Can't remote desktop through VPN

[#1]

I cannot for the life of me remote desktop to my work computer! The VPN will connect with no issue whatsoever, but when I attempt to remote desktop (via either the microsoft client or CoRD), I will just receive a timed out error message.

I can connect perfectly fine via my mobile's internet, and on a friend's connection, it's just on my home plusnet connection I can't, which means i'm guessing it's a router issue? I'm using the plusnet one router, and have tried disabling both the router and account firewalls, both to no avail.

Can anyone help!?! 

Thanks,

Jack

[#2]

Did you renew the ppp session (reboot the router) after turning off the firewall in plusnets Member Centre ?

Need to do that before the change takes affect.

[#3]

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I cannot for the life of me remote desktop to my work computer

Has it worked previously ? There's been some issues with some types of VPN and routing on the new network. See this thread https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/VPN-fine-for-9-months-stopped-working-Jan/td-p/1301062/highl...

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[#4]

tried that several times, no joy

[#5]

A week ago I switched from talktalk to plusnet, so it's only been since I've been with plusnet that I've not been able to.

It's strange because the VPN seems fine, I get prompted for my password and then it will connect. It's just that the remote desktop client doesn't connect (no matter which one i use). As I said, it's fine when I tether on my phone or use any other connection. Would port forwarding do anything?

[#6]

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@MisterW wrote:

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I cannot for the life of me remote desktop to my work computer

Has it worked previously ? There's been some issues with some types of VPN and routing on the new network. See this thread https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/VPN-fine-for-9-months-stopped-working-Jan/td-p/1301062/highl...

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Looking at the OP's IP address, I don't think that's the problem.

[#7]

@bobpullen, Thanks for checking that.

@jackrichards, Are there any restrictions on IP addresses that you are allowed to usethe remote desktop from ? I'm thinking that some PN IP ranges are ( erroneously!) marked by some geolocation databases as non-UK.

I routinely use remote desktop over a VPN from my home PN connection so there is no general problem as such.

Can you do anything else (e.g file browsing ) ok over the VPN ?

[#8]

My IT admin at work has told me they have no IP restrictions in place, I'm stumped! As for file browsing, I think I'm set up purely to remote desktop. Certainly nothing new shows up in finder once the VPN has connected.

The IT chap suggested that sometimes ISP’s restrict/throttle VPN traffic and this could be my problem, but if you successfully remote desktop over VPN with Plusnet then this can't be the case!

Is there any way I can pinpoint where the problem lies? 

[#9]

Do you have a different router you could try?
Which TT router have you got, that might work with PN.

[#10]

The only other router I have is the Huawei HG523 (Talktalk essentials router) from my previous talktalk connection, i didn't have fibre with talktalk though

[#11]

What software do you use to establish the VPN?

Earlier this year we had problems with a Juniper networks VPN.  We could establish the VPN, but everything on it was slow or completely unable to establish a connection when the previous year it was fine.  Turns out I had turned on QoS on the router we used at the time and had not needed the VPN for awhile.  As soon as I turned this off, everything was fine.

[#12]

It's just going through the standard network settings built into in OSX 10.8, but like I said it works fine when I tether to my mobile which makes me think the problem must be elsewhere?

[#13]

My guess is that this isn't the problem BUT I'll ask just in case!. Do you know if your work use NAT with a private IP address range ( typically they do if a small business ) and if so what is it ? It's likely to be something like 192.168.x.0 .

[#14]

the ip that the remote desktop client uses is 192.168.1.81 if that's any help? 

[#15 · Accepted solution]

Sorry, do you mean that the IP of the remote desktop is 192.168.1.81 ? i.e the address you connect to from your  rdp client. If that is correct then you have a problem! You will need to change the LAN subnet on your router to something other than the default 192.168.1.0. I suggest 192.168.5.0. I don' t have a hub One so hopefully someone who has one will advise how to change it. 

TBH your IT people are a bit short-sighted if they are using 192.168.1.0 as a local subnet when allowing VPN access . A lot of home routers will default to that subnet and therefore VPN access won' t work. They should be using a subnet well away from any home router defaults something like 192.168.42.0 is a good start!