1. Remote Access Services – and how to keep a remote access connection to a
remote server automatically
The following computer programme was developedin Accenture, Prague SDC, in May 2009 as an
operational improvement for the whole Microsoft Corporation. It works perfectly.
It is a good example of an automation of any daily tasks that we do in any company. It is a macro.
A description of a routine:
All employees need to log in to the Microsoft corporate network every day via a utility called “IT
Connection Manager” to use RAS from a remote node. Remote Access Services (RAS) refers to any
combinationof hardware andsoftwaretoenablethe remoteaccess toolsorinformationthattypically
reside on a network of IT devices. It refers to the authentication for remotes services access. A RAS
server is a specialized computer which aggregates multiple communication channels together.
To use RAS from a remote node,youneeda RAS clientprogram, which isbuiltinto most versionsof
Windows, or any PPP client software. For example, most remote control programs work with RAS.
There were cases when we lost the Internet connectionor RAS connection with corp.microsoft.com
server.
So,I developedamacro thatI called‘autoRAS’ thatcouldestablishthe lostconnectionautomatically.
It should be password protected because the code could well include the password, so viewing the
code would defeat the security but it serves its purpose as an example.
A very small batch file autoPING.batwastestingthe connectioneverynow and then whethermy PC
was connected to corp.microsoft.com or not as follows:
@echo off
ping corp.microsoft.com >nul
if %errorlevel% == 0 goto end
@echo No Reply on that IP!
start C:Usersv-alvymyDesktopautoRAS.vbs
:end
start exit
Itwasrunninginaloopwhich wassetupthrough WindowsTaskScheduler, forexampleeveryminute.
Pingisa computernetwork administrationutilityusedtotestthe reachabilityof a hoston anInternet
Protocol (IP) networkandtomeasure the round-triptimeformessagessentfromthe originatinghost
to a destination computer.
In a case of no response from Microsoftcorporate network corp.microsoft.com, the batchfile would
trigger my script called autoRAS.vbs :
Set WShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WShell.Run """C:WindowsSystem32rasphone.exe"""
Set objExcel = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
objExcel.Visible = False

2. Set objWorkbook = objExcel.Workbooks.Open("C:Usersv-alvymyDesktopsku
setup macros v2autoRAS_v2.xlsm")
objExcel.run "automatic_RAS"
So, the script autoRAS.vbs would open rasphone.exe application together with autoRAS_v2.xlsm
macro.
The VBA macro autoRAS_v2.xlsm would call a subroutine automatic_RAS() as follows:
AUTOMATIC RAS CONNECTION – autoRAS_v2.xlsm macro
'***********************************************
Note: [1.] We will have to link the dynamic library Windows USER32,
which will provide us API interface for calling functions of this
library. API prescribes a way of calling functions of a given library
from the source code of this macro. The most common standard is API
OS Win32 by Microsoft and POSIX(IEEE). Windows API (WinAPI, Win32)
was developed by Microsoft for OS MS Windows. All programs, regardless
of a programming language, running in MS Windows must communicate
through WinAPI (Win32) standard that contains the basic functions.
Functions are implemented in a basic system of DLL’s: kernel32.dll,
user32.dll, gdi32.dll.
Note [2.] We have to install the MSVC Spy++ software or WINSPECTOR
SPY and detect the names of classes in the running instances of windows
and processes, names of buttons…
'*******************************************************************
Option Explicit
Const BM_CLICK = &HF5
Const WM_CHAR = &H102
'*******************************************************************
'*********** API functions declarations ***************************
'*******************************************************************
Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32.dll" _
Alias "FindWindowA" _
(ByVal lpClassName As String, _
ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function PostMessage Lib "user32.dll" _
Alias "PostMessageA" _
(ByVal hWnd As Long, _
ByVal wMsg As Long, _
ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32.dll" _
Alias "SendMessageA" _
(ByVal hWnd As Long, _
ByVal Msg As Long, _
wParam As Any, _
lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function FindWindowEx Lib "user32.dll" _
Alias "FindWindowExA" _
(ByVal hWnd1 As Long, _
ByVal hWnd2 As Long, _
ByVal lpsz1 As String, _

3. ByVal lpsz2 As String) As Long
Private Declare Function SetFocusAPI Lib "user32.dll" _
Alias "SetFocus" _
(ByVal hWnd As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function SetForegroundWindow Lib "user32.dll" _
(ByVal hWnd As Long) As Boolean
'*******************************************************************
'Now that the API and Variables are set up, it is time for the rest
of the code
'*******************************************************************
Sub automatic_RAS()
Dim my_NTConnWindow, my_ITConnMgrWindow, my_buttonA, my_buttonB As
Long
Dim my_Connect_ITConnMgrWindow, my_buttonC As Long
Dim my_editBox As Long
Dim PIN As String
Dim i As Byte
'*** Calling API Function
my_NTConnWindow = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Network Connections")
'*** Calling API Function
Call SetForegroundWindow(my_NTConnWindow)
'If egFindWindow <> 0 Then
'e.g. we can also close the window like this &H10 ZAVRE OKNO:
'Messages = PostMessage(egFindWindow, &H10, 0&, 0&)
'End If
'*** Calling API Function
my_buttonA = FindWindowEx(my_NTConnWindow, ByVal 0&, "button",
"&Connect...")
'*** Calling API Function
Call SetFocusAPI(my_buttonA)

4. '******** Calling API Function **********
Call PostMessage(my_buttonA, BM_CLICK, 0&, 0&)
'pozn. SendMessage also hits the Connect.. and pops up IT Connection Mgr
'but fails to stop itself and is still running like in some loop?
'*** Calling API Function, all over again for the next IT Connection Mgr Win
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:03"))
my_ITConnMgrWindow = FindWindow(vbNullString, "IT Connection
Manager")
'Call SetForegroundWindow(my_ITConnMgrWindow)
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:03"))
my_buttonB = FindWindowEx(my_ITConnMgrWindow, ByVal 0&, "button",
"Connect")
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:03"))
'DoEvents
'Call SetFocusAPI(my_buttonB)
Call PostMessage(my_buttonB, BM_CLICK, 0&, 0&)
'mozny zpusob:
'Call PostMessage(my_buttonB, WM_LBUTTONDOWN, 0&, 0&)
'Call PostMessage(my_buttonB, WM_LBUTTONUP, 0&, 0&)
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:03"))
my_Connect_ITConnMgrWindow = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Connect IT
Connection Manager")
'*password
my_editBox = FindWindowEx(my_Connect_ITConnMgrWindow, ByVal 0&,
"edit", "")
my_buttonC = FindWindowEx(my_Connect_ITConnMgrWindow, ByVal 0&,
"button", "OK")
'DoEvents
'Call SetFocusAPI(my_buttonB)
PIN = "112233"
For i = 1 To Len(PIN)
Call PostMessage(my_editBox, WM_CHAR, Asc(Mid(PIN, i, 1)), 0&)
Next i
Call PostMessage(my_buttonC, BM_CLICK, 0&, 0&)
End Sub