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We currently have 2 in-office networks coming in with different routers and IPs for each. What I am trying to do is to configure a one server from each network to connect to each other and be able to browse folders on a drive. The first server has an IP range of 68.x.x.x while the second server has an IP range of 173.x.x.x. What I am looking to do is to get on the 68 server and just type in Windows Explorer \173.x.x.x\SharedFolder and be able to get into that drive. I was wondering if there were any tutorials online on how to do this properly. Both servers are in the building running Windows Server 2008. They are identical boxes just on different networks.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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Do you get a ping response from the 173 network? If you get a ping response but other traffic falls off the face of the earth, it usually is the firewall. Have you checked the Sharing and Discovery settings on each server? Here is a link which you might find helpful. techotopia.com/index.php/… – Somantra May 19 '11 at 19:32
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If there are no firewalls between the two servers, this should be work by default.

If it doesn't, it's most certainly a network issue; in order to help you with that, we need more details about your network configuration:

  • Are those 68.x.x.x and 173.x.x.x actual public IP addresses or are you just throwing in random examples?
  • If they are public IPs, do the servers actually use them or are they in NATted networks behind them?
  • If those are the real IP addresses of the servers (i.e. if you really have those servers sitting on public IPs), do they have any firewall between them and the Internet? How are those firewalls configured?

If the servers are using private, NATted IP addresses, this could be quite difficult to get working correctly; if instead they are using public IP addresses, then it's probably only a matter of opening some firewall ports.

Also, since you say you're using Windows Server 2008, you should have a look at the configuration of Windows Firewall on both servers; that, too, could be the reason you're not able to connect.

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These are our actual public addresses. We can log into the 68 address perfectly fine from within the office. It's mostly an issue with the 173 network that seems to be blocking us. The servers actually do use them since anyone outside the office can access the web applications hosted on them. – Seb May 19 '11 at 19:26
Then it's a firewall issue; it could be Windows Firewall on one (or both) of the two servers or any other firewall in the middle. – Massimo May 19 '11 at 19:28
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Seb, just a note of warning. Windows file-sharing ports are actively scanned and exploited on the internet. Since these are public IP's, be very careful about opening ports to allow Windows file-sharing. Only allow connections from trusted IP's. – Martijn Heemels May 19 '11 at 19:34
@Martijn: I assumed that was implicit, but of course it's always better to point it out. Couldn't agree more. – Massimo May 19 '11 at 19:36
I figured out the issue. Part of it was due to the firewall. The other part was due to the fact that I had two connections going into the server. One for the 173 network and one to try and bridge the two networks together. I disabled the network used to bridge and just setup a VPN to get into the 173 network. For now this will have to do. Thanks for the help – Seb May 20 '11 at 15:08
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