VPN query

[puggit]

Not strong on networking (I've failed the MCP twice )

I've started a new job with a French company, in a tiny UK satellite office in one of those offices which rent out small spaces (Regus style). In our office we have a wireless router connected to an ISP, which is run by the office company.

We connect to this ISP, then plug in to the VPN in Paris.

I've run a tracert to www.bbc.co.uk and it doesn't appear to use our servers in Paris.

Am I safe to surf PH to my heart's content?

[agent006]

Yes, internet traffic will not go down the VPN.

[zumbruk]

agent006 said:

Yes, internet traffic will not go down the VPN.

Errr, not quite. Internet traffic *may* not go down the VPN, but
then it might. If you switch on routing or packet forwarding (say,
because you want to use ICS on the same PC that runs the VPN client)
then Windows may start to route packets down the VPN tunnel.

This is why the Cisco IPSec VPN client can be configured to drop all other network connections on the client box, other than the VPN tunnel and its supporting connection.

[spivvy]

could you not set your browser to go over a proxy machine ( there are a few unlocked ones on the internet ) then your browsing is not visible apart from the primary connection

[GreenV8S]

This behaviour is controlled by the “use default gateway on remote network” property on the Networking/TCP/IP tab of the property sheet for your VPN connection. From the sound of it your VPN is set up NOT to be the default route, which is the right answer if you want to access the interweb locally.