VPN Slow - SMB?

Question

Hi Everyone--
I'm hoping someone might have a suggestion. I have a Windows 2019 essentials server domain controller which has been configured for VPN remote access. The configuration looks very generic. It hands out a small 25 ipv4 block of ip addresses on the local network. There is a sonicwall firewall in place forwarding the vpn port from the public ip through the NAT to the internal address of the server. It seems to work. I can connect my PC at a remote site and I get an internal ip address on the remote lan and i can ping the server with normal latency (avg 20-30ms).

The problem is: When I browse the server's network shares and I attempt to open a file (can be any type: pdf, docx, xlsx, etc...) it takes a LONG TIME to open. Like 2-3 minutes. It does, eventually, arrive but with this kind of delay it is not usable.

I also experience the delay if I attempt to copy the file from the remote server share to a local drive. It takes like 2 minutes to download a 68kb file.

Any idea what I can do to improve the performance so this can work and be usable for a few remote users to access the server files?

Thanks,
Rick

Answer 1

Hello Rick,

Tracing and analysing the network traffic is probably the most effective way of tackling this issue. There are several commands built into Windows that can capture network traffic (pktmon and "netsh trace" being two of them) and a well-known and trusted "free and open-source" tool named Wireshark can both capture and display network traffic.

Gary

Answer 2

I know this doesn't solve the Microsoft slow VPN issue but "I am water running downhill and I will take the course of least resistance". :)

Answer 3

Ok so ... I have set up Sonicwall's global VPN and have run tests on my shop's workbench computer. It is performing much better than the Microsoft VPN. Documents load from the server's network share(s), across the vpn, in an appropriate timeframe--only taking seconds vs. minutes with the microsoft vpn.

I have now deployed the first of four remote user's global vpn client (GVC) and showed the user how to connect and use the vpn. Now we wait and see how it goes.

Kind Regards,
Rick

Answer 4

It is installed on the domain controller.

Honestly, with the poor performance of the VPN and the work involved to troubleshoot it -- I am thinking of removing the VPN/RRAS role entirely and going with a different VPN solution. Might try using the sonicwall for VPN and see how it does.

Answer 5

Hopefully the VPN/RRAS role is not installed on your domain controller. The multi-homing caused by a vpn will cause no end to grief for active directory DNS

--please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--