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Identify and resolve Remote Access server operations problems

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Applies to: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016

Note: Windows Server 2012 combines DirectAccess and Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) into a single Remote Access role.

You can using the following procedures to identify Remote Access server operations issues, their root causes, and the resolution required to fix the issues.

Note

You must be signed in as a member of the Domain Admins group or a member of the Administrators group on each computer to complete the tasks described in this topic. If you cannot complete a task while you are signed in with an account that is a member of the Administrators group, try performing the task while you are signed in with an account that is a member of the Domain Admins group.

This topic includes information about performing the following tasks:

  • Simulate an operations issue

  • Identify the operations issue and take corrective action

  • Restore the IP Helper service

Simulate an operations issue

Caution

Because your Remote Access server is probably configured properly and not experiencing any issues, you can use the following procedure to simulate an operations issue. If your server is currently servicing clients in a production environment, you may not want to take these actions at this time. Rather, you can read through the steps to understand how to address issues that might arise on your Remote Access server in the future.

The IP Helper service (IPHlpSvc) hosts IPv6 transitioning technologies (such as IP-HTTPS, 6to4, or Teredo), and it is required for the DirectAccess server to function properly. To demonstrate a simulated operations issue on the Remote Access server, you must stop the (IPHlpSvc) network service.

To stop the IP Helper service

  1. On the Start screen of the Remote Access server, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.

  2. In the list of Services, scroll down and right-click IP Helper, and then click Stop.

Identify the operations issue and take corrective action

Turning off the IP Helper service will cause a serious error on the Remote Access server. The monitoring dashboard will show the operations status of the server and the details of the issue.

To identify the details and take corrective action

  1. In Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Remote Access Management.

  2. Click DASHBOARD to navigate to Remote Access Dashboard in the Remote Access Management Console.

  3. Make sure your Remote Access server is selected in the left pane, and then in the middle pane, click Operations Status.

  4. You will see the list of components with green or red icons, which indicate their operational status. Click the IP-HTTPS row in the list. When you selected a row, the details for the operation are shown in the Details pane as follows:

    Error

    The IP Helper service (IPHlpSvc) has stopped. DirectAccess might not function as expected. The IP Helper service provides tunnel connectivity by using the connectivity platform, IPv6 transition technologies, and IP-HTTPS.

    Causes

    1. The IP Helper service has stopped.

    2. The IP Helper service is not responding.

    Resolution

    1. To ensure that the service is running, type Get-Service iphlpsvc at a Windows PowerShell prompt.

    2. To enable the service, type Start-Service iphlpsvc from an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt.

    3. To restart the service, type Restart-Service iphlpsvc from an elevated Windows PowerShell prompt.

Restore the IP Helper service

To restore the IP Helper service on your Remote Access server, you can follow the Resolution steps above to start or restart the service, or you can use the following procedure to reverse the procedure that you used to simulate the IP Helper service failure.

To restart the IP Helper service on the Remote Access server

  1. On the Start screen, click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.

  2. In the list of Services, scroll down and right-click IP Helper, and then click Start.

Windows PowerShellWindows PowerShell equivalent commands

The following Windows PowerShell cmdlet or cmdlets perform the same function as the preceding procedure. Enter each cmdlet on a single line, even though they may appear word-wrapped across several lines here because of formatting constraints.

PS> Get-RemoteAccessHealth | Where-Object {$_.Component -eq "IP-HTTPS"} | Format-List -Property *