VPN blocking Windows services?

[bcmitsupport]

I need to access a shared folder over a VPN connection. Very simple host network: no Microsoft server, no AD. Just a WRVS4400N router and a peer-to-peer network.

Purchased a second WRVS4400N router to create VPN from SOHO and configured via VPN Setup Wizard.

When at the office, I can map a drive letter to a share on the other computer, as follows

net use f: \\192.168.1.111\MyShare /User:MYSELF mypass

However, when try same command over VPN, I receive the response:

System error 53 has occurred.

The network path was not found.

I also cannot net view the other computer -- same error. However, I can successfully ping 192.168.1.111.

More info:

Routers have latest firmware.

Over VPN I cannot browse network via Windows Explorer (Win7 Network Neighborhood shows only my own PC. In the office I can see the other computer and the NAS appliance "NAS01").

I also cannot connect by entering \\192.168.1.111\MyShare into Windows Explorer's address bar (although I can do that successfully when at the office), or by choosing Map Network Drive from "Computer".

However, over VPN, I can get into NAS administration via https://192.168.1.3 and I can print to the office TCPIP printer (192.168.1.222)

Could the VPN could be blocking some services. Is this possible?

How to fix?

[linksysinfo · Accepted solution]

Are you using quickvpn or an ipsec tunnel?

Sounds like the share name is not known or the firewall on the remote PC is blocking it.

[bcmitsupport]

> Are you using quickvpn or an ipsec tunnel?

Forgive my ignorance, but how can I get that info?  VPN is router-to-router, using identical WRVS4400N VPN routers. VPN was configured using Cisco's VPN Setup Wizard, from the included CDROM.

> Sounds like the share name is not known or the firewall on the remote PC is blocking it.

Windows7 Home Premium

In Control Panel, Windows Firewall, I turned off the firewall for both Home/Work and Public connections.

Still no success.

CONFIRMATION:

This does seem to be a Windows7 firewall problem, but simply turning off firewall doesn't fix.

Swapped Win7 laptop for a WinXP Pro machine and everything works perfectly. (Need to use the Win7 one, though)

[bcmitsupport]

Discovered that the problem is Win7 version. Home Premium will not allow mapping drives over VPN. Solution is to use WebDrive, which works like a charm. Win7 Pro just works.

QUESTION:

Is there a way to configure Win7 Home Premium to work without using WebDrive?

[bcmitsupport]

Mea Culpa.

Due to a lack of alternate machines for testing, I continued until now to believe the fault to be Windows 7 Home vs. Windows 7 Premium. I was  wrong.

For some reason, the Win7 Home laptop had a 3rd party firewall  installed on it (ZoneAlarm Free). However, although ZoneAlarm was  running, there was no icon for it in the system tray and the Windows  Firewall also was turned on. Of course ZA showed up in the "Programs and  Features" list, but I didn't look there. I assumed I knew what was on  the laptop.

Uninstalling ZoneAlarm Free solved the problem for the Windows 7 Home Premium laptop.

My apologies to all who joined in the collective head scratching.