I work for a corporation that just recently installed an exchange server. I run an office for them in another part of the state. I used to be able to get my email via POP3 connection and my Outlook program checked it automatically. Now, I have to connect through a VPN if I want to access my mail through my own Outlook program. Otherwise he has the web access mail set up, but it won’t sync with my Outlook nor check it every minute like I want. This (VPN connection) is a problem for me since it interrupts my daily activities on the computer because it has to reconnect and re-authenticate EVERY FEW MINUTES! It’s very frustrating because I could be typing a proposal or something and the thing pops up. Our IT guy doesn’t seem to know of a way to keep me connected constantly. Some other people have told me they have worked through VPN’s before and never had the reconnect problem. He claims it has to do with the security settings in the server. I have WinXP on this puter and have to connect through it’s built in VPN connection because it gets disconnected on a regular basis. I then have to enter another IP address out of the block he’s set aside for remote access. I also have the Checkpoint Secure Client VPN client running and that has to re-authenticate every so often. I’m seeing if there is something in the networking world out there that can resolve my issue I’m having. This exchange server he’s set up would be ok if I worked in the main office and needed to check my mail after hours or something. But my position is not like that. I am constantly at a remote site. What is there that I can have my guy install or turn on or whatever that will keep me on all the time? And, is there any other info I need to let you know to further help the fix? Thanks, M

Let me ask first. Are you using broadband from your remote office and are your going through a router? If so that could be your problem. I was losing my connection to the SecurID every few minutes also then I started asking some questions and I found out my routers IP address was the same internal IP address range for my corporate network and that was causing the problem. They were using 192.168.x.x and my router was set to the same IP octet of 192.168.x.x. What I did was change my routers IP address to a something completely different in a different range. You can use something like for example 172.16.x.x, whatever. Also, Are you using wireless at the remote office? If so if you drop the connection from your wireless router for even a second it will cut you off from VPN and you will have to reconnect the SecurID when you wireless reconnects.

Thanks, your are correct about my router's IP address. Yes, I'm using broadband. Cable right now, but looking to goto faster wireless or better yet, DSL when it's available in my area. I will look into changing my IP string. How would that affect the connection? I believe my guy told me that it was the server dropping me. well, he did tell me that he increased the time of connection for me. I don't know, it's really weird. I'm using a router from OnQ...it's a home automation company...and I need to upgrade it's firmware. It seems far insuperior to the ones like cisco and linksys. And no I'm not using wireless. Thanks again. I'll look forward to more suggestions and I'll follow up on the IP address thing. P.S. is there a way to automatically re-authenticate with the SecureClient thing?

How it could affect your connection is if your having IP conflicts and that will drop your connection. When you connect to your companies VPN service it creates a vitural IP address and if that address is in the same IP range or IS the same IP address as your router it will knock you off or not connect at all. Does that make sense? I've never heard or seen OnQ so I don't know anything about it but I've used Linksys (a cisco company now), and D-link for a couple of years and I really like them both. No there isn't a way to automatically re-authenticate with SecureClient.

Change your routers IP address to something like 172.16.1.1 and then change the DHCP on the router to start at 172.16.1.100 and go up from there. When your computer(s) boot up it will take the IP address of 172.16.1.100 then 101, 102 so on for each additional computer. Just make sure your not using the same IP range as your corporate office. Hope this helps.

Thanks guys for the help. I will try these options. Can I fudge the IP numbers as much as I want? I mean, where did the numbers 172.16.x.x come from? Are they random numbers you chose or is that a certain protocol for routers? Thanks again, and I'll update my progress.

OK, I tried the IP address change and it still kicks me out every 10 minutes or less.