PPTP connection issue.

[Pilgrim]

For a long time now I have had access to a variety of PPTP VPN's on both my computers without problems.
About a month ago it started to get increasingly more difficult to connect to any of them with my Netbook, my PC is unaffected.
In some cases I am getting a 619 error message but most of the time I am not getting any error message.
What actually appears to be happening is that the connection is timing out before it connects to the server.
On the occasions when it does connect the connections are stable and there is no issue with reduced speed.

Both my computers run XP-SP3 and both connect through the same router (Netgear DG834G), the Netbook wirelessly, the PC wired. They both have the same server list. There are no problems with the normal internet connection or OpenVPN, this is only affecting PPTP.

From looking this issue up it appears to be something that quite a few people have experienced at different times but I have not seen any suggestions for a solution.
The only thing that I can relate to my own situation is the possibility that it is due to the Netbook's reduced resources compared to the PC but that doesn't account for the fact that the problem has only started fairly recently.
The fact that the PC can connect to the same servers without problems would however seem to indicate that the problem is with the Netbook.

I have wondered if there are any advanced options that be configured for PPTP to optimise the connection but have not found anything.

I am aware that OpenVPN is more secure but there are times when PPTP is more convenient and ignoring the issue does not solve it.

Any ideas?

[Raymond]

I agree that PPTP is more convenient because it is built-in to Windows and doesn't require to install OpenVPN.
I remembered having problems connecting to HMA Pro VPN via PPTP but no problem when it comes to OpenVPN.
Something that I have never solved.

Another VPN provider BolehVPN also encourages using OpenVPN.

[Pilgrim]

Hi Raymond,

I found comments on this issue that go back to 2002 and none of them seem to have found a solution which is amazing when you consider it is built-in to the OS. I cannot think of any other Windows issue that has gone so long without a solution being found.
It also seems that, like in my case, it can work well for a long time and then start playing up without any indication as to why.

I will try running a Winsock Repair and see if that makes any difference, it is about the only thing I have not tried so far.

I do, as I said, have OpenVPN as well and the only problem I have ever experienced with that is because I have multiple clients installed, when some of them update they do not always pick up the existing TapWin Driver and install a second one that I then have to manually remove. The worst culprit for that is ProXPN and they make the matter worse still by using later versions of the driver, some of which are known to have problems and other providers avoid using.
The latest driver that I have found to work without issues on both my computers and with all my clients is Version 6, fortunately there is a copy in my 'Roll Back Driver' list so if it gets overwritten in an update I just roll it back.

[Raymond]

I guess there isn't a solution to the PPTP problem is because not many people actually uses them.

If you use multiple VPN providers with some of them requiring to use their software, there is a high chance of them screwing up other VPN providers. One example is after installing HMA Pro VPN software, OpenVPN no longer works. I remembered that happening and I believe the PPTP stopped working after I uninstalled the HMA Pro VPN software because I needed to use OpenVPN.

I guess I'll need to check and confirm on that.

[Pilgrim]

That surprises me, I would have thought that not needing extra software would have made PPTP the more popular, it is only fairly recently that companies have started offering free services on OpenVPN, before that nearly all the free services were PPTP only.

All my VPN's have been in place for at least 18 months and apart from occasional updates are unchanged while the PPTP problem is recent.

I have 6 OpenVPN clients that each have their own software and twice that many PPTP servers.
The way I avoid conflict is by everything having a shortcut disable option, not just for each of the clients but the TapWin adaptor as well, so anything that is not actually connected is not running.

The biggest cause of conflict I found was two OpenVPN clients trying to install different drivers, more than one causes serious problems especially as currently the clients I have use drivers from version 4 to version 8, I make sure that I have version 6 even after an update and all the clients will work with that.

One thing I have done since I got my first computer is prevented automatic connection to the the internet, I wait until everything is up and running and then just connect what I want from the list of connections.

One thing that I cannot work out with the PPTP problem is that when I am able to connect to any of them they work fine, that is what made me consider reduced resources as a possible cause in the case of the Netbook, because it must take more effort to make the connection than it does to maintain it once it is established, my CPU monitor suggests as much.

As OpenVPN is becoming more freely available this looks like a problem that is never going to be resolved, which is a pity as PPTP still has a place.