VPN

I'm having a problem with one of my users (unfortunately the owner of the company) that uses MacOSX.  He is constantly getting kicked off of the VPN and blames the file server for the problem (he is connecting to the network via VPN and then connecting to the file server, and keeps telling me that the file server is broken).

In the web gui it shows that he is getting disconnected from the VPN every time that he says he is having these problems.  The last time he tried to use the VPN he got disconnected 3 times within a little over an hour.  I don't think it's during idle usage, because his Mac will usually automatically reconnect him within a minute but it kills any file transfers or edits he has going on at the time.

Does anyone know how I can get a more detailed log than the web gui?  I thought about setting up a syslog server to monitor it but that seems like overkill to me...

Thanks for your help!

Let's not all jump at once now 


Seriously though, does anyone know where I can get a more detailed log of the PPTP connections so that I can try to figure out what is disconnecting his sessions?

Thanks!

In my experience, the vast majority of these type of situations, it is usually the client end that causes the disconnect or some problem with the ISP rather than the server end.  I would try to get more information.  See if his MAC has some option for detailed logs for the connection.  Try getting him to connect from a different machine from home if possible.  Another possibility would be to build him a monowall box and have it create an IPSEC VPN connection to the office.  Tell him it is more reliable and much more secure.

i know these issues are a nightmare to track down the problem, I've been there.

Regards

Mark.

In my experience, the vast majority of these type of situations, it is usually the client end that causes the disconnect or some problem with the ISP rather than the server end.

I agree, but all of his computers at home are MacOS-X and I am quite unfamiliar with MacOS-X myself.  That, and this is a guy who thinks he knows everything, so if I tell him something without proof, it's my word against his, and he wins (you know the type).  I've already told him to check his side for problems, and of course he insists that there's nothing wrong.  This is why I am hoping to be able to find a detailed log of the cause of the disconnections (most likely will simply say something along the lines of "closed by client" or "client connection lost" indicating a problem on his side) so that I can show him that it _really is_ a problem on his side.

Unfortunately, this type of problem is inevitable with this type of person... but when he's the owner of my client, I can't do anything about it other than prove him wrong...

Thanks for your thoughts though!  I had thought about doing the site-2-site thing too, but he's on a DHCP cable modem, and I didn't want to have to do an open-ended site-2-site... I might have to though...