This is really strange - I have a workaround for this (read on), but I'd love to know why it works.
I had a VPN setup working fine with a WinServer2003 server and a Vista client.
Then I setup a new Win7 box to access the same server. The server is running WINS.
Both clients could get into the VPN fine, and ping machines on the server side by IP4 address.
But ONLY the Vista client could ping machines by NETBIOS address (machine name). The Win7 client just returned "could not find host".
As far as I can tell, the clients are configured identically.
By chance, while fiddling, I discovered that if I run a tracert on the Win7 client - tracing the route to any machine on the server side - then AFTER THAT the NETBIOS works.
For example (this is from the cygwin command line on the Win7 box, with redacted passwords, etc.):
$ rasdial "vpnName" Dave passWord
Connecting to vpnName.
Verifying username and password...
Registering your computer on the network...
Successfully connected to vpnName. Command completed successfully.
Dave@QUIET ~
$ ping henshaw
Ping request could not find host henshaw. Please check the name and try again.
Dave@QUIET ~
$ tracert 10.1.10.1
Tracing route to www [10.1.10.1] over a maximum of 30 hops:
1 39 ms 47 ms 49 ms ASH [10.1.10.184]
2 44 ms 31 ms 32 ms www [10.1.10.1]
Trace complete.
$ ping henshaw
Pinging henshaw [10.1.10.92] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 10.1.10.92: bytes=32 time=36ms TTL=127
Reply from 10.1.10.92: bytes=32 time=46ms TTL=127
Reply from 10.1.10.92: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=127
Reply from 10.1.10.92: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=127
Ping statistics for 10.1.10.92:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 35ms, Maximum = 46ms, Average = 39ms
(ASH is the Server2003 server box, 10.1.10.1 is the network gateway.)
What the heck is going on? Why does the Win7 box act differently in the first place, and why does tracert fix it?
--Dave
Added:
Per suggestion of @Sane, here is the ipconfig all output from both clients:
Vista box:
Dave@Tower ~
$ ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : Tower
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
DNS Suffix Search List. . . . . . : home
PPP adapter vpnName:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : vpnName
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 10.1.10.80(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.1.10.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : NVIDIA nForce 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 6C-F0-49-D1-92-FC
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::1d56:57b0:5c40:8ea2%10(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.11(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : Tuesday, November 20, 2012 12:52:51 PM
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : Wednesday, November 21, 2012 12:52:50 PM
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 258797641
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-14-7D-F7-96-6C-F0-49-D1-92-FC
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 6:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 7:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:9d38:6ab8:93:2ec:3f57:fef4(Preferred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::93:2ec:3f57:fef4%11(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter Local Area Connection* 11:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : isatap.home
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Win7 box:
Dave@QUIET ~
$ ipconfig /all
Windows IP Configuration
Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : QUIET
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
PPP adapter vpnName:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : vpnName
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 10.1.10.108(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 10.1.10.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Intel(R) 82578DC Gigabit Network Connection
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-1C-C0-F7-54-2F
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::3c6a:4873:97c:e773%10(Preferred)
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.110(Preferred)
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . : 234888384
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . : 00-01-00-01-17-C6-DC-78-00-1C-C0-F7-54-2F
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.{13A00E9E-CF57-4B02-B3F6-21929585E6FC}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Tunnel adapter Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Interface
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
IPv6 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 2001:0:4137:9e76:400:32e2:9d91:5c30(Preferred)
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . : fe80::400:32e2:9d91:5c30%12(Preferred)
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : ::
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Disabled
Tunnel adapter isatap.{B34461EA-B740-4553-A1A7-570852066611}:
Media State . . . . . . . . . . . : Media disconnected
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Microsoft ISATAP Adapter #2
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-E0
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : No
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes