RRAS + IE

[Juan Ignacio Gelos]

Hi,

On Windows 2003 I usually configure the DSL link plus a VPN link as
demand-dial interfaces on RRAS and don't bother using Network Connections.
However, I keep getting the usual message from Internet Explorer : "No
connection to the Internet is currently available, Work Offline or Try
again". When I click Try Again, the page loads with no further problems.
It looks like IE and Windows in general can't detect the connection when
it's done through demand-dial interfaces... this also affects several other
applications (like SharpReader or Windows Media Player), that give me
messages like "unable to connect to
http://blogs.msdn.com/subhagpo/archive/2004/12/07/278050.aspx No Internet
connection found.", or "Windows Media Player cannot play this file. Connect
to the Internet or insert the removable media on which the file is located,
and then try to play the file again".
I've checked
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Webcheck
LoadLCE and LoadSens are in 'auto', deleted all temporary Internet files. In
Internet Explorer, Tools, Internet Options, Connections, I don't have any
connection listed, as I don't need to configure any dial-up connections.
However, Never dial a connection is selected although disabled. LAN Settings
is set to NOT detect anything automatically, as I don't use proxies.
I've tested this several times, and the behavior is the same each time I
install Windows. It's the same when having the same DSL link configured as a
Network connection (dial-up entry), but using the RRAS interface to connect.
Am I missing something? Is there any way to disable this dialog and make
IE (and Windows) to never switch to offline mode?

Thanks in advance,
Juan

 

[Bill Grant]

That sounds like the normal behavior of dial on demand. The first
attempt to use the connection usually times out before the connection
completes. Subsequent attempts succeed. What happens if you ping an external
address first (to open the connection)?

 

[Juan Ignacio Gelos]

Bill,

I agree it's the normal behavior, but this happens even though the
connection is alive and has been for hours... seems like somehow IE/winsocks
'forgets' about it and switches to offline mode... I mean, the problem is
not with RRAS or the interface, it's with IE or the windows component that
manages dial-up connections....
I can ping everything since the first thing I do when I login is open
the RRAS console and connect the interface manually... and it doesn't
disconnect (I enabled RAS logging and checked).

Juan