Running connect wizard over VPN?

[HCHTech]

I have a client running Server 2012R2. They have two locations and I'm trying to join a new Win7 Pro laptop to the domain over a VPN connection. The tunnel is up and stable, and I can make an RDP connection to the server just fine. The connect wizard has been grinding away on the "Installing Windows Server Essentials Connector" screen for quite a while now, it must be stuck on something, but I can't see what. I expect I'll have to force quit the thing, which will undoubtedly leave something half-created on the server - ugh. No errors in the logs, and I would think if it was firewall-related, I would be getting an error message of some kind.

 

[HCHTech]

After I post (of course), I find a thread that suggests forcing the DNS. So I replaced the first DNS entry for the laptop's network card with the server's IP, and that has gotten a bit farther in the process. I'm getting an error now, at least, probably related to aborting the attempt that hung. I'll reboot the thing and give it another go.

 

[HCHTech]

Yup. One little change and Bob's your uncle, it connected right up. Another tool for the bag of tricks! One tiny error message in the first place would have saved me a bunch of time, Microsoft!

 

[seedubya]

We do this all the time but don't bother with the connector - just a manual join - takes only seconds.

 

[Frick]

Try disabling ipv6 on the system. If the ISO router is giving out ipv6 address it messes up essentials devices.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Whatever is running DHCP as the branch office...should be giving out the IP of the DC at the main office as the first and only DNS server. Should not have had to manually set that.
I bet the branch office DHCP is done by the router...which is either handing out itself, or the ISPs DNS...which...will have broken active directory over time anyways.

 

[marley1]

Yes you need DNS to point to the domain controller..........

That is standard for any active directory environment

Try to avoid essentials

 

[Slaters Kustum Machines]

Try to avoid essentials

Why is that? Essentials is great for small/micro businesses.

 

[seedubya]

Try to avoid essentials

Why is that? Essentials is great for small/micro businesses.

That would be my question too. Essentials works perfectly for the right clients.

 

[marley1]

When I use essentials I quit the wizard and do the rest manually.

I don't Luke the way it handles some things I often see the wizard crash, etc

I really try to push clients to standard server to hyper V everything silly not to