Windows XP Professional includes built-in VPN functionality through the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) client. The connection management can be fully controlled via command line using rasdial.exe, which ships with the operating system. This approach works for both dial-up and VPN connections.

The basic syntax for managing connections is:

rasdial "connection_name" [username [password | *]] [/domain:domain] [/phone:phonenumber] [/callback:callbacknumber] [/phonebook:phonebookfile] [/prefixsuffix]

To establish a VPN connection:

rasdial "MyVPN" vpn_user mypassword /domain:corp

To disconnect:

rasdial "MyVPN" /DISCONNECT

Here's a complete batch script example with error handling:

@echo off
SET VPN_NAME="Corporate VPN"
SET USERNAME=vpn_user
SET PASSWORD=secure123

:CONNECT
rasdial %VPN_NAME% %USERNAME% %PASSWORD%
if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 (
    echo VPN connection failed
    pause
    goto :EOF
)

echo Successfully connected to %VPN_NAME%
timeout /t 30

:DISCONNECT
rasdial %VPN_NAME% /DISCONNECT
if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 (
    echo VPN disconnection failed
) else (
    echo Successfully disconnected from %VPN_NAME%
)

For automated scripts, you might want to run silently and log output:

rasdial "MyVPN" vpn_user mypassword > "%TEMP%\vpn.log" 2>&1

If you encounter problems:

• Verify the connection name exactly matches what's in Network Connections
• Check credentials and domain settings
• Ensure the VPN service is running (use net start "Remote Access Connection Manager")
• For detailed logging, run with /log switch

While rasdial is the native solution, you can also use:

netsh rasdial "connection_name" user password

Or leverage the Windows Script Host with VBScript for more complex scenarios.

---

For system administrators and developers maintaining legacy Windows XP systems, automating VPN connections through batch scripts remains a crucial requirement. The native Windows VPN client (rasdial.exe) provides command-line functionality perfect for scripting scenarios.

The primary utility for VPN operations is rasdial.exe, which ships with Windows XP Professional. Its basic syntax:

rasdial "ConnectionName" [username] [password]

Basic connection (storing credentials in script):

rasdial "CorporateVPN" vpnuser P@ssw0rd123

Connection with dynamic credentials (safer approach):

rasdial "CorporateVPN" %VPN_USER% %VPN_PASS%

To terminate the VPN session:

rasdial "CorporateVPN" /DISCONNECT

Or disconnect any active VPN:

rasdial /DISCONNECT

A robust implementation should include error checking:

rasdial "CorporateVPN" %1 %2
if errorlevel 1 (
    echo VPN connection failed
    exit /b 1
) else (
    echo VPN connected successfully
)

Creating a reconnect script that waits between attempts:

:RETRY
rasdial "CorporateVPN" %1 %2
if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
    timeout /t 30
    goto RETRY
)

Checking connection status first:

rasdial | find "CorporateVPN"
if %errorlevel% equ 0 (
    echo VPN is already connected
) else (
    rasdial "CorporateVPN" %1 %2
)

For production environments, consider these security practices:

• Store credentials in encrypted form using Windows DPAPI
• Use group policy to limit VPN connection attempts
• Implement connection timeout monitoring