Cannot resolve host names over VPN

[trm96]

I have set up a VPN server on my desktop computer. The primary reason for setting up this VPN is to be able to access my home network shares, networked printers, VNC, as well as web pages not accessible to the internet on my laptop while away from home. While testing out my VPN at a friends house I found that I cannot access my network shares, etc by their host name, but am able to access some things but only by using the local IP address of the computer in my home network.

The setup:
VPN Server: Windows Vista Ultimate (x64 SP1)
VPN Client: Windows Vista Home Premium (x64 SP1)

I know I am lousy at explaining things if there is any more info needed let me know. Please note that I'm not a network admin by trade so please keep that in mind with any responses.

1) Make sure you have configured your VPN to use/assign your internal name
server to the VPN clients (specifically NOT the name servers the ISP gave
you). If you don not have an internal name server, go to step 2.

2) Make sure you have placed a host file on the remote VPN computers with
the local/private hostname/IP address for your internal PCs.

[trm96]

Thanks for the reply Frank. As I said I'm not a net admin, I assume you are talking about the host file located at "%windir%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts" Am I correct?

Yep, that's the one.
I'll report back to say if it worked...

In order to use shares via name resolution on the VPN server itself, if your
VPN server has a public static IP, you'll need to include that public IP in
the remote hosts file.

Don't know about Ubuntu...for the VPN server...

[trm96]

Ok, I was able to through the vpn connect to 2 of my network shares (a vista box and a Mac) but I was unable to connect to 2 others (a vista box [witch also is the vpn server] and a Linux box [Ubuntu Hardy]). I get an error saying something about duplicate host name or something (should have taken a screenshot). BTW I also have 2 network printers witch I did not try to access...

To reach the VPN machine from the Internet you'll need to use the public IP
(WAN IP). Inside your network the same should work since the inside machines
should also be able to reach it with the hosts file containing the public
IP.

I was able to connect to my network shares using my desktops other NIC's IP...

[trm96]

So I have to put in the WAN IP for the VPN server itself?

Heres what my Hosts file looks like:

192.168.1.8 VISTA-SLI2
192.168.1.7 TRM96-DESKTOP2
192.168.1.6 UBUNTU-LAPTOP
192.168.1.4 PULCINI-GJRWN9D
192.168.1.2 MAC001451174E04

Should I add this line? *being my WAN IP
*.*.*.89 VISTA-SLI2

I have 2 NICs on the machine VISTA-SLI2 What If I use the other NIC's IP (192.168.1.5) will that work? As for my Ubuntu box I don't care I can access the files on there I can access them via FTP. I sure wish there was a way to test this from home...