os x vpn remote desktop to windows, cant find machine

Question

I am trying to remote connect to my windows-computer through a VPN connection setup on the same machine, in Windows 7, through a Macbook Pro.

I have created a new incoming connection on my windows machine, and I can connect to it through my VPN setup on my mac. I then try to connect to the local IP on my home network 192.168.0.xxx, but every time the RDC tells me: "The Mac cannot connect to Windows-based computer". I then try to ping it through the terminal with the same IP, but get "Request timeout" every ping.

Anyone have a clue where i have done something wrong or where i might find the problem?

I have tried to set advanced setting for the VPN connection saying "Send all traffic over VPN connection", this dose not work (and also i cant connect to any homepages when i am connected to my VPN). Also tried to set RDC to "Always connect, even if authentication fails", and this dose not work either.

Answer 1

The problem I saw is when the network where your try to connect to is the same private network where you are connecting from. For example 192.168.1 is used by many home connection. The same with 192.160.0 and others. The trouble is that the gateway used is the one on your home (source network) at because the destination network seem to be the same, it will reroute it inside your home network, and of course it will not find the target there. The quick solution is to reset/change your home network address to something else than your target network at your office or wherever you are trying to connect to.

This is not a perfect solution because you may take your MAc somewhere else where the source network is again the same. Connecting from Windows to Windows does not have this issue because the Windows connection can be configured in a different way.

If somebody knows how to force the Mac to look for the target address OUTSIDE the home network I would like to know.