IP address handling with Windows 7 built in VPN

Question

I have a VPN set up using Windows 7 built-in VPN (both the server and client are using Windows 7).

It all works fine - I can access all the computers on the remote LAN using VPN and see the network drives etc. In addition, when I browse, all the traffic is being routed through the VPN.

The only problem is that when I try and Remote Desktop into one of the remote machines, it won't work (although it does with others). The reason for the problem is that the remote computer's address is the same as the local LAN's gateway. So:

PPP adapter Home VPN:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.131
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0

Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection 2:

   Connection-specific DNS Suffix  . :
   IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.7
   Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
   Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1

I'm trying to connect to 192.168.1.1 on the REMOTE network using the VPN, but it doesn't work (I think it's trying to connect to the LOCAL IP). I can connect if I disconnect the VPN and connect through the internet. Weirdly, connecting to 192.168.1.1 to see shared files DOES work (so it's going to the REMOTE IP).

Any ideas?

What I want is ALL traffic to route through the VPN so that it's just like I'm connected physically to my home (remote) network.

Thanks very much in advance!

Answer 1

For simplicity you would want the two networks to be using different IP address ranges, i.e. change your range at home. As a second best, you could make sure that the remote machine's IP address doesn't exist locally.

Some VPN solutions will set you up to route traffic exclusively through the VPN and not to the rest of the local network or the local network's internet connection, but I don't think that is the case with Win7's built-in VPN.