3G-to-3G RDP Problem

[gavgapi]

Dear Vodacom representative

I have written several "private" messages concerning this problem, but have as yet not received the kind of service I was hoping for. This problem is resulting in two of my major corporate clients loosing days worth of work.

Client 1 situation:
My client has two sites. Their server at site 1, which is in Muldersdrift Johannesburg, has a 3G connection using the unrestricted APN which enables us to RDP in from their second site in Worcestor (Cape Town) and run Pastel remotely using terminal services. A problem now persists, that is preventing a system with a 3G internet connection to RDP into another machine that also has a 3G internet connection, this is prohibiting my client from being able to work from Worcestor (5 people cant do their job without this setup communicating) and is preventing me from giving remote support to them as well as other clients whom also have RDP setups using 3G connections. We use 3G connections to deliver remote support to all our clients.

So to put things in a different light. There is a problem with your system. This is preventing myself and my clients that use 3G cards to run remote sessions on our servers that also have 3G cards/connections. If I try RDP into one of these servers using an ADSL line, no problem. And likewise if I try RDP using my 3G connection to a server that has an ADSL line, no problem. But, if I try RDP from 3G to 3G - problem.

In short:

RDP using ADSL to 3G = no problem
RDP using 3G to ADSL = no problem
RDP using 3G to 3G = big problem

This changed over the last three days. It used to work.

I need a speedy reply and service on this. I have made contact with several Vodacom representatives regarding this, but nothing has been resolved.

Please keep me posted. If the problem persists for too long we will have to move our 3G services to MTN. Right now 5 people are unable to work in Worcestor until you get this working.

Gavin de Klerk
[email protected]
082 466 6789

 

[Aruspex]

Vodacom 3G RDP problem

I own a surveillance company and also rely heavily on vodacom 3G connections for RDP purposes.

I also recently (this week, or end of last) started to experience the problems that were mentioned by Gavin from gavgapi. RDP (remote desktop connection) FROM 3G TO 3G, doesn't seem to work anymore.

Seeing that I have networked this way in the past and haven't changed a thing on the system, this means that something on the vodacom network must have changed and is conflicting severly with the RDP protocol over 3G to 3G connections.

This is a major headache, not to mention, financial burden, client disappointment and the list goes on.

I have heard rumors of major upgrades to the 3G network, might this have caused the problem?

Whatever the case may be, please undo the changes you made, or resolve the problem...

Fanie Botha
Aruspex Surveillance Consulting
[email protected]

 

[gavgapi]

// I have heard rumors of major upgrades to the 3G network, might this have caused the problem?

Good point, I was reading up on the "General update on the problems seen on the Vodacom data network over the recent period" posted at http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/announcement.php?f=103. The post says two upgrades were performed on Saturday night to address some network problems. Perhaps these updates are what triggered the problem? Some feedback from Vodacom would be appreciated.

 

[gavgapi]

Here are the technical details for my 3G card:

- Number: 0827842517
- Area: 401 Glenwood rd, Faerie Glen, Pretoria
- Modem: Huawei E630
- Modem IMEI: 352340011564832
- APN: internet

And here are the details for two of my corporate clients that are affected by this problem:

Corporate client 1 - Construction company:
- Number: 0824666940
- Area: Plot 28, Hendrik Potgieter Road, Honingklip, Muldersdrift
- Modem: Huawei E620
- Modem IMEI: 357130001336837
- RDP account: primecontractors.dyndns.ws
- APN: unrestricted

Corporate client 2 - engineering company:
- Number: 079 523 8949
- Area: Weltevreden Park
- Modem: Huawei E220
- Modem IMEI: 351827013216867
- RDP account: "transdesign.dyndns.ws"
- APN: unrestricted

 

[vodacom3g]

gavgapi, I was told someone did talk to you?

I've escalated the problems after your first (and second) PM's.

Can both of you confirm the following please?

Originating apn -> destination apn.

I assume the destination apn is unrestricted (where the host to be controlled lives)

Can you try various combinations, f possible

- internet -> unrestricted
- internetvpn -> unrestricted
- unrestricted -> unrestricted

 

[vodacom3g]

Emergency job order is being pushed through to resolve.

 

[gavgapi]

Hi Vodacom Representative

I was contacted yesterday, but have not been kept posted on the matter. Nor has it been resolved. I have tried internet -> unrestricted, this does not work anymore (it used to). I have tried unrestricted -> unrestricted, this does not work (it used to).

I have attempted internetvpn -> unrestricted, but the internetvpn service has not been activated on my 3G card, so I do not get a connection. Are you able to activate internetvpn on the folllowing account:

- Number: 0827842517
- Modem: Huawei E630
- Modem IMEI: 352340011564832
- APN: internet

If I follow the usual policy of sending a fax to head-office and signing the "vodacom Unrestricted APN activation" document, then this will only materialize next week - because of the administration overhead from your side. Either way, I am sure that enabling this service will not solve the problem as internet -> unrestricted as well as unrestricted -> unrestricted used to work and now no longer does.

You can test it on your side. If you try establish an RDP session (using the internetvpn) to primecontractors.dyndns.ws or transdesign.dyndns.ws and you get the login screen, then you know it works. Please test this for me.

Please relay this message to the technician investigating the matter. If, when using a 3G connection, they manage to get a login screen to either of the above two dyndns accounts, then they have resolved the problem - both those servers host 3G connections.

Thank you. Please keep me posted.

 

[gavgapi]

I already gave the originating and destination APNs. But here we go again:

Originating apn
- Number: 0827842517
- Modem: Huawei E630
- Modem IMEI: 352340011564832
- APN: internet

Destination apn 1:
- Number: 0824666940
- Area: Plot 28, Hendrik Potgieter Road, Honingklip, Muldersdrift
- Modem: Huawei E620
- Modem IMEI: 357130001336837
- RDP account: primecontractors.dyndns.ws
- APN: unrestricted

Destination apn 2:
- Number: 079 523 8949
- Area: Weltevreden Park
- Modem: Huawei E220
- Modem IMEI: 351827013216867
- RDP account: "transdesign.dyndns.ws"
- APN: unrestricted

 

[Kneebough]

When I could get my prepaid sim to connect on Tuesday evening (only 2 days ago), I could TS into it using my contract sim on Unrestricted. Last night I got home and the prepaid was down and probably still is so I cannot test but I haven't had any problems connecting Unrestricted Contract -> Unrestricted Prepaid in the past through the RDP ports. As soon as I can connect my prepaid sim I will test and post results here.

 

[gavgapi]

Please confirm, are you using Vodacom or MTN. Because the problem only persists with 3G to 3G connections, and not any other provider to 3G. If you could test (using those two dyndns accounts) I would highly appreciate that. Although, right now there are 8 computers that are not managing to connect (all 3G, 1 in Pretoria, 2 in Jhb and 5 in Worcestor). And it seems someone else is experiencing the same problem.

Does MTN cater for unrestricted APNs? Or do they have any way that one could get a public IP and therefore allow RDP connections? If Vodacom can't solve the problem soon enough then i will have to find an alternative method for the Worcestor branch to talk to head-office. The Jhb branch happens to have an MTN tower on their property, so signal is not a problem if we had to change SP.

 

[gavgapi]

Ploempie, can you please test whether you can RDP into either of my clients machines:

primecontractors.dyndns.ws
transdesign.dyndns.ws

If you get the windows login screen then you were successful, obviously I can't post passwords and you don't need to start a session.

 

[morkhans]

Ploempie, can you please test whether you can RDP into either of my clients machines:

primecontractors.dyndns.ws
transdesign.dyndns.ws

If you get the windows login screen then you were successful, obviously I can't post passwords and you don't need to start a session.

I am on pre-paid using the unrestricted APN and I can't connect to either of your servers.

 

[f4llen]

Have you tried other RDP software, like LogMeIn?

 

[gavgapi]

No. I am in Pretoria and the two sites are in Jhb and Worcestor, a bit far off. The point I would like to emphasize is I can access those servers from an ADSL line, and I used to be able to access them from my personal 3G connection and now not. I can't simply drive to both sites and install different RDP software in the hope that it might then work. Windows has built in functionality for RDP (and VPN and much more) and these have been configured and have been running without any problems for some time until the past week. Perhaps vodacom is willing to drive out on their own expense and install alternative RDP software at both sites? The people that work with the system are totally not technical and not capable of pulling off such an installation. Plus it might actually not work.

 

[SoTrue]

Since about 2 days ago I am unable to log into our servers from home using RDP (via dyndns.org). I thought this was due to the ADSL modem/router at work being replaced and some settings needed to be changed.

However, it now seems that something else is screwed up? Would appreciate your help in getting my remote access back!

 

[Kneebough]

gavgapi:

I tried to connect to both of your boxes on all three apns but no luck.

I can't even connect to my own server back home as the pre-paid sim is not connecting. 619 errors and all that.

 

[gavgapi]

The problem still persists. Have received no feedback from Vodacom yesterday nor today. Strange that such a big organization cannot even respond to the smallest of problems and keep their customers posted. We manage to give our clients a guaranteed 4 hours response on call-outs and 2 hours on remote desktop support.

 

[vodacom3g]

The problem still persists. Have received no feedback from Vodacom yesterday nor today. Strange that such a big organization cannot even respond to the smallest of problems and keep their customers posted. We manage to give our clients a guaranteed 4 hours response on call-outs and 2 hours on remote desktop support.

Gavin, I think you're not quite telling the truth here, not sure why.

You logged the problem to me and I got the relevant engineer to speak directly to you, not a 'support' person but the actual guy who build and configure these systems. He told you what our plans are, as did I on this forum. So, you did get feedback. I'm not sure why you keep on posting that you did not

As I posted above, the work to address this is scheduled as soon as possible. It will be be done as soon as change control allows it.

If you want, I can get someone to call you every hour to tell you this. Let me know if I should do this. Otherwise, I'm not sure what to do.

 

[gavgapi]

Yes I did get feedback, someone called. But the person that called said he would propagate the message to the right people/person. And that person called on WEDNESDAY. My previous message said that I haven't received feedback yesterday (THURSDAY) nor today (FRIDAY). So I don't feel it is just for you to post such comments as: "I think you're not quite telling the truth here, not sure why". Perhaps you should read my posts more carefully.

What do you mean that he told me what your plans are. What are your plans? You said you have logged an emergency job order. No more details were given to me than that. Nobody has called to say, hey we found the problem and hey its going to take so long to fix. If it is an emergency then why has nothing been resolved (problem was logged on Wednesday)?

If you can get someone to call me with feedback each day, I would appreciate it. Every hour is not necessary, but once or twice a day would be good service.

 

[vodacom3g]

Have any of you tried unrestricted to unrestricted? It should work.