How to connect two different location servers?

We have two small locations at two different places, both offices are
equipped with DSL connection for internet/mail access. one location has
to access some machines on other site and vice versa. How to do that,
describe me what are the steps involved?. Also for securing machines do
we have to install any separate hardware for security?, which hardware
is better. Thanks.

GS wrote:
> We have two small locations at two different places, both offices are
> equipped with DSL connection for internet/mail access. one location has
> to access some machines on other site and vice versa. How to do that,
> describe me what are the steps involved?. Also for securing machines do
> we have to install any separate hardware for security?, which hardware
> is better. Thanks.
>

You're looking for a VPN - Virtual Private Network.

VPN transfers the packets of the internal network
as payload in an external network connection. The
method is called tunneling. To preserve privacy
of the internal network, the packets are encrypted
before being loaded into the external network
packets.

There are a couple of HOWTOs about VPN in the
Linux Documentation Project. The explain the
basica prety well, but all are quite outdated.

My favourite for Linux-to-Linux VPN in OpenVPN
<http://openvpn.net/>. It works with recent
Windowses and many Unix-like systems, too.

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

We have different servers at both locations, we are using different
subnets, for example one location had DSL and connected all PC's to LAN
using 172.16.35 subnet and other location had cable modem and Router,
again all PC's to LAN using 172.16.16 subnet, now we have to access
machines at both locations, how can we do that. thanks.

"GS" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...

> We have different servers at both locations, we are using different
> subnets, for example one location had DSL and connected all PC's to LAN
> using 172.16.35 subnet and other location had cable modem and Router,
> again all PC's to LAN using 172.16.16 subnet, now we have to access
> machines at both locations, how can we do that. thanks.

Did you see the reply from Tauno Voipio?

DS

GS wrote:

> We have two small locations at two different places, both offices are
> equipped with DSL connection for internet/mail access. one location has
> to access some machines on other site and vice versa. How to do that,
> describe me what are the steps involved?. Also for securing machines do
> we have to install any separate hardware for security?, which hardware
> is better. Thanks.

You can use a Virtual Private Network, to connect the two sites. I use
OpenVPN. You can also build a firewall/router/NAT with Linux, to protect
your network from the outside world. You can use the same Linux box for
both.

"David Schwartz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:dh0nj7$49r$(E-Mail Removed)

>> We have different servers at both locations, we are using different
>> subnets, for example one location had DSL and connected all PC's to
>> LAN using 172.16.35 subnet and other location had cable modem and
>> Router, again all PC's to LAN using 172.16.16 subnet, now we have to
>> access machines at both locations, how can we do that. thanks.
>
> Did you see the reply from Tauno Voipio?

He referenced Mssr. Voipio's post in the headers, which means that he did
indeed see it, so it seems like the OP wants to have the HOWTO read to him.

GS wrote:
> We have different servers at both locations, we are using different
> subnets, for example one location had DSL and connected all PC's to LAN
> using 172.16.35 subnet and other location had cable modem and Router,
> again all PC's to LAN using 172.16.16 subnet, now we have to access
> machines at both locations, how can we do that. thanks.

In OpenVPN, there are two ways to connect the networks:

- routed, or
- bridged.

The bridged connection forwards the datalink level frames,
i.e. Ethernet frames. This makes the computers seem in
a common local net, which may be an advantage, if protocols
like Novell or Microsoft (without TCP/IP) have to be handled.
The obvious disadvantage is hefty overhead of unnecessary
packets bridged to the other end.

The routed connection routes IP packets over the VPN. It
works like any IP routing, connecting different subnets.

It seems to me that you're looking for a routed VPN.

<nag>
Please get the HOWTOs and read them
</nag>

HTH

--

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio (at) iki fi

PS: Thanks to GS and David Schawartz.

TV

Thanks.