VPN Connection Fails

[SamB]

When I VPN to my work, I get disconnected after 5 or 6 seconds with error message "Your VPN Connection has been Terminated".

My Internet connection is inconsistent, (often does not work). But there are sometimes stretches where it seems to work fine. Right now is one of these stretches. I can browse anywhere I want without difficulties.

However, my VPN connection fails with the above error. I know that I get connected first though. I tried one time to ping a host in the network and it was successful for one or two pings, then failed (because I was disconnected).

I am using a high speed DSL connection.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Sam.

[YeOldeStonecat]

What is your home setup? Behind a firewall of any sort? If so, is the firewall a router? If so, have you allowed IPSec traffic to pass through, or is the firmware up to date?

Do you know what the VPN host is?

What are you using to connect to the VPN host with? Windows built in PPP or a 3rd party client?

Is your computer in good health...meaning windows updates, antivirus up to date and recent scan, ad/spy/malware free? Scanned with Lava Soft's AdAware and/or Pepki's Spybot Search and Destroy?

[SamB]

Thanks for the response.

I am using the Cisco Systems VPN client. It used to work when Rogers (i.e., cable) was my service provider. Then I moved, and at the same time I switched to Sympatico (DSL) - this is when the VPN stopped working. How do I check if IPSec traffic is passing through? I expect it is, because VPN used to work when I had a cable connection before moving.

I am using a SMC Barricade router / firewall with up to date firmware. OS is Windows 2000 Professional SP4 with all critical updates applied. I regularly scan with Norton Anti-virus, and not so regularly with Ad-Aware 6.0 ... but I will scan now, after downloading the most recent reference file. I found seven tracking cookies - I deleted all of them. I generally scan with Ad-Aware once every few weeks, and it usually finds about three tracking cookies - but never anything else.

Sam.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Is the SMC router new to your DSL? Or did you use it before with your cable? Did you factory reset the router when switching from cable to DSL, where allowing VPN traffic is now at some default "not enabled"?

I haven't worked on Sympatico broadband...most DSL ISPs don't block VPN traffic...but ya never know. Might want to spend a minute or two and check with their support. Or another northern Symantic user here might chime in and add their experience like "I can't either", or "I do it with no problems".

[SamB]

I was using the router with my cable as I am using now with DSL. At one point, I did do a factory reset, but this did not help. It did not work before or after the factory reset. And after the Factory Reset I reconfigured it.

My DSL service provider requires PPP over Ethernet, and that is how I configured the router. Do you know if this creates a problem with VPN?

Thanks,

Sam
Toronto,
Canada