Why doesn't my PPTP VPN connection stay alive with RDP on WM6.1

I have my Windows Mobile 6.1 Device connecting to my home router via PPTP VPN. I am able to RDP into a machine at home and see the screen. This will last for no more than a minute. The VPN connection will drop for no apparent reason.

Connecting to the RDP session via wifi @home works fine and never disconnects. Connecting via VPN and RDP from a regular windows machine is fine. It is something Windows Mobile and VPN related.

How can I keep my VPN connection alive when using Windows Mobile?

Bob

Posted 2009-10-07T13:13:49.660

Reputation: 866

Watching this one. I've never managed to keep my PPTP VPNs connected for more than a minute as well (also WinMo 6.1) – Chris_K – 2009-10-07T14:51:10.377

Things are looking bleak, I have been scourging google all day yesterday and today. It seems like no one uses this functionality. – Bob – 2009-10-07T14:52:59.890

Just in case it's not caused by the VPN (the router): maybe people might need to know what server you're connecting to? – Arjan – 2009-10-13T11:33:12.700

Connecting to the RDP session via wifi @home works fine and never disconnects. Connecting via VPN and RDP from a regular windows machine is fine. It is something Windows Mobile and VPN related. – Bob – 2009-10-13T12:25:39.643

Too many downvotes here! Good luck solving this. – Arjan – 2009-10-15T21:57:09.710

Answers

The linux client (tsclient on ubuntu anyway) defaults to trying to reconnect every 60 seconds; ensure you don't leave one running somewhere or it will steal your RDP session, resulting in exactly the behavior you are seeing.

qneill

Posted 2009-10-07T13:13:49.660

Reputation: 139

It could be a keepalive issue.

RDP doesn't send traffic unless it has to, and it could be that your connection thinks nothing is happening and closing.

On the RDP server (assumes server 2003):

Click Start, click Run, type gpedit.msc, and then click OK.
Expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Windows Components, and then click Terminal Services.
In the right pane, double-click Keep-Alive Connections.
Click Enabled, and then click OK.
Close Group Policy Object Editor, click OK, and then quit Active Directory Users and Computers.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216783

seanyboy

Posted 2009-10-07T13:13:49.660

Reputation: 1 568

This is windows mobile. – Bob – 2009-10-13T01:32:13.117

@Bob, seems to me that @seanyboy is talking about the server side settings. I guess you're not running Windows Mobile on that? – Arjan – 2009-10-13T11:31:51.503

1If you open a VPN connection on your window mobile, and do nothing, does the VPN connection drop? Also, does it drop after exactly a minute? – seanyboy – 2009-10-13T23:28:16.700

Another option...

Does the server name you try to connect to have a full stop in it?

Now there are a few things you may also want to setup if you plan on connecting to dotted (server.company) resources. By default the connection manager in Windows Mobile thinks that any dotted address is meant to be destined for the internet so it will drop the vpn connection and try to use the internet to connect to that address.

We can stop this by setting up "Exceptions". Tap Start > Settings > Connections (tab) > Connections (icon) > Advanced (tab) > Exceptions. You can use wildcards to represent an entire domain so tap "Addd new URL" and enter *.domain.yourdomainsuffix and now when you try to access a resource or terminal service to server.domain.yourdomainsuffix the vpn connection will stay connected.

From here:

http://social.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsmobilehelp/thread/6538e50e-8b55-4808-a8ea-d7c8767f3d3f

seanyboy

Posted 2009-10-07T13:13:49.660

Reputation: 1 568

1Good find! To me, this seems an odd implementation of the Windows XP equivalent "Do NOT use default gateway on remote network" though. Many VPN administrators would prefer all traffic to run through the VPN, to ensure they have some extra control over that (like to avoid some trojan horse can be connected to the client computer while that same client computer is connected to the VPN). Dropping the VPN altogether is even more secure, of course, but not very usual I think. – Arjan – 2009-10-14T11:19:03.010

This has been configured already. If this wasn't configured, I wouldn't be able to connect to the RDP session at all. – Bob – 2009-10-14T12:33:43.947

And just to clarify, when this isn't configured you aren't able to connect to ANY VPN resources. – Bob – 2009-10-14T12:34:59.687

There is a post on expertsexchange which suggests this is probably an MTU setting. The posts there suggest setting it somewhere well below 1400.

Does that fix it for you?

sahmeepee

Posted 2009-10-07T13:13:49.660

Reputation: 1 589