Topic: VPN connection problems

[Franco Lee]

I'm currently running SME Server V5.1.2 and it is configured as a VPN server.  I have multiple clients using Win2000 that connect to the machine remotely via VPN.  Both sides are using cable.

However, I'm experiencing painfully slow results.  On a file of size 500Kb, the upload and download is about 2min (give or take 30sec).  I can't figure out what is the problem.  The number is extraordinaryly high on a 56k ( >15min).

What is the bottleneck?  Is there a setting problem on either the E-smith server or the Win2000 client?

Also sometimes a file fails to upload and the error message says: "Cannot copy .  Path is too deep".  What does that mean????  Is it coming from the SME-VPN server???

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Franco

[Mark Signal]

Have you tried different copying methods - ie: ftp and smb to see if that makes a difference?

Mark

[Rob wellesley]

Even tho clients can see the local network as if they were "at the office" - on the LAN you have a 100,000,000 bps connection to the server on a dialup modem you have 56,000 bps download and 33,000 bps upload - BIG difference - even fast cable is still very slow.

If a client needs to open a 2M file then the user needs to double click the file then go and make a cup of tea...

Even then - because they won't see an immediate activity icon on the mouse cursor they will be tempted to double click again...

Bummer ay? but what can you do...

Use webshares maybe

[Franco]

Thanks for the suggestions but here's some numbers i have compiled...

to copy a 500kb file from a remote computer to the server via vpn (both sides are using cable): ~25 seconds

to copy a 500kb file from the server to the remote computer via vpn (both sides are using cable): ~25 seconds

these numbers are acceptable, but the connection is very sporadic.  sometimes to do the same thing it takes about 2-2.5 minutes.  there isn't any thing special set up on the remote computers (ie. win2000 using vpn).

what else do i look for???

franco

[John Henry]

One thing you can check for on the client side (winbox's) is any extra protocols that they installed.
For example, NetBEUI, this one can slow down any type of connection. Due to the large overhead of chitchat it brings with it.
Apple-talk, ipx-spx…etc.
Any protocol that is not needed for their system to connect correctly should be stripped out of network neighborhood.
This will clean up unnecessary communication over their connections.
And aid in faster communication over the wire.

[flee]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.  i will look into all of them and let you know the results...