Ask Me Help Desk - Connecting to 2 networks at once

My home network has the following hardware:

* IBM T42P ThinkPad laptop running XP Pro
* Desktop Pentium 4 PC (clone) running XP Pro
* HP Media Center PC
* HP LaserJet 3030 printer/copier/fax/scanner connected to the desktop PC through the parallel port with printer sharing enabled
* RCA cable modem connected to Time Warner with Earthlink as my ISP
* Netgear RP114 router/switch

All three computers connect to the internet through the router.
The desktop and the HP Media Center PC are always connected to the HOME network.
Normally I can print from the laptop to the shared printer with no problems.

When I run Cisco VPN client software on the laptop to connect to my company's server,it sees only the company's CA network. When VPN is active, the laptop doesn't see the HOME network and can't use the shared printer.

I've tried connecting a USB-Ethernet adapter to the laptop so it can connect to the CA network via VPN and connect to the HOME network at the same time with the USB adapter, but I can't configure everything to work properly.

1. Is this the right approach? If so, how can should I configure the laptop?
2. The HP3030 printer has 1 parallel and 1 USB connection. Is it possible to connect the laptop to the printer's USB port at the same time the desktop is connected with a parallel cable?
3. Is there a better method?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I would talk to your IT people at work. I have a similar setup where I have a laptop that I use in my office and at home. I share a printer on my network that I can use on the company laptop even when connected (via VPN) to my company's network. The only difference is that my printer is shared via a printer server rather then shared on a PC.

I connect to the printer by first installing it as a local printer, but creating a TCP/IP port using the IP of the printer instead of LPT1.

dplatt,

This is not a strange problem. I manage Cisco VPN's and the reason why your home connection drops off the face of the earth when you connect to your company is because your VPN client is configured with "Split-Tunneling" disabled. When you VPN to your work you in essence are creating a tunnel back to the office and you'd be connected as if you're in the office. With split-tunneling enabled, your home network would then be visible to your laptop. So far nothing is wrong or surprising.

What you can do is ask your IT department to enable split-tunneling for you which is the right thing to do. If you don't get anywhere with them then you have other options. You can connect your laptop via another NIC card to your local network. Once you have two connections then run your VPN client. What your VPN client will do is use one of the NICs as its primary connection and leave the other one alone. Your default gateway would then be running across the VPN. That leaves all of your local resources available on your other NIC. Since your laptop is not likely to have 2 ethernet jacks you could look at a USB to Ethernet adapter. Linksys makes them (I have one) and they work great.

Good luck.

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. I'll try loading VPN after both Ethernet cards are connected.

dplatt,

It just occurred to me that there is another option which is much easier to try. You should have a file that contains your VPN profile under the Cisco VPN directory within the Program Files folder. It ends in .pcf. Inside that file there is a parameter "TunnelingMode=". If it is set to 1 change it to 0 or the reverse. I can't recall which setting enables the split-tunneling. This of course also depends on whether your IT department forces their end to not tunnel but it is worth a try.

Hey Scott, did you ever have a chance to download and try out Network Magic, if not give it a try, it won't affect your current setup in anyway.

Wendy

I did download the free AOL version, but it won't detect my router even though I know its supported. Haven't had a change to play with it yet.

Scott<>

I tried using 2 network connections - the internal card plus the USB-Ethernet adapter - and I wasn't able to see the local network when VPN was active. I'd like to try it again, possibly with a cold booth before I load VPN, before I decide that it doesn't work.

I also tried changing the .pcf file as suggested, but that doesn't make a difference either.

I've been tied in business meetings all week and haven't had the time to spend with this that I'd like to. I will experiment further and report back.

It detected my setup right away, I am not sure but I think if you have a firewall you must configure it to work together, if you need any tech support, they are very good about emailing you, I have never called them, but my guess is, since they seem very eager to help in their emails, they should do the same by phone.

Let me know if you get to try it out and give your opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cajalat

dplatt,

This is not a strange problem. I manage Cisco VPN's and the reason why your home connection drops off the face of the earth when you connect to your company is because your VPN client is configured with "Split-Tunneling" disabled. When you VPN to your work you in essence are creating a tunnel back to the office and you'd be connected as if you're in the office. With split-tunneling enabled, your home network would then be visible to your laptop. So far nothing is wrong or surprizing.

What you can do is ask your IT department to enable split-tunneling for you which is the right thing to do. If you don't get anywhere with them then you have other options. you can connect your laptop via another NIC card to your local network. Once you have two connections then run your VPN client. What your VPN client will do is use one of the NICs as its primary connection and leave the other one alone. Your default gateway would then be running across the VPN. That leaves all of your local resources available on your other NIC. Since your laptop is not likely to have 2 ethernet jacks you could look at a USB to Ethernet adapter. Linksys makes them (I have one) and they work great.

Good luck.

I've tried using 2 network cards and just can't get it to work, even after a cold boot with both connections in place before running Cisco VPN. Windows sees both network cards and it uses the USB/Ethernet adapter for the VPN connection, but the internal network card does nothing. I see the work network over VPN, but Windows can't find the HOME network.

Can you suggest a plan B?

Thanks.