VPNs

[Chip]

The subject came up in the IST, and I've always wondered about them.
I'm pretty good with computers, and I've gotten a VPN to work, but only for one person.
At work there are 3 of us, 3 computers with XP, 2 NAS, 2 network printers.
The internet comes in to a router, everything connects to it.
For a VPN, should we have a stand alone server with Windows Server on it, where we all connect to it instead of the router? Or would it just connect to the router too?

[Joe]

Here's your typical VPN on a small scale.

Disregard the the PPTP VPN server, because if you have the right Firewall\Router it will do that for you.

The modem would be the device you get from your internet provider and the device listed as the wireless router doesn't actually have to be a wireless router. Most of my clients that use VPNs are using Sonicwall Routers because they have VPN capability. Linksys also provides VPN routers as well.

The question is what do you want to connect to with the VPN? Are all 3 of you trying to connect to your desktops back at the office or do you all have laptops and are just trying to connect to the NAS devices in the office?

You can setup a server to manage your VPNs, but the hardware and software for a server will generally run you $3000 for a small business server. I like having a Small Business server on site because you can share files and printers a lot easier, host your own email and centrally manage your user accounts.

Once you go the server route you're also going to have to get someone to manage it and fix it when it breaks and that's adds even more costs. My company actually does this exact thing for small, medium and enterprise companies and the costs are not cheap.

[Chip]

When I was messing with it before, we were just talking about connecting to the NAS, and printer/plotter.
But now we've been using this new software, that can store our two licenses on a server. But I don't think that's really worth it.

So if we just want to connect to the network and the NAS, all that is mostly set up in the router?
That sounds familiar.

[Joe]

When I was messing with it before, we were just talking about connecting to the NAS, and printer/plotter.
But now we've been using this new software, that can store our two licenses on a server. But I don't think that's really worth it.

So if we just want to connect to the network and the NAS, all that is mostly set up in the router?
That sounds familiar.

Just setup the router if it will do VPN and then put whatever client software on the PC you are using from home that works with the router.