Help! Access Windows shared folders from client!!!

tripad1

Hi,
I am a java developer setting the work environment for a startup. Needless to say that I am new to the OpenVPN and all other VPN stuff. I have setup OpenVpn from this tutorial and pretty much the same exact configuration except the ip addresses/org-name etc are different.
http://www.howtogeek.com/60774/connect-to-your-home-network-from-anywhere-with-openvpn-and-tomato/

My configuration:
Router: WRT54GS, installed Tomato 1.28, ip: 192.168.1.1
static routing added to 2 machines: 192.168.1.105 (this is dev machine) & 192.168.1.104 (OpenVPN server installed here)
Server(1.104): Windows XP sp3, installed as a administrative user (not as the internal 'run as' administrator)
Client: thinkpad T61 running windows xp sp2 & openVPN 2.1.4, more on the way with windows 7.

Not sure if this is relevant, but the tutorial did not mention about creating the config/server.opvn and so I have no server file in the server's C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config folder. I am also not using the windows service, nor any startup variables for the service, but somehow the client connects to the server fine.

The vpn is nicely working with/out windows firewall, and I am able to RDP to my server @104 + dev machine @105.

Issue: I have some shared folders in the dev & the server boxes visible/available to the client(s).

Current behavior: (tried from neighbor's wireless network)
1. I can ping all machines whether firewall is on or off while client is connected via VPN.
2. All these server network folders are visible to the client if the client is in the same network. I can access them by using name as well as ip, like \\192.1168.1.105 or \\dev-station\downloads from the client (all the 3 machine firewalls are ON their default settings, no exceptions added).
3. Same can also be accessed by Ip ONLY by disabling the respective firewalls, but not by name.
4. NONE can be accessed neither by name nor by ip if the firewalls are on.

What I want: is the folders to be tunneled thru VPN & available to the client to map to.

I went over the HowTO doc of openVPN and to my despair the documentation is for an expert (why these boneheads assume us to be experts, in this case why should we be using their piece of crap?). Rant off.
http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/install.html?start=1
http://openvpn.net/index.php/open-source/documentation/howto.html#windows

I also combed thru tons of tutorials from so called geeks/experts when what they are saying does not work & flies over my head. They say add route rules to windows firewall OR add exception to OpenVPN OR download some patch from microsoft OR enable Internet Connection Firewall (dont even find this one!).

I have already lost 2 days over this and if this goes on like this I would need medication!!!

What to do? How to have the shared folders visible in the client? Please help...

george

3. Same can also be accessed by Ip ONLY by disabling the respective firewalls, but not by name.
4. NONE can be accessed neither by name nor by ip if the firewalls are on.

for #3:

Does nslookup work when connected?
from a command prompt on a connected client:

nslookup ip or host name of machine with shares

for #4

Have you tried adding exceptions to windows firewall for file/printer sharing?

http://www.dharwadkar.com/weblog/firewall_block

tripad1

hi,
NSLookup works from client;

C:\>nslookup 192.168.1.104
Server: unknown
Address: 192.168.1.1
Name: TEST-STATION
Address: 192.168.1.104
C:\>nslookup TEST-STATION
Server: unknown
Address: 192.168.1.1
Name: TEST-STATION
Address: 192.168.1.104

C:\>nslookup 192.168.1.105
Server: unknown
Address: 192.168.1.1
Name: BASE-STATION
Address: 192.168.1.105
C:\>nslookup BASE-STATION
Server: unknown
Address: 192.168.1.1
Name: BASE-STATION
Address: 192.168.1.105

I was thinking about adding exceptions to windows firewall for file/printer sharing', however the linked article mentions that if I change scope for port 445(TCP) to 'any computer (including the internet)' it may be very dangerous, and I don't even know this opens up thru the VPN tunnel or not.

updates:
Tried to add the above exception to the firewall 'file/printer sharing' and find some unusual that can connect to base-station @105 by IP+name, whereas test-station @104 connect only thru IP, NOT via name.

I suspect the name resolution goes thru the router and since we are tunneling thru the router to the server (@104), so windows can not do name resolution. Or can it be due to the static routes I have setup in the router?

Any idea how to fix this? Is there a way via the OpenVPN client/server config to allow this thru the tunnel?

Mimiko

Do you have a wins or samba server? It will help you with this. Or use a brodged setup, which has downside of lowering the transfer speed.