logging into office server remotely using vpn domain qu

i am reposting this question here in hopes of getting an answser. I posted it in the "Networki & Sharing" section a few weeks ago, and got no reply.
Here's the situation:
I regularly use a VPN connection to log in remotely to my office server. This works flawlessly on XP Pro,and I can see the entire network, share files and upload and download to our server, and to other shares (e.g., NAS and other desktops that are open) on the network. i can do this from home on my desktop, or using my laptop from just about anywhere in the world. As long as the computer is part of the office domain, and I log on with my proper user name and password, I can browse to my heart's content and work with files all over the network, load Outlook remotely (we use Exchange Server) and get office e-mail from wherever I happen to be outside the office.
i am using an extra computer at home now with Vista installed as a test platform. I belive I've installed everything correctly, and I have joined the office domain (I did this at the office when I set up the machine before bringing it home). Vista tells me the computer is properly a member of the office domain, just as it's displayed on my other XP Pro machines.
I have been able to set up a VPN connection to my work server using Vista's "Network Connection Wizard". I can log onto the network (or at least Vista tells me it's logged on and "connected" to "work"). Interestingly, it never prompts me for a password, even though I have it set to do that. When I click "Connect to Work" in networking, it simply says "Connected to Work."
The problem is that I can't see the network at work. Not at all. No server, no shares, nothing on the domain at all using Windows Explorer. I havent' tried using IE to try to browse the network but it's my next step (I doubt it will work, but you never know).
Whether I'm "connected" to work or not, I am able to see all of the computers located at my home,. regardless of whether they are part of the office domain or simply part of my home network (I have three machines which are work domain related, and four others that are part of the "Home" workgroup, some of which are XP Home and thus incapable of joining or belonging to a domain.
But I just can't see anything on my work domain computers or server.
My vista computer says that it's part of the work domain (I joined it while connected directly to the work net with the computer physically attached to the network before i brought it home, so i know it's part of the proper domain).
What is the deal with Vista and remote browsing of a domain? Can anyone explain how I can browse my office network and actually use Vista with my office server?
Any help would be appreciated.
Basically, I don't know if this is a VPN question/issue or just a networkig issue with Vista in general. All I know is that Vista has only about a tenth of the functionality of XP Pro. Of course, that may be because I don't know what I'm doing, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

WAG is a "wild-ass guess" and SWAG is a "scientific wild-ass guess." At the risk of a WAG, I'd like to suggest a dumb question: Is there a firewall present that restricts the scope of allowed IP addresses? If so, maybe that could be your problem. Just a guess, maybe wrong.
"Jerry" wrote in message

i am reposting this question here in hopes of getting an answser. I posted it in the "Networki & Sharing" section a few weeks ago, and got no reply.
Here's the situation:
I regularly use a VPN connection to log in remotely to my office server. This works flawlessly on XP Pro,and I can see the entire network, share files and upload and download to our server, and to other shares (e.g., NAS and other desktops that are open) on the network. i can do this from home on my desktop, or using my laptop from just about anywhere in the world. As long as the computer is part of the office domain, and I log on with my proper user name and password, I can browse to my heart's content and work with files all over the network, load Outlook remotely (we use Exchange Server) and get office e-mail from wherever I happen to be outside the office.
i am using an extra computer at home now with Vista installed as a test platform. I belive I've installed everything correctly, and I have joined the office domain (I did this at the office when I set up the machine before bringing it home). Vista tells me the computer is properly a member of the office domain, just as it's displayed on my other XP Pro machines.
I have been able to set up a VPN connection to my work server using Vista's "Network Connection Wizard". I can log onto the network (or at least Vista tells me it's logged on and "connected" to "work"). Interestingly, it never prompts me for a password, even though I have it set to do that. When I click "Connect to Work" in networking, it simply says "Connected to Work."
The problem is that I can't see the network at work. Not at all. No server, no shares, nothing on the domain at all using Windows Explorer. I havent' tried using IE to try to browse the network but it's my next step (I doubt it will work, but you never know).
Whether I'm "connected" to work or not, I am able to see all of the computers located at my home,. regardless of whether they are part of the office domain or simply part of my home network (I have three machines which are work domain related, and four others that are part of the "Home" workgroup, some of which are XP Home and thus incapable of joining or belonging to a domain.
But I just can't see anything on my work domain computers or server.
My vista computer says that it's part of the work domain (I joined it while connected directly to the work net with the computer physically attached to the network before i brought it home, so i know it's part of the proper domain).
What is the deal with Vista and remote browsing of a domain? Can anyone explain how I can browse my office network and actually use Vista with my office server?
Any help would be appreciated.
Basically, I don't know if this is a VPN question/issue or just a networkig issue with Vista in general. All I know is that Vista has only about a tenth of the functionality of XP Pro. Of course, that may be because I don't know what I'm doing, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.