[vpn] VPN and Browsing at Same Time

Joseph S D Yao jsdy at center.osis.gov
Fri Mar 8 11:33:51 EST 2002


On Thu, Mar 07, 2002 at 09:15:33AM -0600, Eddie Harrison wrote:
> 
> Hi,
>  
> I'm new to the VPN stuff and don't know exactly how it works with a typical. I have a problem that I hope someone can help me with or at least tell me if it's typical and that I'll have to live with it.
>  
>  I have a pc at home that connects via DSL. I have a software VPN that routes to my company's email server so that I can receive Lotus Notes email.  With the current setup (my company set this up) I can not browse the web while I am connected to the VPN to receive email. I receive a "page not found" error as though there is no DNS available. I must disconnect the VPN and sometimes even have to reboot before I can go back to browsing. As you might imagine, this poses a huge problem in that any link that I receive in an email can't be used without a copy/paste into the browser once I have shut the VPN down. 
>  
> Is this typical of VPNs and is there a way around it? 

It should be typical of VPNs that they disconnect you from your local
network.  When I asked around a few years ago, it did not seem to be
typical.  ;-(  As people become more aware of the security
implications, things are getting better.  [Personal subjective opinion
of better, with relation to this one topic only.]

As for DNS, they should be providing you with an internal DNS server
and route out, along with your new IP address.  If they are not, that
is a problem on their part.

HOWEVER, people are too easy to blame things on DNS!  Looking back, you
say that the error was "page not found".  This is NOT a DNS error!  It
means that there is a connectivity problem.  This means that your
company probably cares enough about you guys and your business to have
gotten a GOOD firewall [proxy-based].  You need to find out from them
what kind of setup is needed while you are on the VPN.  Your Navigator
browser can store multiple profiles, which you can call up as needed
depending on how you are connected.

[Wanders off mumbling about how folks think DNS dictionary lookups are
some kind of magic, bumping into walls, missing doors, etc.]

-- 
Joe Yao				jsdy at center.osis.gov - Joseph S. D. Yao
OSIS Center Systems Support					EMT-B
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