Problems copying over wireless VPN and a possible solution

[David Brown]

Using ViceVersa over VPN I was getting the following errors:

[ERROR] \\mobile\d\live\MVSDa\201\100\*.* : The specified network name is no longer available.

and

[ERROR] \\192.168.1.4\t\live\fol.Data\UT\76AAA : The handle is invalid.
[ERROR] Error while reading Source information.

It turns out that I was having problems doing large copies using explorer or xcopy in addition to VV. The problems only occurred when copying across the VPN to a machine connected via wireless. When the machine was connected wired, the copy worked across the VPN. The copy also worked when the machine was connected via wireless but the copy originated from a machine on the local side of the VPN. Bizarre, huh? Anyway, when I disabled the "extended range" feature of the NetGear wireless router I was using, the problem vanished. It's definitely that, as when I turn it back on, the problem reappears.

Thought I'd let you know since you might run into this problem (or something similar) from another customer. A network admin friend of mine tipped me off to trying this. He claims that leaving the wireless router to auto-negotiate b vs. g or some of the other "extended" features the routers use with their own brand of wireless hardware can cause timing problems. The machine I was using was a Toshiba laptop with a built in Intel wireless. Perhaps if it was Netgear wireless receiver this problem would have never surfaced.

Dave