VPN connection problem

[etamucci]

HELP!!!
We have recently purchase 3 Netgear FVS318 Firewall/VPN routers to enable us to setup an affordable and (supposedly) easy WAN between our 3 offices.

We configured the Alcatel speed touch pro adsl modem in bridge mode and configured the FVS318 using PPPoE (worked fine).

The problem arose when we tried to configure a VPN connection between two of our offices. We have followed all the instructions provided by Netgear but cannot get an active connection going.

When we upgraded the firmware to 1.4 we were unable to authenticate with Swift and thus no internet connection. After downgrading to 1.3 the connection came straight up but no VPN.

All the docs note that in order for a VPN connection to be successful only one end can be Dynamic IP and the other must be Fixed.

This is where I am a bit confused - Swift say that they provide a fixed IP but the docs say that only one end can use a PPPoE connection with the other having to be Fixed. Does this mean that because our offices are both using PPPoE we cannot set up a VPN???

If not, has anyone successfully connected a VPN connection using this equipment?
HELP!!!!

[rubbachook]

I don't know about that equipment in particular, but the references to the fixed ip at one end is that there must be a static ip that your vpn connection can connect to. If you're using a dynamic ip then there is no way to know what ip to connect to? You could play with things like ip poster but their success is yet to be seen.

Are you connecting to to Win 2K server RRAS service? If so, then all you need to do to setup a two-way (routed) VPN is to make sure that the user name and the cpn name are the same. If you do this then as soon as you connect the end with the dynamic ip to the end with the fixed ip then the dynamic end will automatically establish a vpn back.

[AffinityVision]

Okay, from what I can tell thus far.

Your fixed IP is linked to your specific login. PPPoE presents your IP (exactly the same one) each and every time you login.

Having two or three PPPoE connections will not be a problem. Each, provided they have their own login, which they should, then you should be fine.

With PPPoE, the IP address is the one that shows up as a ppp connection when you are looking at your network interfaces.

www.affinityvision.net/adsl/

[etamucci]

Thanks all, we finally managed to get it working by playing around with a few of the settings.

We followed the documentation given by Netgear but failed to get it working. Frustrated, we decided to start playing around with some of the configurable sections of the VPN GUI on the router and hey presto - it started working.

Thankyou for all your suggestions though.