VPN causes Internet to stop

Yes - thats normal. Once your laptop joins the VPN, it no longer has a direct connection to the internet because it is inside the private network.

Solutions: set up a proxy server to provide routing back out to the net. RTFM for your VPN software, and see if there are any options.

jackhab hath wroth:

Make, model, version? Static IP on the WAN side of the router, LAN side, or both?

Laptop is at what IP address? Desktop is at what IP address? What program are you using for a VPN server on the laptop? What program are you using for a VPN client on the desktop?

Sure. That's normal. If you happen to be using Microsoft PPTP VPN, then just change the setting for the VPN default gateway to use the local default route, instead of the remote default route. Click on your PPTP connection icon Don't connect. Select Properties -> Networking -> Internet Protocol ->

Properties -> Advanced Uncheck the box "Use Default Gateway on Remote Network".

However, since I only have a vague idea of what you have setup, my guess(tm) is that it's alreay unchecked and the problem is that you simply don't have an internet gateway (router) running on the VPN server laptop.

You can find out for sure by running: Start -> run -> cmd route print

The results will be very different between when you have the VPN running and when the VPN connection is disconnected (hangup). What you'll probably see is that your default gateway is changing when you run the VPN. If it points to an IP address that is *NOT* your router, then you're not going have a connection to the internet. Just what are you trying to accomplish with this arrangement and can you be a bit less vague (i.e. some numbers please) with your derrangement?

If you are using the Windows VPN dialer, open the properties of it, then the TCP/IP properties, then advanced. Uncheck the box that says "Use default gateway on remote network" and save.

Then try it.

This is not necessarily a good idea. Let's say you WANT to tunnel ALL traffic from the local machine through the VPN and THEN out to the internet. I do this all the time if I'm using a laptop in an unsecured environment (coffee shop, hotel, etc). ALL my traffic goes back to the office inside the encrypted VPN, and then out from there to the Internet. If I were to follow your advice I'd be screwed and leave all my internet traffic exposed to being sniffed on the local unsecure network. Dumb idea.

What's necessary, however, is the receiving VPN to properly handle the routing. Depends on which VPN server software is being used, and that's not explained.

But one has to ask why are you trying to make a VPN connection inside the same network?

-Bill Kearney

I've seen it recommended as a lan security measure for wireless, ie the same reason you do it in the coffee shop.

But if it's your OWN network then just use one of the WiFi security measures. And if it's not your own network, but one at the office, and you're trying to hide traffic from management, well, that's not exactly a good way to stay employed.

I'm not sure how well the routing tables on the laptop are going to tolerate the situation. You're on network A, tunneling over to another device on network A. Why shouldn't the routing just avoid the tunnel? So, you'd have to create a different network 'inside' the tunnel. Say you're on

-Bill Kearney

I think the point is that WiFi encryption only encrypts the on-air traffic. If your entire network is running as a VPN within itself, then its encrypted throughout.

I didn't say by the way it was a _good_ idea... :-)