VPN, Remote connections, or what

DannyD · Mar 26, 2005

I need/want to setup my server at home to give me access to files, drivers etc from the internet when I am working. I work on LAN's now as a rule and dont have a lot of experience in WAN's. Need something simple. I have a lynksys router, win 2000 on the server machine, and would use XP to connect most of the time.

Have looked at gotomypc, dont want the cost monthly. Any help or what are you guys doing?

Thanks

Danny

MadReferee · Mar 26, 2005

A fellow at the last company that I consulted for used a nice little piece of software called GoToMyPC. It worked very well on the road with his laptop as long as his work computer was turned on and connected to the internet (it was via DSL).

The dowside is that the software license is either a monthly fee or yearly fee, although only $20 per month.

GoToMyPC website

slapshot · Mar 26, 2005

I would second the GoToMyPc sevice. Its really slick, secure and the performace compared to other remote access products is really good.
Unless you really know what your doing you can really open yourself up to very serious secuirty risks by just opening up a couple of remote access ports on your router.

-dave

sneaky_pete · Mar 26, 2005

I have used a VPN in the past to connect to a client's network remotely. When it worked, it worked well, but it was not 100% reliable. There were days when I couldn't do anything at all, and that was with a full-time IT person on the server end to fix the problem. If you need reliable access, I would look for a different solution.

gsxr1100 · Mar 26, 2005

I "work" from home at times and use VPN, made by
Cisco, and then use Ipass for security and another secure ID (AKA token ring- 8 digit hex decimal (changes every 30-seconds) from RSA). It works and never had a problem in over a year on broadband. It is not like the t3 lines at work and has about 1 second delay.

Do not know how much per say but they charge my company $80 per month to use it. Then if you have issues, our over 100 IT "helpless desk" does not know anything since the people do not understand what there job is.

OkeeDon · Mar 26, 2005

If I correctly understood the direction in which you want to go, you want to access the data you have at home, while you are at work. That's a little backwards from the direction that most people want to go -- that is, they want to access the data they have at work, while they're at home.

The difference is in the connection. Most businesses spring the extra cost for one or more static IP addresses. Most residential hookups, such as standard DSL, use a dynamic IP address. Most ISP's charge extra for a static IP address -- if they even allow them! Many ISP's have terms of service that do not permit home servers, and they will not supply a static IP address to make it possible.

That's the reason GoToMyPC was started -- they have worked out a way to provide an intermediate step with a static IP that you can always reach, and they monitor your home connection to keep up with the changes in the dynamic IP address. In other words, you always know where to find GoToMyPC, and they always know how to connect to your computer. For you to so the same thing on your own, it would require someone to be home and use your home computer to see what the current IP address is, and then phone you with the address.

If you are lucky enough to have an ISP that will provide you with a static IP address for free or for less than the GoToMyPC fees, that might be the way to go. Otherwise, you're stuck with the 3rd party service.

The only other way to do it is to ignore the internet and your DSL service, set up a phone line hooked to your computer with the modem set at auto-answer, and install a remote-operation program. The problem with that is that you will be at the mercy of the dial-up speeds, which will really make a remote-op program slow down. Also, you may have to maintain a dedicated phone line to get through anytime, and that may cost more than the GoToMyPC service.

MessickFarmEqu · Mar 26, 2005

If you have windows server there is a web based remote desktop client. I also live by terminal services, that would work too. If you just want files why not run FTP?

DannyD · Mar 26, 2005

I dont have static IP, but for the last 2 years have had the same IP, never has changed.

I was at a clients place and their network tech had to only type in his IP addy in the run box, and he got to his desktop back at his office.

He had a web type page setup with links to his harddrive for just the thing I want to do. What I understood about his setup was simply that he had to open a port on his router at his office and he was in, sort of like dmz machine on my router.

DannyD · Mar 26, 2005

FTP would be great. Have not found a software that anyone has had good luck with, and that can be setup over cable ISP.

Someone told me terminal services could be added to windows 2000, but the direction they told me to use, do not work. I dont have the server version of it on this machine, although I do have a server disc.

MadReferee · Mar 26, 2005

( He had a web type page setup with links to his harddrive for just the thing I want to do. What I understood about his setup was simply that he had to open a port on his router at his office and he was in, sort of like dmz machine on my router. )

This is basically what GoToMyPC does only it mirrors your host PC's desktop on your slave PC thus allowing you to use the remote slave PC just as you would your host PC. You don't have to open a router port or anything else to your host PC, thus making it much more secure.

I believe that to use GoToMyPC you don't need to have any knowledge of what your router's IP address is. The service that runs on the host system sends a message to the GoToMyPC server indicating the IP to use when the slave PC logs in. It doesn't care whether you are on DSL, T1's or cable.

From what I have seen in use and read on GoToMyPC it is by far the most secure, fastest and easiest to use of the remote software packages available. It's only drawback is the license cost which is $20 per month or $180 per year.

DannyD · Mar 26, 2005

I am looking for cheap, as in real cheap, as in FREE, or buy the software, and use it.

With the cost of my cable modem, adding 20.00 month to access is not worth it to me.

MadReferee · Mar 26, 2005

( I am looking for cheap, as in real cheap, as in FREE, or buy the software, and use it. )

Good luck. I have yet to find anything that meets your criteria that I would consider safe and secure. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

DannyD · Mar 26, 2005

I may have to see if I can get my allowance raised some.

thanks

riptides · Mar 26, 2005

Well you said you have XP, and you have cable. With every copy of XP comes RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) something akin to goToMyPC. It is free, pretty easy to set up. Try it out using IP addresses of the computer you would like to connect to.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

khd · Mar 28, 2005

I use PC Anywhere (pca). You can open the pca ports on your router and it has it's own security so it's realtively safe and if you lock or log off your Win2k box at home you can send a Ctrl Alt Delete to the machine for another layer of security. Buy it once..about $200 and you're all set.

Regards,
Kevin

gsxr1100 · Mar 28, 2005

if you look online you can find it for about $200 less.

looch · Mar 28, 2005

If I understand correctly, you aren't so much interested in the "how do I get my stuff once I'm connected" as much as the "how to establish a connection in the first place" question.

Actually, the first one is easy - RealVNC.

To establish the connection, though, will depend on your router. Check your model number on the Linksys web site and see if it supports VPN connections. If it doesn't, I would not recommend going the manual route of opening specific ports - someone will find them.

DannyD · Mar 28, 2005

I use PCA at work some, dont like that I have to have the host and the client on each machine. I may get somewhere that we have not done the computer install and they dont have it.

As for the lynksys, I dont think mine has that. It is about 3 years old. I want to update to 3 com anyway, so may look into that. Mine has a DMZ setting to allow ONE computer to open on the internet.

As for the REAL VNC, I have seen that used. Never really saw how to set it up though. I think I am leaning to an FTP site setup.

Moon · Mar 29, 2005

Hey Danny,
Real VNC is easy to set up. You do need software on both the server and the client machine. But other than that all you need is the IP or name of each. Pretty much goof proof. FTP would give you a way to move the files but if you wanted to see anything else on the remote system Real VNC might fit the bill.
Here is a link to Real VNC home page

Moon of Ohio

FL_Cracker · Mar 29, 2005

If your home machine has had the same IP address for two years and doesn't start changing too fast and IF your machine at work is XP then you can use "Remote Desktop" and get right into you home PC without any additional cost or software as long as the home PC stays connected to the internet all the time.

Just go "Start" "All Programs" "Accessories" "Communications" "Remote Desktop Connection" and then type in the IP address. Your there and ready to login into your home PC. This Remote Desktop Connection acts like a window that is actuall you home PC. You can open all you home programs just like you are there.

Not sure about moving files to your work pc but you could run everything from your Home PC or e-mail the data to yourself at work? Your may be able to FTP the data to work when you need to but I haven't done that to date....

Good Luck