Need help on setting up a VPN connection

Hi all,

I am running a small company with some friends. I work full time and others
are working part time. I have succesfully set up a LAN with Window 2003
server as the domain server and database server. We have a dedicated web
server located in a difference state. It is running a web server and email
server. Currently we are using the Access database for the storage of
shopping cart software, but will upgrade to sql server soon.

Since our business is growing, we have to think about the backing up/syncing
strategy. Right now we have a FTP client which retreives the files from the
remote web server every week. We are now considering to set up a VPN between
the dedicated web server and our office location. In this way backup and
sync become much easier. I am mainly a programmer, but have hands on
experience with Windows administration.

I have a couple of questions:
1. Does that dedicated web server need two IP addresses, one for providing
WWW and the another for this VPN connection. We do not want any web server
being interruped.
2. If the answer to 1 is yes, do they have to install another network card?
3. The office side uses Microsoft MN-520 wireless router. We tried several
times connecting from my friend's home to the router using VPN but always
failed even we open the port 1723. I looked through Internet and found that
router has to support GRE protocol.
4. We are considering uprading router to Linksys WRV54G. How you think about
that?

Since we are small we are not able to afford a network consultant I will
appreciate very much if you can highlight some points.

Thanks,
Jack T.

Hi Jack,

One network card in server is enough to setup what you need.

I am not familiar with details of your network, but I would probably think
about connecting to router rather then web server... Check your router's
documentation for details - if it is supporting VPN.

IP protocol 47 = GRE.

Note, you can assign more then one IP to one network card (in Windows).

Mike

"Jack Tan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> I am running a small company with some friends. I work full time and
others
> are working part time. I have succesfully set up a LAN with Window 2003
> server as the domain server and database server. We have a dedicated web
> server located in a difference state. It is running a web server and email
> server. Currently we are using the Access database for the storage of
> shopping cart software, but will upgrade to sql server soon.
>
> Since our business is growing, we have to think about the backing
up/syncing
> strategy. Right now we have a FTP client which retreives the files from
the
> remote web server every week. We are now considering to set up a VPN
between
> the dedicated web server and our office location. In this way backup and
> sync become much easier. I am mainly a programmer, but have hands on
> experience with Windows administration.
>
> I have a couple of questions:
> 1. Does that dedicated web server need two IP addresses, one for providing
> WWW and the another for this VPN connection. We do not want any web server
> being interruped.
> 2. If the answer to 1 is yes, do they have to install another network
card?
> 3. The office side uses Microsoft MN-520 wireless router. We tried several
> times connecting from my friend's home to the router using VPN but always
> failed even we open the port 1723. I looked through Internet and found
that
> router has to support GRE protocol.
> 4. We are considering uprading router to Linksys WRV54G. How you think
about
> that?
>
> Since we are small we are not able to afford a network consultant I will
> appreciate very much if you can highlight some points.
>
> Thanks,
> Jack T.
>
>

"Jack Tan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a couple of questions:
> 1. Does that dedicated web server need two IP addresses, one for providing
> WWW and the another for this VPN connection. We do not want any web server
> being interruped.

No. VPN is a "dialup" technology. The VPN Adapter is "virtual" and not
physical. The machine will receive an IP# from the VPN Server when it
connects (but you could use static if you wanted).

The Webserver needs to run RRAS and it must be setup to automatically "dial
out" to your main system to connect. It will be set as a "persistant"
connection in the dial-up connection's settings. The "VPN Server" feature of
RRAS can be disabled since it will not be receiving any calls, but rather is
the one making the calls only. If you don't turn that part off you will
have event log errors about DHCP because RRAS won't be able to get address
from DHCP to give to "callers" when they call (there are not any callers).

> 4. We are considering uprading router to Linksys WRV54G. How you think
about
> that?

I can't help with specific devices like that. The people that the devices
come from are best suited for that. Do not attempt to fool with RRAS on the
Web Server until you can both successfully *and* dependably to your VPN
Server from that "friends" machine. Use him as the "test subject", not the
webserver.

--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com