RDM fails to open newly added VPN until after VPN has been connected once manually.

RDM fails to open newly added VPN until after VPN has been connected once manually.

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Using:
Remote Desktop Manager Enterprise
13.5.6.0 64-bit

1. A new user installs RDM and connects to our shared data source.
2. The new user can see the RDP session entry for 'MyClient' which opens a standard Windows VPN before the RDP connection.
3. The user does not yet have the 'MyClient' VPN configured on their computer.
4. The user runs a script that installs and configures the 'MyClient' Windows VPN connection on their machine.
5. The user refreshes (or even re-starts) RDM and attempts to use the 'MyClient' RDP session from RDM but gets the message:
"Unable to open the VPN connection, do you want to continue?"

If the user has access to the connection properties they can:

1. Go to the VPN/SSH/Gateway settings, click the Settings tab. The 'MyClient' item exists in the VPN Name select box.
2. The user has to click the Edit icon to bring up the 'Network Connections - rasphone.pbk' dialog and click the Connect button and manually complete a connection to 'MyClient'.

Most of our users have no access to the connection properties, so these users must complete the new VPN connection manually from their system tray.

(In either case this requires that we provide the end user with usernames and passwords to VPN connections when we would rather just have them secured in RDM.)

3. After completing a manual connection once, then the RDM RDP session will work and complete the VPN connection to 'MyClient' before attempting the RDP session.

  • The name of the configured 'MyClient' VPN exactly matches the settings in RDM.

  • The VPN will connect manually if initiated from Windows, so it is set up correctly.

If the VPN is configured on the system and RDM has been configured to use it, why can it not start the VPN until AFTER the VPN has been connected once manually?


All Comments (2)

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Hello,

Your case seems to be the subject of our warning at the top of this page

https://help.remotedesktopmanager.com/tipsandtricks_microsoftvpn_pbk.htm


Does it contain a pre-shared key?

Maurice

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Maurice,

This particular connection does not utilize a Pre-Shared key but the behavior is exactly as described in that article. As soon as the VPN connection is completed one time manually, then Remote Desktop Manager has no problem using the connection.

I do have other Microsoft VPN connections that require a pre-shared key so we'll just have to work around that issue. Thanks very much for the tip.

Jamie