is rdp through vpn the only option?

hi,

our company has two offices, 2 servers (windows server 2003 sp1) - one at
each office - with each office in a different city - we use rdp to sign on to
our local server as well as rdp to sign on to the server in the other city.
the servers run the same programs with client information specific to each
office on that offices server. sometimes we work on each others files so
that is why we rdp to the other offices server.

we run into issues that have been discussed in these forums - like slow
speed, getting kicked out, sometimes with the previous session still open
when we reconnect etc.

i'm wondering whether rdp is the best option, what other options we should
consider, is it possible to have a replicated server so that we physically
use the local server (kind of like a replicated database).

so as you can tell - i don't really have any idea what i'm talking about but
i was asked to get an idea of what we need to consider before we bring in the
pros like you guys and gals.

thanks for any direction - tdr

Although you don't mention it in the body of your post, the subject suggests
that you have a VPN connection between these offices, and you are RDPing to
the remote server through this connection by using its private IP in the RDP
client. If this is the case, then you might get better performance by:

1. On the remote router map port 3389 to the private IP of the remote
server.

2. On your RDP client connect to the public IP of the remote router.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"TDR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:43DE62A3-E6B3-4067-A5EB-(E-Mail Removed)...
> hi,
>
> our company has two offices, 2 servers (windows server 2003 sp1) - one at
> each office - with each office in a different city - we use rdp to sign on
to
> our local server as well as rdp to sign on to the server in the other
city.
> the servers run the same programs with client information specific to each
> office on that offices server. sometimes we work on each others files so
> that is why we rdp to the other offices server.
>
> we run into issues that have been discussed in these forums - like slow
> speed, getting kicked out, sometimes with the previous session still open
> when we reconnect etc.
>
> i'm wondering whether rdp is the best option, what other options we should
> consider, is it possible to have a replicated server so that we physically
> use the local server (kind of like a replicated database).
>
> so as you can tell - i don't really have any idea what i'm talking about
but
> i was asked to get an idea of what we need to consider before we bring in
the
> pros like you guys and gals.
>
> thanks for any direction - tdr

you're right we use the internal ip - what would happen if the router's
external ip changed? or is that usually 'static'? - hmmm, over my head i think


"Doug Sherman [MVP]" wrote:

> Although you don't mention it in the body of your post, the subject suggests
> that you have a VPN connection between these offices, and you are RDPing to
> the remote server through this connection by using its private IP in the RDP
> client. If this is the case, then you might get better performance by:
>
> 1. On the remote router map port 3389 to the private IP of the remote
> server.
>
> 2. On your RDP client connect to the public IP of the remote router.
>
> Doug Sherman
> MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
>
> "TDR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:43DE62A3-E6B3-4067-A5EB-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > hi,
> >
> > our company has two offices, 2 servers (windows server 2003 sp1) - one at
> > each office - with each office in a different city - we use rdp to sign on
> to
> > our local server as well as rdp to sign on to the server in the other
> city.
> > the servers run the same programs with client information specific to each
> > office on that offices server. sometimes we work on each others files so
> > that is why we rdp to the other offices server.
> >
> > we run into issues that have been discussed in these forums - like slow
> > speed, getting kicked out, sometimes with the previous session still open
> > when we reconnect etc.
> >
> > i'm wondering whether rdp is the best option, what other options we should
> > consider, is it possible to have a replicated server so that we physically
> > use the local server (kind of like a replicated database).
> >
> > so as you can tell - i don't really have any idea what i'm talking about
> but
> > i was asked to get an idea of what we need to consider before we bring in
> the
> > pros like you guys and gals.
> >
> > thanks for any direction - tdr
>
>
>

Well, if the router's external IP is dynamically assigned, you are already
dealing with this issue for purposes of maintaining the VPN.

Doug Sherman
MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"TDR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:55E0939B-2AC2-446E-9F46-(E-Mail Removed)...
> you're right we use the internal ip - what would happen if the router's
> external ip changed? or is that usually 'static'? - hmmm, over my head i
think
>
>
> "Doug Sherman [MVP]" wrote:
>
> > Although you don't mention it in the body of your post, the subject
suggests
> > that you have a VPN connection between these offices, and you are RDPing
to
> > the remote server through this connection by using its private IP in the
RDP
> > client. If this is the case, then you might get better performance by:
> >
> > 1. On the remote router map port 3389 to the private IP of the remote
> > server.
> >
> > 2. On your RDP client connect to the public IP of the remote router.
> >
> > Doug Sherman
> > MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
> >
> > "TDR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:43DE62A3-E6B3-4067-A5EB-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > hi,
> > >
> > > our company has two offices, 2 servers (windows server 2003 sp1) - one
at
> > > each office - with each office in a different city - we use rdp to
sign on
> > to
> > > our local server as well as rdp to sign on to the server in the other
> > city.
> > > the servers run the same programs with client information specific to
each
> > > office on that offices server. sometimes we work on each others files
so
> > > that is why we rdp to the other offices server.
> > >
> > > we run into issues that have been discussed in these forums - like
slow
> > > speed, getting kicked out, sometimes with the previous session still
open
> > > when we reconnect etc.
> > >
> > > i'm wondering whether rdp is the best option, what other options we
should
> > > consider, is it possible to have a replicated server so that we
physically
> > > use the local server (kind of like a replicated database).
> > >
> > > so as you can tell - i don't really have any idea what i'm talking
about
> > but
> > > i was asked to get an idea of what we need to consider before we bring
in
> > the
> > > pros like you guys and gals.
> > >
> > > thanks for any direction - tdr
> >
> >
> >

that makes sense - thanks for your help Doug - tdr

"Doug Sherman [MVP]" wrote:

> Well, if the router's external IP is dynamically assigned, you are already
> dealing with this issue for purposes of maintaining the VPN.
>
> Doug Sherman
> MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
>
> "TDR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:55E0939B-2AC2-446E-9F46-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > you're right we use the internal ip - what would happen if the router's
> > external ip changed? or is that usually 'static'? - hmmm, over my head i
> think
> >
> >
> > "Doug Sherman [MVP]" wrote:
> >
> > > Although you don't mention it in the body of your post, the subject
> suggests
> > > that you have a VPN connection between these offices, and you are RDPing
> to
> > > the remote server through this connection by using its private IP in the
> RDP
> > > client. If this is the case, then you might get better performance by:
> > >
> > > 1. On the remote router map port 3389 to the private IP of the remote
> > > server.
> > >
> > > 2. On your RDP client connect to the public IP of the remote router.
> > >
> > > Doug Sherman
> > > MCSE, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP
> > >
> > > "TDR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > news:43DE62A3-E6B3-4067-A5EB-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > > hi,
> > > >
> > > > our company has two offices, 2 servers (windows server 2003 sp1) - one
> at
> > > > each office - with each office in a different city - we use rdp to
> sign on
> > > to
> > > > our local server as well as rdp to sign on to the server in the other
> > > city.
> > > > the servers run the same programs with client information specific to
> each
> > > > office on that offices server. sometimes we work on each others files
> so
> > > > that is why we rdp to the other offices server.
> > > >
> > > > we run into issues that have been discussed in these forums - like
> slow
> > > > speed, getting kicked out, sometimes with the previous session still
> open
> > > > when we reconnect etc.
> > > >
> > > > i'm wondering whether rdp is the best option, what other options we
> should
> > > > consider, is it possible to have a replicated server so that we
> physically
> > > > use the local server (kind of like a replicated database).
> > > >
> > > > so as you can tell - i don't really have any idea what i'm talking
> about
> > > but
> > > > i was asked to get an idea of what we need to consider before we bring
> in
> > > the
> > > > pros like you guys and gals.
> > > >
> > > > thanks for any direction - tdr
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>