Remote Desktop with VPN

Hi all,

I have a very unique issue to solve. I have to remote desktop to a server (let's call it remote server). This server has a static IP address. Now once I have done so, I need to run a VPN session on that remote server to get that server to be a part of a specific network.

My problem is that once I have established my connection via remote desktop, and I am running the CISCO VPN software to connect to that specific network, I am losing my remote desktop connection to that server.

I know what is happening. When I remote desktop to the machine with the static address, it's fine. Once the VPN software starts and connects to that specific network, the remote server loses the static IP address and get a VPN IP address. That results me losing my remote desktop connection to that server. The VPN keeps on running, till I physically run up to that server and disconnect it from the VPN. Then I can remote desktop to it again.

Now, how can I connect to the remote server via remote desktop, run my VPN software, connect to that specific network, and still keep my remote desktop connection alive so that I can carry on working on my remote server?

Looking forward to any responses.
Cheers

Hello Arani, i think you can use hostnames instead of IP when connecting to that server.
Using DNS services like no-ip or others you can send your servers current IP address to your account created with them and change IP accordingly.

I'm not sure if you are using privat pr public ip addresses once VPN session establishes.
In private case I think websites like logmein can be useful.

www.no-ip.com/support/guides/remote_acce..._remote_desktop.html

ask-leo.com/how_can_i_connect_to_my_home...puter_from_work.html

cheers.

What are the local IP addresses (and SNMs) of the hosts at each end of the VPN tunnel?

Here's a little bit more food for thought

The server is normally part of a 137.221.74.0 network (IP address assigned manually to 137.221.74.153 with the gateway set to 137.221.74.1)
I use this IP address to remote desktop to it. But once I remote desktop to it and run the CISCO VPN software to connect to the other network, on Network Connections, the Cisco Systems VPN Adapter (which is disabled as default), comes alive, connects and gets the IP Address 192.168.246.161 (with a default gateway with the same address). There are DNS server assigned as well.

That's when I lose the remote desktop connection.

OK Arani ... you said that you RDP to 137.221.74.153, so I guess that's the public IP address of the server (correct?). What's the private IP address (and SNM) of the server on the LAN at the other end?

When you connect through the VPN, your Cisco VPN Adapter gets 192.168.246.161. What's the private IP address (and SNM) of the computer from with you initiate the VPN and RDP?

Hi SteveP

I'm not sure if I got your question right, but it's the same server on which I run the VPN session. So basically I remote desktop to the server using it's IP address which is 137.221.74.153. Once I can see it's desktop through the RDP session, I run the Cisco VPN on that same server, and that's when the Cisco VPN Adapter, whcih till now was disabled, becomes enabled and acquires an static IP address of 192.168.246.161. The gateway is set to 192.168.246.161 as well.
So now, this server has two IP addresses, one on the original physical NIC which is 137.221.74.153, and the second one on the Cisco VPN adapter which is 192.168.246.161.

Hope that answers your question.

What this Cisco VPN adapter connects to on the other side of the VPN network, is something I don't know. But I can find that out by doing a few traceroutes while the VPN is active to some IP addresses known to be active to me over the VPN.