Repl works on VPN, not via internet

I am trying to setup a process in a VB.Net app that allows the user to manually invoke a transactional replication process. This works fine on my development machine within our network/VPN. However, when I disconnect my machine from the VPN, the process
keeps failing with a "Process could not connect to Distributor" error. Unfortunately, our customers/users will not be in our domain...they need to be able to connect & replicate over the internet.
Here is the current setup:
Server
Windows 2003 Server
Sql Server 2000 (sp3)
Client
Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro
MSDE
Also...from within the network I have to use only the server's name "MyServer" to get this to work. If I use a fully qualified name, like "MyServer.Domain.Com" it fails with the same error.
The server acts as both the publisher and the distributor. The publication is set up to allow anonymous pull subscriptions via FTP. I have a sql login that I have setup and made sure that it is in the Publications PAL.
I have used this example: http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q319648 to create the .net process.
From a client machine...I can access the ftp site on the server via:
ftp Server.Domain.Com.
I cannot get to the server with Ping or Tracert. I was told by our network admin that the ability to Ping our server has been disabled.
I think that this must be a server configuration problem...since I can get the whole thing to work when I am on the network. I checked the log files (based on a suggestion from another post) on the server...and it doesn't even appear that a login is attem
pted.
Does anyone have any other suggestions?
thanks
when you are using a vpn you are able to authenticate using NT
authentication. This won't work over the internet. You will have to change
how you are authenticating for this to work.
If you can ftp you have connectivity.
Make the following changes
oSnap.PublisherSecurityMode = SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.NT_AUTHENTICATION
to
oSnap.PublisherSecurityMode = SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.DB_AUTHENTICATION
oSnap.PublisherPassword="password"
oSnap.PublisherLogin="account"
change
oSnap.DistributorSecurityMode =
SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.NT_AUTHENTICATION
to
oSnap.DistributorSecurityMode =
SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.DB_AUTHENTICATION
oSnap.DistributorPassword="password"
oSnap.DistributorLogin="account"
Repeat these changes everywhere you see NT_AUTHENTICATION.
Hilary Cotter
Looking for a book on SQL Server replication?
http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
"dd" <dd@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BBA7CF14-42B4-417C-8C4D-A422D520EA0B@.microsoft.com...
> I am trying to setup a process in a VB.Net app that allows the user to
manually invoke a transactional replication process. This works fine on my
development machine within our network/VPN. However, when I disconnect my
machine from the VPN, the process keeps failing with a "Process could not
connect to Distributor" error. Unfortunately, our customers/users will not
be in our domain...they need to be able to connect & replicate over the
internet.
> Here is the current setup:
> Server
> Windows 2003 Server
> Sql Server 2000 (sp3)
> Client
> Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro
> MSDE
> Also...from within the network I have to use only the server's name
"MyServer" to get this to work. If I use a fully qualified name, like
"MyServer.Domain.Com" it fails with the same error.
> The server acts as both the publisher and the distributor. The
publication is set up to allow anonymous pull subscriptions via FTP. I have
a sql login that I have setup and made sure that it is in the Publications
PAL.
> I have used this example:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q319648 to create
the .net process.
> From a client machine...I can access the ftp site on the server via:
> ftp Server.Domain.Com.
> I cannot get to the server with Ping or Tracert. I was told by our
network admin that the ability to Ping our server has been disabled.
> I think that this must be a server configuration problem...since I can get
the whole thing to work when I am on the network. I checked the log files
(based on a suggestion from another post) on the server...and it doesn't
even appear that a login is attempted.
> Does anyone have any other suggestions?
> thanks
|||Hilary...
Thanks for the reply. It is good to know that if I can connect via ftp I am doing something right.
Actually, I already made those changes to the example code...changing from NT to DB authentication in each place it was occuring. Though...even on our VPN, I had to change the login and password to the "sa" account so it would work.
We do have a firewall...not sure if that is the problem. And...another note...I have another application running on a PocketPC (with the .Net Compact Framework) that is successful in a merge replication over the internet without using "sa" account...and
it is on the same database I am using for my transactional one that is failing.
"Hilary Cotter" wrote:

> when you are using a vpn you are able to authenticate using NT
> authentication. This won't work over the internet. You will have to change
> how you are authenticating for this to work.
> If you can ftp you have connectivity.
> Make the following changes
> oSnap.PublisherSecurityMode = SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.NT_AUTHENTICATION
> to
> oSnap.PublisherSecurityMode = SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.DB_AUTHENTICATION
> oSnap.PublisherPassword="password"
> oSnap.PublisherLogin="account"
> change
> oSnap.DistributorSecurityMode =
> SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.NT_AUTHENTICATION
> to
> oSnap.DistributorSecurityMode =
> SQLINITXLib.SECURITY_TYPE.DB_AUTHENTICATION
> oSnap.DistributorPassword="password"
> oSnap.DistributorLogin="account"
> Repeat these changes everywhere you see NT_AUTHENTICATION.
>
> --
> Hilary Cotter
> Looking for a book on SQL Server replication?
> http://www.nwsu.com/0974973602.html
>
> "dd" <dd@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:BBA7CF14-42B4-417C-8C4D-A422D520EA0B@.microsoft.com...
> manually invoke a transactional replication process. This works fine on my
> development machine within our network/VPN. However, when I disconnect my
> machine from the VPN, the process keeps failing with a "Process could not
> connect to Distributor" error. Unfortunately, our customers/users will not
> be in our domain...they need to be able to connect & replicate over the
> internet.
> "MyServer" to get this to work. If I use a fully qualified name, like
> "MyServer.Domain.Com" it fails with the same error.
> publication is set up to allow anonymous pull subscriptions via FTP. I have
> a sql login that I have setup and made sure that it is in the Publications
> PAL.
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;Q319648 to create
> the .net process.
> network admin that the ability to Ping our server has been disabled.
> the whole thing to work when I am on the network. I checked the log files
> (based on a suggestion from another post) on the server...and it doesn't
> even appear that a login is attempted.
>
>