Vpn

[HeliCraig]

Afternoon all,

I have been tasked (as part of Plan B!) to look after an ACT! database for a small firm who have 5 consultants based across the UK, all of whom have a local copy of the ACT database.

Speaking to Sage, it appears the easiest way of getting these all Sync'd is to set up a server with the "master" database on it, and set the 5 clients up as subscribers who then connect via VPN and sync as if they were local.

Anybody have any experience of quick / easy VPN software to set up? Plan is to have a PC on the end of a ADSL connection and allow them to connect to this.... unless anyone has good experience of some relatively cheap dedicated hosting?


TIA

HC.

[TheRefactornator]

If on the end of the ADSL you have a router with a built in VPN/teleworker IPSEC endpoint, then it would be good to get it connected for testing asap and then see if the built in windows VPN client works well with it. Sometimes it does / sometimes it doesn't because success depends on the quality of networking protocol implementation in the firmware of the device.

I've had decent results in the past with an el cheapo Cisco PIX 501 firewall (now depracated) with built in VPN server and the Windows VPN client. The PIX was crappy to setup but once configured it did work well.

More recently last client co were using NetConnect software from http://www.juniper.net and this stuff is super simple to setup for the end user - you browse to an ssl URL, install a java applet and then use it to logon using a windows domain or VPN user account. I don't what the end point hardware is they had there though...I suspect it was a juniper appliance.

[HeliCraig]

Thanks TR - anyone else any experience of VPN software?

[ThomasSoerensen]

hamachi is nice and simple

[HeliCraig]

Thanks TS - will have a butchers at that.

[JoJoGabor]

If you want cheap and cheerful just use the inbuilt VPN functionality in Windows 2000/2003 and 2000 and XP clients. THis will support PPTP or IPSEC.

[HeliCraig]

JJG: What sits on the other end of this though, a normal router / software in Windows at the the other end?

[lilelvis2000]

Yeah you can use the builtin VPN server in Windows XP/Vista and setup the accounts and permissions. Then forward the appropriate ports from the router to the machine.

There are plenty of setup guides for this on the net. Your router manufacturer will have a page about it in the manual for the device.

The Windows client is reasonably easy to setup. Not sure if it can be done by e-mailing a .bat or similar to people to setup it up automatically.

I currently use a service from BT which uses the Nortel stuff....crap. double crap.

[HeliCraig]

Cool... thanks. I will take a look at some point next week then.

[voodooflux]

hamachi is nice and simple

Yeah, that's the one I was trying to think of (I knew it began with an 'H'). Free for "personal" use too...