Need something easy.

Hey all,

I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
network from home. I just want to keep it simple.

Here's what we have:
A windows network with a windows 2003 server
A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
a vpn router)
A DSL connection

2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
work just like they would if they were in the office.

What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
this to work?

Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely

Thanks
Mark.

It would be done with RRAS on the 2003 box.
It will only run at the slower upload speed of the DSL,...so performance will be
horrible unless the users "remote control" their office machines from home using
Remote Desktop.

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

The views expressed are my own (as annoying as they are), and not those of my
employer or anyone else associated with me.
-----------------------------------------------------

"radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> Hey all,
>
> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>
> Here's what we have:
> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
> a vpn router)
> A DSL connection
>
> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>
> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
> this to work?
>
> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>
> Thanks
> Mark.
>

"Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> It would be done with RRAS on the 2003 box.
> It will only run at the slower upload speed of the DSL,...so performance
> will be horrible unless the users "remote control" their office machines
> from home using Remote Desktop.
>
> --
> Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
> www.wandtv.com
>
> The views expressed are my own (as annoying as they are), and not those of
> my employer or anyone else associated with me.
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
> "radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>> Hey all,
>>
>> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
>> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>>
>> Here's what we have:
>> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
>> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
>> a vpn router)
>> A DSL connection
>>
>> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
>> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>>
>> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
>> this to work?
>>
>> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
>> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>>
>> Thanks
>> Mark.
>>
>
>

Keep in mind that its possible the Linksys router will only pass one VPN
tunnel at a time. What model Linksys router is it?

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...

The simplest solution would be to ignore the Windows server altogether.
Upgrade the Linksys to a firewall/router which will support VPN. Configure
it to allow VPN connection to the LAN.

"radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> Hey all,
>
> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>
> Here's what we have:
> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
> a vpn router)
> A DSL connection
>
> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>
> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
> this to work?
>
> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>
> Thanks
> Mark.
>

Without question, the really easiest way to achieve this is by installing
GoToMyPC on the two workstations that you want to control remotely.
GoToMyPC is a inexpensive subscription software that installs on the 'host'
workstation that you would like to connect to and control remotely.
It costs about $15/mo per PC and installs in a matter of a few minuets
(cheaper if you pre-pay).
Once installed you can then connect to the host PC from any PC that has
Internet Explorer and an internet connection.
It is fast, completely non-technical.
There are many layers of complication to going the VPN route and
configuration can be a real pain if you have never done it before. You also
have to install and support hardware in the users home witch is not really
something you want to get involved with on such a small scale. And you
don't get the portability that GoToMyPC offers (connect from any web
browser, home, traveling, while on vacation, anywhere unlike a hardware VPN
solution).
GoToMyPC works behind a firewall becuase the host workstation calls out to
the GoToMyPC web site and not the other way around. The remote user also
goes to the GoToMyPC website and not your office so no changes are necessary
on your office network.
Alternatives to GoToMyPC include LogMeIn who has a free version if you are
willing to forgo file transfers. GoToMyPC is faster than LogMeIn and
preferable for that reason alone. A VPN connection with Remote desktop is
technically faster than GoToMyPC but it is hardly noticeably so. Check it
out www.gotomypc.com for the free trial. It will make you look like a
genuis.

"radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
> Hey all,
>
> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>
> Here's what we have:
> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
> a vpn router)
> A DSL connection
>
> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>
> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
> this to work?
>
> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>
> Thanks
> Mark.
>

You seem to have misread the question. The requirement is for the remote
clients to be able to connect to the LAN and access resources there. It is
not to access and control the remote clients from the LAN.

Clients do not need any extra equipment to access a LAN by VPN. The
remote client (which is a software app) tunnels the private traffic through
the Internet.

"somebody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:uxvvh.4815$yB5.1237@trndny03...
> Without question, the really easiest way to achieve this is by installing
> GoToMyPC on the two workstations that you want to control remotely.
> GoToMyPC is a inexpensive subscription software that installs on the
> 'host' workstation that you would like to connect to and control remotely.
> It costs about $15/mo per PC and installs in a matter of a few minuets
> (cheaper if you pre-pay).
> Once installed you can then connect to the host PC from any PC that has
> Internet Explorer and an internet connection.
> It is fast, completely non-technical.
> There are many layers of complication to going the VPN route and
> configuration can be a real pain if you have never done it before. You
> also have to install and support hardware in the users home witch is not
> really something you want to get involved with on such a small scale. And
> you don't get the portability that GoToMyPC offers (connect from any web
> browser, home, traveling, while on vacation, anywhere unlike a hardware
> VPN solution).
> GoToMyPC works behind a firewall becuase the host workstation calls out to
> the GoToMyPC web site and not the other way around. The remote user also
> goes to the GoToMyPC website and not your office so no changes are
> necessary on your office network.
> Alternatives to GoToMyPC include LogMeIn who has a free version if you are
> willing to forgo file transfers. GoToMyPC is faster than LogMeIn and
> preferable for that reason alone. A VPN connection with Remote desktop is
> technically faster than GoToMyPC but it is hardly noticeably so. Check it
> out www.gotomypc.com for the free trial. It will make you look like a
> genuis.
>
> "radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>> Hey all,
>>
>> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
>> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>>
>> Here's what we have:
>> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
>> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
>> a vpn router)
>> A DSL connection
>>
>> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
>> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>>
>> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
>> this to work?
>>
>> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
>> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>>
>> Thanks
>> Mark.
>>
>
>

Bill,
You could very well be right, but then again so could I.
I boils down to how you interpret this sentence... "2 of the people here
would like to be able to connect from home and
work just like they would if they were in the office." You know how I read
it. Like it says, they want to work just like they are in the office, with
the same applications, the same drive mapping to network drives, the same
printers available to them, the same start menu, the same desktop icons,
etc. Plus they will be able to print locally with a little configuration.
The shame of it is that similar functionality is built into Windows Small
Business Server 2003 (called Remote Web Workplace) and it is very easy to
configure... but with regular Windows Server 2003 it is not available and
the alternatives are extremely complicated for a casual user to implement
and are riddled with complications. GoToMyPC is a really simple way to
achieve this functionality at little expense and virtually no effort (and
time is money too). It is also a much more fluid user experience than
mapping remotely to network resources and being at the mercy of the speed of
the internet connection. GoToMyPC is actually even usable with dialup
internet connections (at least on one end, the remote for instance).

"Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message
news:e4w9$(E-Mail Removed)...
> You seem to have misread the question. The requirement is for the remote
> clients to be able to connect to the LAN and access resources there. It is
> not to access and control the remote clients from the LAN.
>
> Clients do not need any extra equipment to access a LAN by VPN. The
> remote client (which is a software app) tunnels the private traffic
> through the Internet.
>
> "somebody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:uxvvh.4815$yB5.1237@trndny03...
>> Without question, the really easiest way to achieve this is by installing
>> GoToMyPC on the two workstations that you want to control remotely.
>> GoToMyPC is a inexpensive subscription software that installs on the
>> 'host' workstation that you would like to connect to and control
>> remotely.
>> It costs about $15/mo per PC and installs in a matter of a few minuets
>> (cheaper if you pre-pay).
>> Once installed you can then connect to the host PC from any PC that has
>> Internet Explorer and an internet connection.
>> It is fast, completely non-technical.
>> There are many layers of complication to going the VPN route and
>> configuration can be a real pain if you have never done it before. You
>> also have to install and support hardware in the users home witch is not
>> really something you want to get involved with on such a small scale.
>> And you don't get the portability that GoToMyPC offers (connect from any
>> web browser, home, traveling, while on vacation, anywhere unlike a
>> hardware VPN solution).
>> GoToMyPC works behind a firewall becuase the host workstation calls out
>> to the GoToMyPC web site and not the other way around. The remote user
>> also goes to the GoToMyPC website and not your office so no changes are
>> necessary on your office network.
>> Alternatives to GoToMyPC include LogMeIn who has a free version if you
>> are willing to forgo file transfers. GoToMyPC is faster than LogMeIn and
>> preferable for that reason alone. A VPN connection with Remote desktop
>> is technically faster than GoToMyPC but it is hardly noticeably so.
>> Check it out www.gotomypc.com for the free trial. It will make you look
>> like a genuis.
>>
>> "radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
>>> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>>>
>>> Here's what we have:
>>> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
>>> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
>>> a vpn router)
>>> A DSL connection
>>>
>>> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
>>> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>>>
>>> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
>>> this to work?
>>>
>>> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
>>> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Mark.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

ps. it might just be me, but i have never gotten a software vpn connection
to work with a linksys vpn router. linksys hardware on each end is no
problem, but not software to hardware. if a software solution was desired
for the client pc then i would sooner look into a higher quality device like
a powerful yet inexpensive zyxel zywall 5 or a the more expensive watchguard
firebox soho 6.

"Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message
news:e4w9$(E-Mail Removed)...
> You seem to have misread the question. The requirement is for the remote
> clients to be able to connect to the LAN and access resources there. It is
> not to access and control the remote clients from the LAN.
>
> Clients do not need any extra equipment to access a LAN by VPN. The
> remote client (which is a software app) tunnels the private traffic
> through the Internet.
>
> "somebody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:uxvvh.4815$yB5.1237@trndny03...
>> Without question, the really easiest way to achieve this is by installing
>> GoToMyPC on the two workstations that you want to control remotely.
>> GoToMyPC is a inexpensive subscription software that installs on the
>> 'host' workstation that you would like to connect to and control
>> remotely.
>> It costs about $15/mo per PC and installs in a matter of a few minuets
>> (cheaper if you pre-pay).
>> Once installed you can then connect to the host PC from any PC that has
>> Internet Explorer and an internet connection.
>> It is fast, completely non-technical.
>> There are many layers of complication to going the VPN route and
>> configuration can be a real pain if you have never done it before. You
>> also have to install and support hardware in the users home witch is not
>> really something you want to get involved with on such a small scale.
>> And you don't get the portability that GoToMyPC offers (connect from any
>> web browser, home, traveling, while on vacation, anywhere unlike a
>> hardware VPN solution).
>> GoToMyPC works behind a firewall becuase the host workstation calls out
>> to the GoToMyPC web site and not the other way around. The remote user
>> also goes to the GoToMyPC website and not your office so no changes are
>> necessary on your office network.
>> Alternatives to GoToMyPC include LogMeIn who has a free version if you
>> are willing to forgo file transfers. GoToMyPC is faster than LogMeIn and
>> preferable for that reason alone. A VPN connection with Remote desktop
>> is technically faster than GoToMyPC but it is hardly noticeably so.
>> Check it out www.gotomypc.com for the free trial. It will make you look
>> like a genuis.
>>
>> "radink" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>>> Hey all,
>>>
>>> I need an easy solution to setup a VPN so 2 people can access the
>>> network from home. I just want to keep it simple.
>>>
>>> Here's what we have:
>>> A windows network with a windows 2003 server
>>> A Linksys router that does allow passing of VPN protocols (but is not
>>> a vpn router)
>>> A DSL connection
>>>
>>> 2 of the people here would like to be able to connect from home and
>>> work just like they would if they were in the office.
>>>
>>> What would be the easiest and I suppose most cost effective way to get
>>> this to work?
>>>
>>> Sorry this is such a newb question, but I've been reading up on this
>>> and I've seen so many variations, that i've become confused completely
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>> Mark.
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

"somebody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1jzvh.1812$Tz4.1349@trndny06...
> ps. it might just be me, but i have never gotten a software vpn connection to
> work with a linksys vpn router. linksys hardware on each end is no problem,
> but not software to hardware. if a software solution was desired

Well, I have never tried that with a Linksys box,...not sure I want to punish
myself. The those are two different types of VPN,...you are dealing with two
different things.

What you called software to hardware is really "Remote Access VPN" which is a
"Individual User-to-LAN"

What you called hardware to hardware is really "Site-to-Site VPN" (aka
Router-to-Router VPN) and that translates into "LAN to LAN"

So may the Linksys box is only designed to do one of those types.

To the original poster,...what I said at the beginning is all I know to tell
you.

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

The views expressed (as annoying as they are, and as stupid as they sound), are
my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft, or anyone else associated
with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------
Understanding the ISA 2004 Access Rule Processing
http://www.isaserver.org/articles/IS...cessRules.html

Troubleshooting Client Authentication on Access Rules in ISA Server 2004
http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...7/ts_rules.doc

Microsoft Internet Security & Acceleration Server: Partners
http://www.microsoft.com/isaserver/partners/default.asp
-----------------------------------------------------

"Phillip Windell" <@.> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "somebody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:1jzvh.1812$Tz4.1349@trndny06...
>> ps. it might just be me, but i have never gotten a software vpn connection to
>> work with a linksys vpn router. linksys hardware on each end is no problem,
>> but not software to hardware. if a software solution was desired
>
> Well, I have never tried that with a Linksys box,...not sure I want to punish
> myself. The those are two different types of VPN,...you are dealing with two
> different things.
>
> What you called software to hardware is really "Remote Access VPN" which is a
> "Individual User-to-LAN"
>
> What you called hardware to hardware is really "Site-to-Site VPN" (aka
> Router-to-Router VPN) and that translates into "LAN to LAN"
>
> So may the Linksys box is only designed to do one of those types.
>
> To the original poster,...what I said at the beginning is all I know to tell
> you.

If you can upgrade your Linksys firmware to DD-WRT you'll get a whole slew of
new features.