Separate identity from transport

Successful VPN sign-in proves authentication and tunnel setup. SMB still depends on routing, name resolution, firewall rules and usable packet size.

Look for size-dependent failure

Stalled transfers with working pings can point to fragmentation or blocked discovery of the usable MTU.

Test the full application

After correction, open folders and transfer representative files. A network test alone can miss the user-facing failure.

Research

Official technical sources

These sources support the technical explanation. The right fix still depends on the environment where the problem appears.

  1. Guidance for troubleshooting SMBMicrosoft Learn