Can I use remote control software over VPN?

[dragony]

Dear all,
I'm just a regular VPN user, not an admin. I need to remote control a server at a branch office connected to the HQ over VPN, and my admin just couldn't be bothered to help investigate.

We uses CheckPoint Firewall-1 as our firewall and VPN gateway at the HQ. The server at a branch office is connected to the internet via ADSL (non-static IP) line. It uses CheckPoint VPN-1 SercureRemote client to establish a VPN like to HQ. I can run VNC on the remote server to remote control my PC at HQ, but can I do the reverse? Can I initiate a remote control session using VNC (or pcAnywhere, if necessary) from my PC at HQ to the remote server over the VPN? What IP would I try to connect to?

Any info, suggestion, tip or recommedation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch in advance.

Patrick

 

[ChicagoTechNet]

the answer is yes. However, it is difficult without the administrator help or permission.

Robert Lin, MS-MVP, MCSE & CNE
Windows, Network, Internet, VPN, Routing and How to at

http://www.ms-mvps.com

 

[dragony]

Hi ChicagoTechNet,

I can get the Admin to do specific things. He's just not very active about looking for solutions. If I can tell him what to do or what to try, he's willing to help.

So, if you could, please describe the solution. The more specifics the better, but I'll take whatever you can give.

Thank you in advance,
Patrick

 

[avertere]

Assuming that you have full rights to the server you intend to access, you simply need to install say VNC (

http://www.realvnc.com

or

http://www.tightvnc.com)

onto the server and then have the viewer file on your machine.

When you run the viewer on the remote box, make sure you are using the INTERNAL ip address for the machine you want to access.

Hope this helps/makes sense

Paul

 

[dragony]

Thanks avertere,

What you said made perfect sense. In fact, we have that working (outside calling in or VPN-client controlling internet server).

However, what I'm trying to do is inside calling out or internal PC remote controlling a server outside, which is connected to HQ using VPN. This means I wouldn't know the remote server's internal IP. In fact, my admin told me that when a PC from outside connects to the LAN HQ using VPN, it doesn't get an internal IP from the VPN server.

I've always thought the concept of VPN is connecting to the internet and getting a pubic IP, then connecting to the VPN server and get a private or internal IP. So when the VPN server gets a VPN package from the remote client, it can strips out the public IP from ISP and use the internal IP to route to the appropriate host inside the LAN. If my admin is right, at least about our CheckPoint Firewall-1, then what I think I know about VPN is completely wrong, and there is absolutely no way to do what I am trying to do, Is it?

Thanks for any clarification or suggestion.
Patrick

 

[avertere]

Your admin is wrong because you would set a range of IP addresses for the remote site(s) and the respective machines in order to access them. There must be something not set up on the config, because the way you describe it is exactly how it would work.

I'm not sure what to suggest to you?.....