Why is IE so particular about these things?

[jyeh74]

This is so strange. I just got of the phone with the IT folks, they couldnt figure it out. I use Cisco VPN to log in to my server for work from home. Once I dial in, I am on the server (working virtually from home)

If I click on IE, or any browser, it will display with a "page cannot be displayed". However, if I click on "File"-->"New"--->"Window",from an existing browser that was open, then I can browse the net. This is if I had an existing window open PRIOR to loggin in thru Cisco VPN. Why is that? Can any computer techies shed some light into this conundrum?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Because when you launch the browser, it has to determine the proxy configuration (e.g., what gateway, port, any username/passwords etc etc).

When you connect to the VPN, this changes - you have, in effect, logged off one network and on to a new one - the virtual, private one. So the existing browser instance now has wrong information.

When you launch a new instance of the browser, it gets the new information.

Most likely, when you close your VPN, the new browser windows will complain, too, but any that were open before the VPN was opened in the first place will be happy again.

Interestingly, I have to close ALL browser windows before opening a new one after connecting to a VPN to make it work.

Surprised your IT folk don't know this, though!

[jyeh74]

John,

Once I am logged onto my Cisco VPN, even if I close ALL browser and relaunch IE, it will give me the "page cannot be displayed". So are you saying that my existing browser that was open before loggin into VPN works because it had the original information? That still doesnt make sense as to why new browsers dont work, but old ones do.

[JohnnyMalaria]

OK - that changes the picture slightly.

It seems that your VPN settings allow you to still access local network features (my VPN locks me out of all my local stuff).

When you launch the browser before the VPN, the browser gets the right information to connect to the internet through your ISP. After creating the VPN, a new browser will ask the network for the proxy settings but it will be asking the VPN, not your original network. So, it can't get the right info. A browser that was already running has the right information. Launching a new window from that browser keeps the same information.

It sounds like your internet settings are set manually. In IE, go to Tools/Internet Options.../Connections/LAN Settings and see what it says.

[jyeh74]

John,

Its weird, I just went over to my other computer (desktop) in the other room and logged onto Cisco VPN. When I try to launch a new browser, after logging onto VPN, it lets me browse. It's only on the computer (desktop) in my room, that has the strange intricacies of not leeting be surf the net, UNLESS the browser was alreayd open before logging in. Do you find that strange or what?

Both computer have "use automatic configuration script" and the IT guys at work gave me this to use
http://proxy.bss.boeing.com/bss.pac

Its seems like something is wrong with the desktop in my room if the other one is working fine?

[JohnnyMalaria]

In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings dialog box, make sure that the Automatically Detecting Settings is set the same on both computers.

[jyeh74]

so check both?

[jyeh74]

I checked both and same results on my room desktop.

[JohnnyMalaria]

What about service packs and IE versions etc?

Are both systems yours or is one corporate?

[JerryB]

This is so strange. I just got of the phone with the IT folks, they couldnt figure it out. I use Cisco VPN to log in to my server for work from home. Once I dial in, I am on the server (working virtually from home)

If I click on IE, or any browser, it will display with a "page cannot be displayed". However, if I click on "File"-->"New"--->"Window",from an existing browser that was open, then I can browse the net. This is if I had an existing window open PRIOR to loggin in thru Cisco VPN. Why is that? Can any computer techies shed some light into this conundrum?

I don't know if this will help any...... i am not expert on this stuff however.....
This is a troubleshooting site for vpn issues that yo may find helpful.. and oneof the issues it addresses is the surfing issue afteryou log into the vpn.....
http://www25.brinkster.com/ChicagoTech/vpn.htm

I hope it helpful

[jyeh74]

both version 6.0, regularly updated in Windows.

[CrayonEater]

What amazes me is that your IT people are so careful to ue VPN only to be so sloppy as to use IE. It's like bolting the front door and opening the rest of the doors and windows in the house.

At any rate, look at the Proxy/Connections settings on the good machine and compare them to the screwy machine. In particular, look under Settings to see if anything might override the Proxy Auto Config script. Maybe I could help more if I could access that PAC, but I can't from here.

[jyeh74]

proxy settings and internet settings are identical! I dont get it......... whats wrong with IE? Does everyone use Foxfire or Netscape instead?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Check the Cisco VPN settings, too.

Sometimes any local network features are disabled when on the VPN. For example, if you have a network printer on one of your PCs at home and you are using the VPN on the other PC, the network printer may become unavailable. I know that from bitter experience since, when I am on my VPN, I can't print anything!

[CrayonEater]

Yep, Firefox is the norm 'round here. Opera's awesome too. You might want to test-drive one of them and see how they work with your VPN and if you have the same problems they do. They both work pretty well with IE-standard PAC scripts, though you sometimes have to do a bit of tweaking.

Just out of curiosity, what are your network settings for each machine? You should have the VPN as the default gateway for both. Also, the link JerryB provided mentioned disabling the "use default gateway on remote network" option and looking at the routing tables, specific to the problem you are encountering, so take a look at that.