxxxxxxxxxx
SelectedSourceAddress : 192.168.0.21
OutgoingInterfaceIndex : 18
SelectedNetRoute : DestinationPrefix: 0.0.0.0/0
NextHop: 192.168.0.111
DestinationAddressSelectionEvents :
RouteSelectionEvents :
SourceAddressSelectionEvents :
RouteDiagnosticsSucceeded : True

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Thu, 30 May 2024 17:42:51 GMT

It should be noted that if I connect by NordVPN via my router using a VPN client configuration. I am then able to connect to my company SSTP VPN. However this is not ideal as it significantly reduces my broadband connection speed and all devices and connections will then go via the NordVPN.

I was just noting it in case its off interest.

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

MisterW — Thu, 30 May 2024 18:34:47 GMT

@andrewhawker818 I appreciate that. The main difference when connected via Nordvpn is that your public IP presented to the VPN server will be different to your Plusnet one.

I was hoping for a bit more diagnostics from the detailed option on Test-NetConnection

From the Diagnose routing succeeded result it would seem its not a routing issue. Therefore It still looks like your VPN server is rejecting a connection based on your IP address.

edit: might be worth checking your IP isnt on any blacklists https://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check

NB it will be on dnsbl.sorbs.net , they all are

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

Dan_the_Van — Thu, 30 May 2024 18:39:29 GMT

@andrewhawker818

what is your network configuration? Are you using two routers daisy chained?

I'm might be wrong but I note a trace router with 192.168.1.254 as the default gateway but the Test connection showing the next hope as 192.168.0.111 with the test PC being 192.168.0.21

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

MisterW — Thu, 30 May 2024 18:59:32 GMT

Didn't spot that. Must go to specsavers...

Re: Recent issues with work SSTP VPN

andrewhawker818 — Thu, 30 May 2024 20:33:09 GMT

No its purely the fact I plugged the Plusnet Hub 2 (192.168.1.254) in for the call center to run diagnostics etc. This was the router I ran some diagnostics from at the time.

192.168.0.111 is my Asus RT-AC88U router that I have been using prior to this problem and have gone back to. The asus router allows me to configure VPN Client, DDNS etc.