RDC 2.0.1 and VPN to Windows XP server 2003

[jjludwick]

I am successfully connecting from home and my macbook pro to my windows server at work. I can use all the programs on my terminal server. The problems I have is that if I don't keep hitting keys or clicking on icons, after about 15 seconds of inactivity, everything freezes. Sometimes, if I keep hitting the space bar or another key, it will eventually start working again. It even remembers the keys I have pressed. However, if it times out completely, it will log me off and I can not simply reconnect. Rather, I have to disconnect the VPN, then reconnect the VPN, then restart RDC. I then pick up where I left off.

Interestingly, if I am in my office on my local network using RDC without the VPN, it works much better. I will get logged off from a time out, but the time is like 15 minutes of inactivity, not 15 seconds with freezing and lock-ups.

Anyone have any ideas?

Much appreciative

 

[hakuryuu]

What are you using to provide the VPN connection?

I ask because this is fairly similar to an issue we had with our VPN at my office. In the end it turned out that some machines were given static IP addresses that were interfering with the ip that the dhcp server was giving to computers connecting via VPN. We would have people that could always connect to the VPN but either couldn't connect to some machines or would have connection stability issues similar to what you are experiencing. What fixed the problem was changing some of the static ip addresses and also restricting which ip addresses dhcp could hand out. Ever since then we have had some people use the VPN for several hours at a time and never get booted from RDP or anything else.

 

[Alrescha]

I can only echo the comment that it's something in your network rather than the endpoints. I stay connected to Windows 2003 Server for hours (sometimes days) using a tunnel over SSH.

A.

 

[jjludwick]

Additional Info

I am using PPTP on my mac for the VPN. My VPN never drops. Only the RDC freezes. I appreciate your ideas. Cheers.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Sounds like networking issues. Tough to diagnose for certain. One thing to do would be to set up a "keepalive" type activity to check if your VPN connection is still running. (A continuous small-size ping to a system inside the work network, for example.)

I use a Cisco VPN client to connect my home Mac to my work network, then RDP into my work desktop machine when I work from home a few times a month, and have the RDP going for 9 hours at a stretch without problem.