Connecting a workstation to SBS2000 remotely.

I have a new workstation (that has never been on site where our SBS server
is). I have created a VPN connection (that includes Domain) and connected.
when I try to use the Netowork ID wizard or change to SBS Domain manually, it
fails with a "A Domain Controller for the domain OURDOMAIN could not be
contacted.".

Please help. I really don't want to lug this PC into our office.

Merv
Fri Feb 09 11:59:04 CST 2007

Thinking out loud here...

Assuming the remote workstation is Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro...

1. Make sure you have the SBS 2000 server correctly configured to accept
VPN connections.
2. On the remote workstation, create an account with the same
username/password as the domain user will have on the SBS network. Grant
this user account local administrator permissions on the remote computer.
3. On the SBS 2000 server, grant the user Remote Access dial-in privileges
4. Log onto the remote workstation with these credentials.
5. Create a VPN connectoid (for use by everyone, not "myself") pointing to
the SBS 2000 domain. In the DNS properties of the connectoid, enter the
private IP address of the SBS 2000 server (default is 192.168.16.2).
6. Test the VPN to make sure it can connect to the SBS 2000 network.
7. Log off and then log back in with those same credentials but this time,
check the "Log on using Dial-Up Networking" and then select the VPN you just
created
8. Make sure you can ping the SBS server's private IP address
9. To manually add the computer to the domain, use My Computer | Properties
| Computer Name | Change | Domain
10. Reboot
11. Log back in with "Log on using Dial-Up Networking"

This assumes that you want the workstation to connect to the SBS network
each time the user logs in with his SBS domain credentials. Depending on
your situtation, you may want to revoke the local administrator permissions
from the domain credentials.

I'd suggest installinf client apps (Office, Outlook, 3rd party clients,
etc.) by sending CDs to the user rather than over an Internet connection
(due to poor performance over a VPN connection).

You can also easily remotely administer the remote workstation by installing
Logmein (Free Edition) on it and access it from your network workstation.
(If it's WinXP Pro, you may also be able to use an RDP session to transfer
installation apps to it and remotely administer that workstation).

www.logmein.com

--
Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]
============================
"jdc" <jdc@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FC806C6C-7DFC-4467-B3B0-1B20AF2AD8D8@microsoft.com...
>I have a new workstation (that has never been on site where our SBS server
> is). I have created a VPN connection (that includes Domain) and
> connected.
> when I try to use the Netowork ID wizard or change to SBS Domain manually,
> it
> fails with a "A Domain Controller for the domain OURDOMAIN could not be
> contacted.".
>
> Please help. I really don't want to lug this PC into our office.
>
>