RDP Client Can Lose Connection to Terminal Server If Terminal Server Initiates a RAS Session to a Remote Server

ID: Q242051

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

SYMPTOMS

A Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) client that is connected to a Terminal Server may have its session terminated if the Terminal Server initiates a Remote Access Services (RAS) connection (either dial-up or Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol [PPTP]) to a remote server. After the Terminal Server successfully negotiates a RAS session with a remote server, the connected RDP client seems to stop responding (hang) when it tries to connect to resources that it was previously able to access. Eventually, the client receives the following message:

Terminal Server has ended the connection.

When you close this message, the Terminal Server session window is closed. If you attempt to reconnect, you receive the following message:

The connection to the Server has timed out. Try connecting to the server again.

Further attempts to connect to the server do not succeed. Attempting to ping the IP address of the Terminal Server generates the following message:

Request timed out.

Attempting to view the server with the net view command results in the following message:

Error 53. The computer name specified in the network path cannot be located. Make sure you are specifying the computer name correctly, or try again later when the remote computer is available.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the Terminal Server dial-up or PPTP connection is configured to use the Use default gateway on remote network option and the remote RAS server assigns the Terminal Server an address from a pool of addresses that are on the same network as the Terminal Server.

The Use default gateway on remote network option is located on the Server \ TCP/IP Settings tab in the Phonebook entry for the dial-up or PPTP connection. This setting is enabled by default. With this setting enabled, the Terminal Server's route table is modified after the RAS connection is made to reflect a new default route with a "metric=1" setting.

The default route becomes the IP address the Terminal Server was assigned by the remote server. You can view the route table by using the route print command at a command prompt.

Route Table Examples

Before Remote Connection Is Made


Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
    192.168.100.0    255.255.255.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
   192.168.100.52  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
  192.168.100.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1

After Remote Connection Is Made (Same Network)

(The Use default gateway on remote network option is enabled and the address is on the same network.)


Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0    192.168.100.2   192.168.100.2	  1
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
    192.168.100.0    255.255.255.0    192.168.100.2   192.168.100.2	  1
    192.168.100.0    255.255.255.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  2
    192.168.100.2  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
   192.168.100.52  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
  192.168.100.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0    192.168.100.2   192.168.100.2	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1

After Remote Connection Is Made (Different Network)

(The Use default gateway on remote network option is enabled and the address is on a different network.)


Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0         10.0.0.2        10.0.0.2	  1
          0.0.0.0          0.0.0.0   192.168.100.30  192.168.100.52	  2
         10.0.0.0        255.0.0.0         10.0.0.2        10.0.0.2	  1
         10.0.0.2  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
    192.168.100.0    255.255.255.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  2
   192.168.100.52  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
  192.168.100.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0         10.0.0.2        10.0.0.2	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1

After Remote Connection Is Made (Default Gateway Option Not Enabled)


Active Routes:
Network Destination        Netmask          Gateway       Interface  Metric
        127.0.0.0        255.0.0.0        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
    192.168.100.0    255.255.255.0    192.168.100.2   192.168.100.2	  1
    192.168.100.0    255.255.255.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
    192.168.100.2  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
   192.168.100.52  255.255.255.255        127.0.0.1       127.0.0.1	  1
  192.168.100.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0    192.168.100.2   192.168.100.2	  1
        224.0.0.0        224.0.0.0   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1
  255.255.255.255  255.255.255.255   192.168.100.52  192.168.100.52	  1

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use either of the following methods:

Click to clear the Use default gateway on remote network check box in each dial-up and PPTP phone book entry. The Use default gateway on remote network check box is located on the Server \ TCP/IP Settings tab in the Phonebook entry for the dial-up or PPTP connection.

Configure the RAS server to assign an IP address from a different subnet.

MORE INFORMATION

Having the Use default gateway on remote network check box selected is the default configuration because in most cases individuals configure dial-up connections to connect to an Internet service provider (ISP), and this setting must be be enabled for Internet access to work.

Additional query words: ppp vpn routing metric

Keywords : kbenv kberrmsg
Version : WINDOWS:2000; winnt:4.0
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbprb