Microsoft addresses NAT conflict introduced by SP2
As expected, the release of Microsoft’s Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP is being met with reports, even from Microsoft itself, of unexpected conflicts.
Based on similar experiences with Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 1, the reports have led some to suggest holding off the installation of SP2 until the initial dust settles and Microsoft responds with fixes to the biggest showstoppers.
Several large companies including IBM have announced, as a matter of policy, that SP2 should not be installed immediately. For companies that use Microsoft’s Active Directory Group Policy or logon scripts to enforce IT policies, Microsoft has issued a special SP2 blocker that prevents users from taking matters into their own hands by installing unauthorized copies of SP2.
Based on tests conducted by ZDNet, one SP2-injected change in Windows XP that could interfere with plans to roll out SP2 appears to involve a loss of network connectivity for workstations that use Microsoft’s L2TP-based virtual private networking (VPN) client to connect to servers that are connected to NAT-based networks (explained below). Based on an SP2 design decision, Microsoft refers to the anomaly as an expected change to the default behavior of Windows XP, which, prior to the update, allowed for L2TP-based connectivity to NAT-based servers.
