# Linksys Router issues with VPN



## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

I have a Linksys (E1200) Wireless Router at home that is wired to a Time Warner Cable modem. I use a Dell Latitude E6500 Laptop to connect to this wireless network. To connect to my work network, I use Any Connect VPN client. When connected to my work network, I use a Computer Associates software source management tool called CA Change Manager (Harvest) Workbench. When I log in, Harvest connects to a Windows Broker server with the Oracle database on a Linux server. When the application is first invoked, it connects using port 5101. At this point everything is working just fine. Then I do a file transfer type request called a checkin or checkout which checks the source code in/out of Harvest. When this request is done, the port 5101 is not used, it uses a port selected randomly. When I initiate the checkin/checkout request, it takes about 3 minutes, and then it times out with one of the following 2 errors, "Unable to establish a remote connection" or "Network Timeout". If I bypass the router, and wire directly into the Modem, then the checkin/checkout request is successful. So I think the issue is with the router and VPN. I have used multiple routers and get the same errors, so I don't think the issue is just with the router....I think VPN is involved. Does anyone have an expertise with this type of issue, and wouldn't mind helping me?


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## Shekka (Jan 6, 2012)

jgray32 said:


> Then I do a file transfer type request called a checkin or checkout which checks the source code in/out of Harvest. When this request is done, the port 5101 is not used, it uses a port selected randomly.


The router is likely blocking the port that it is trying to use. Is there a range of ports that it chooses from? EG. from ports 5101 - 5600

If you can find out what ports it chooses from, then you could set up a port trigger for it.


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## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

I asked CA, and they couldn't tell me what range of ports it selects. They said it was done randomly.


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## Wand3r3r (Sep 17, 2010)

Since it is a client vpn I don't see how the router could effect it unless it does not support vpn passthru. After all the tunnel is from pc to work which means the router can't filter what is going thru the vpn. Ports don't matter when using a vpn. Its a secure tunnel.

Question now is does any of these routers used support vpn passthru?


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## Shekka (Jan 6, 2012)

That's right wand3r3r! I should have asked if vpn pass through is enable in the router. 

http://screenshots.portforward.com/Cisco/Linksys_E1200/VPN_Passthrough.htm


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## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

I don't know if the E1200 Linksys Router supports vpn passthru. I did not see anything about that in the literature. Is there somewhere I can check, outside of calling Cisco?

I talked to Computer Associates again about the ports....and they said you can select based on a port range, but our Windows broker server is not set up that way....that is why it selects ports randomly when doing a checkin or checkout request.


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## Shekka (Jan 6, 2012)

The link I gave you is for your router. It shows you how to enable the vpn pass through.


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## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

Thanks for the link. I checked the VPN passthrough, and it is already enabled for all 3. Also, I upgraded the firmware to the latest, v2.02.003. I am still having the same issue.


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## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

I can surf the web, read my yahoo email with no problems. I can access mapped drives on the my company network, and get to all their files, and use other tools like putty and toad to connect to the oracle databases. I just can't do file transfer requests using the application CA Change Manager WorkBench (Harvest), which does this using a Windows broker server.


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## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

If I wire my laptop directly into the Time Warner Cable modem (bypassing the router), connect thru VPN, then I have no issues with the CA file transfer requests. It all works great.


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## Shekka (Jan 6, 2012)

You could put your computer into DMZ mode in the router, to test if it will go through then. I wouldn't leave it that way though because it basically bypasses the router.

If it works then, you have a config issue with the router, or you need open the ports that the transfer software needs. But, since it picks random ports, and must not use the vpn to do the transfer, you need to know what port range it randomly chooses from.


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## jgray32 (May 4, 2012)

How do you set up the DMZ mode in the router? I am a software development analyst....I do not have a networking background.


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