Win PPTP VPN issue : its the default internet connection ?

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1101

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Uber Geek

#223663 11-Oct-2017 11:24

Hi . I Win7 VPN issue

Using the built in VPN thats standard in Win7 : create a PPTP VPN (to connect to a offsite NAS or another companies system)

When that VPN is connected , the 'normal' internet is unusable (Browers wont connect etc)
all non VPN traffic seems to want to go through the VPN , or perhaps Win is using the VPN's DNS for normal internet traffic ?
Disconnect he VPN & normal internet works again

Any way to make the normal network connection allways the default ?
Or what needs to be done so VPN & internet browsing etc can both work at the same time ?

This is only with Win7's built in VPN option .
Generally a 3rd party VPN client doesnt have this issue, but cant use 3rd party clients on the VPNs in question

tatbaird

142 posts

Master Geek

#1881866 11-Oct-2017 11:36

I use a Windows 7 VM in VMware workstation if I have to VPN into other sites. Doing this will not affect your normal internet access and you don't have to change static IP pools or default gateway settings anywhere.

Lias

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#1881871 11-Oct-2017 11:41

This is for Win 10, Win 7 should be fairly similar if not identical.

From Network and Sharing Center, "Change Adapter Options", select the VPN adapter, select properties -> Networking -> IPV4 -> Properties -> Advanced, then untick "Use default gateway on remote network"

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1101

3122 posts

Uber Geek

#1881958 11-Oct-2017 13:50

Lias:

untick "Use default gateway on remote network"

that stops the VPN working properly
I'd have to add a static route for the VPN traffic

Must be a better way ? Ive yet to find it via googling though

I tried changing the metric, that didnt help.

Lias

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#1881964 11-Oct-2017 14:20

1101:

Lias:

untick "Use default gateway on remote network"

that stops the VPN working properly
I'd have to add a static route for the VPN traffic

Must be a better way ?

It doesn't stop the VPN working as such, it just means that traffic for any subnet other than the one assigned to you by the VPN needs static routes added. You can't have two default gateways though, so if you don't do this, all your other traffic is routed through the VPN. If the remote site doesn't offer its VPN clients direct internet connectivity, things break as you've noted in your original post.

I'm not a super networking guru, but I'm not aware of there being any way around this, other than as discussed or configuring the VPN host to allow VPN clients to have direct out internet connectivity and routing all internet traffic down the VPN.

1101

3122 posts

Uber Geek

#1881989 11-Oct-2017 15:33

sorted

I had to make a "split tunnel" with static route
The static route had to be configured in a particular way to get it to work

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/75078-configuring-split-tunnel-client-vpn-on-windows

freitasm

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#1882027 11-Oct-2017 17:35

Glad you're sorted. I would recommend staying away from PPTP as it's an unsecure protocol - trivial to break into. Better options for Windows would be SSTP, L2TP (both with built-in support) or OpenVPN.

darylblake

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#1882034 11-Oct-2017 18:05

I would probably move away from PPTP. A lot of newer OS's dont support it by default at all now. Which begs the question why are you not using a VPN with a higher level of security.

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1101

3122 posts

Uber Geek

#1882501 12-Oct-2017 15:37

darylblake:

Which begs the question why are you not using a VPN with a higher level of security.

Thats a fair question.

It was a case of , this is the hardware, make it work .
PPTP was the only VPN that would actually work with the hardware in question .
Not my decision , not an excuse but sometimes thats the bottom line .