Setting up a Secure remote access to office network

[mark19632]

Hi,

I need to set up remote access from home to a small offifce network. THe network has 4 PC's and a NAS box in a workgroup.

The current router does not support VPN

I was thinking of setting up a vpn connection to one of the office PC's and connecting to that. Anybody tried this and does it work ok?

Or has anyone got a better suggestion, I can buy new Hardware if not to expensive.

Thanks,

Mark

[Moby-Dick]

you can set up an XP box to host a PPTP VPN session.
there is some 3rd party VPN software available too thats supposed to be quite handy.
http://www.hamachi.cc
what are you aiming to do once you have connected to the remote network ?
if you just want to remote control a machine , why not use something like www.logmein.com - its secure and free !

[Jay]

I think you need Windows Server to setup a true VPN.

There is a way to do it using a Linux server, this may be your best bet.

[Moby-Dick]

I think you need Windows Server to setup a true VPN.

There is a way to do it using a Linux server, this may be your best bet.

*cough*
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networ...vpn_server.htm

[mark19632]

Just access the NAS box and the shares on the PC's so I think using the XP box to host a PPTP VPN session might be a good way of doing it, but then if some one turns it off so maybe a router that can host VPN connections would be good if some one can recommend one?

[Jay]

*cough*
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/networ...vpn_server.htm

I stand corrected

[Moby-Dick]

Just access the NAS box and the shares on the PC's so I think using the XP box to host a PPTP VPN session might be a good way of doing it, but then if some one turns it off so maybe a router that can host VPN connections would be good if some one can recommend one?

A Vigor Draytek 2600 ( or current equivilent ) has your name all over it !

[Jay]

is there no way this could be done with FTP?

[Moby-Dick]

FTP isn't especially secure - you'd have to use something like ftp over SSH or sFTP.

A VPN is a much better option.

[chrestomanci]

Yes, use SSH. You need one linux box inside your network. The clients can run any OS you like. On windows you can use PuTTY to setup the connection and forward whichever ports you need. If you use key file based authentication instead of passwords it will be very secure. You can further enhance security by listening on an improbabe high number port instead of 22.

[mark19632]

I think I'll go with the XP client handling the connection as it is only for one user at the moment and see how we get on with that.

Cheers guys.