Configuring VPN to work without regard to dial in policy

Per this page:

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732252%28v=ws.10%29.aspx?f=255&MSPPError=-2147217396

1. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Network Policy Server. The NPS console opens.
2. Double-click Policies, click Network Policies, and then in the details pane double-click the policy that you want to configure.
3. In the policy Properties dialog box, on the Overview tab, in Access Permission, select the Ignore user account dial-in properties check box, and then click OK.

You can enable NPS (Network Policy Server) to work without regard to the user's dial-in setting.  For years, I've been manually marking people with Allow for Dial-in as in below.

Set up for a new Mac on a PC network as of 7/15/15

1. Boot up laptop and log in as admin and create a local password with the domain admin password
2. Install all applicable Apple updates and make sure the system is on the latest OS and OS patch
3. Create new user as local administrator that matches (though doesn't necessarily need to match) the user's login name on the Windows domain with matching domain password
4. Log out and log in as user
5. Install newest applicable version of MS Office
6. Set up VPN
7. Set up all applicable printers
8. Install applicable antivirus
9. Set up network drives
10. Test VPN and ability to access network drives over VPN
11. Configure Outlook and let email download completely
12. Configure any applicable broadband card
13. Add VNC/screen sharing password
14. Add serial number and computer specs to inventory spreadsheet

Fix for Netgear C3000 that will not connect to VPN

I found a fix for users with a Netgear C3000 cable modem router that are unable to connect to PPTP VPN.

In my test case, the user was on Comcast and getting error 800 when connecting to her company VPN.

First, make sure you can log into the router.  Default login and password are admin/password.  You'll need to be able to log in.

Netgear has this page which gives a download which makes an update to the router firmware to allow VPN passthrough:
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/26099/~/c3700%2Fc3000-vpn-pass-through-hotfix-for-windows

In my test, I had to apply the update and then manually reboot the router, but afterwards, I was able to connect to the PPTP VPN per normal.

Configuring Office365 on difficult XP computer

This entry will have no value to anyone else.  It's a specific situation for my own notes.  On the computer named Vostro1500-INTE, the Outlook 2010 has consistent trouble with configuring the Office365 account.

I tried all these things.

• Create new mail profile
• Setting the login/email address to username@domain.onmicrosoft.com
• Set DNS servers to 8.8.8.8 instead of internal DNS
• Create and connect to VPN without split tunnel

In the end, I found that the fix was to 1) create a new Windows profile and 2) disable the crappy Trend Micro antivirus.  Of note, I recreated the profile at first wihtout disabling AV and I had trouble configuring email - so perhaps disabling the AV was necessary.

adding VPN (RRAS) functionality to Server 2008 R2

If you're looking to add VPN/RRAS functionality to Windows 2008 R2, you won't find it called by either name. You need to add the role called Network Policy and Access Services (see screen show below).

Syswan router VPN passthrough has reverse setting

I've become a fan of Syswan routers as they are a cheap, functional business class router. There aren't a lot of routers in the sub $300 category that aren't the residential wireless routers that are sub $100.

Today, I was troubleshooting the fact that users at a site with a Syswan router couldn't make outgoing VPN connections. After checking, PPTP passthrough was enabled, so I disabled it. And voila - it worked. So it seems, in some cases (not all) - the PPTP passthrough box has the reverse of the intended effect. Screen shot below of a setting that DOES work for PPTP passthrough. The model of this router is Syswan Duolinks 24 VPN.

VPN set up on a Macintosh

These instructions for setting up a VPN on a Mac work for Tiger and Leopard.  I can't verify for other OSes yet:

Click on the WLAN (wireless LAN) indicator (near the upper right hand corner).

Click on Open Network Preferences

Click on the + near the lower left hand corner of the Network window that appears

For interface, choose VPN

For VPN type, put PPTP

For service name, put **Company Name** VPN

Click Create

For server address, put **FQDN of VPN server**

For account name, put your login name (i.e. john or jsmith depending on your company's policy)

For encryption, leave it at Automatic

Click Authentication and put in your password

Click Connect

And then it should connect.

increasing the number of PPTP users allowed on an SBS box

By default, an SBS box only allows 5 concurrent PPTP VPN connections. You can increase it by going to administrative tools -> routing and remote access and going to Port Properties as seen below:

Virtual Private Network Connection option is greyed out when creating a VPN

I had set up a VPN for a user, but when she tried to use it today, the option wasn't there. There were no VPNs. I decided to create it again, but when creating a new connection, the option for Virtual Private Network Connection was greyed out. So weird. After some research, it turns out that her remote access connections service had been disabled. Looking at my XP machine, it should be set to manual, and then it works correctly.

It should look like this: