Using TFS with Client on Different Domain

Having read that Team Explorer connects to TFS using the windows identity of the currently logged in user I actually did not even try connecting to the customer TFS server, for some reason I thought it wouldn't work.

However, one day I did try. And it worked!

When you connect to TFS it will try to connect to the TFS server using your actual domain users until it times-out and prompts you with a request for authentication. If you enter a correct domain\user and password here you will connect to the server and are able to work normally (reading/writing work items and working with source control).

The disadvantage of this approach is that if you have Team Explorer open when you close Visual Studio it will attempt to connect to the TFS server when you start Visual Studio again. In itself this is not a disadvantage, but if you're not connected to the network if will take forever until a time-out occur. And this happens every time you open Visual Studio with Team Explorer open!