remote access

[tommishuck]

We have our LAN office and the domain works great.
we have a second office that we need to bring into the mix, and it needs to be on the same domain. The offices are over 20 miles away, so we cannot just run a cable between the two.
How would I go about connecting the two offices? Will I need a new server set up as a domain controller in the remote office?

look forward to any help that you can provide...

Thanks,
Tom

 

[eraH]

I would set up a server as a domain controller at your remote site.
Created a VPN connection between your 2 sites.
Also make sure that you use the "AD Sites and Services" tools to create 2 sites to control replication.

 

[tommishuck]

Great! that should be simple enough. I'm glad to know that we would not need to have bridgehead or anything else.I menition it to the boss(es) and I'll see what they have to save.

Thanks for the help!

 

[mrmoneymatters]

You don't necessarily have to install a dc or any server at the remote location. It really depends on your objectives and how many users at the remote site. I have 3 remote sites with between 3 and 6 users at each. I don't run any servers at the remote locations.

If you are going to use the internet to connect the offices you will need to do like harib said and create a site to site vpn. Or you can get a dedicated circuit and just stick a router at your location and router at the remote location to create a wan.

Network Admin
A+, Network+, MCSA 2000, MCSE 2000

 

[patrichek]

We use a router to router vpn and like mrmoney said, you don't need a server at both ends. pretty easy to setup as well.

 

[tommishuck]

Is there a place where I can read more on this router to router setup?

Thanks

 

[mrmoneymatters]

I know Cisco has information on their website about it. Are you going to use Cisco gear or are you going to use something cheaper? Linksys has vpn routers that you could probably use.

Network Admin
A+, Network+, MCSA 2000, MCSE 2000

 

[tommishuck]

I work for a not-for-profit comp, so the cheaper the better (probally why we have not yet done this).

currently we have a Netgear router/firewall (model WGU624) set up for to create the workgroup. I'll have to see what we can afford.


Thanks!

 

[Spiggsy]

If your NFP I would recommend the Netgear FVS318 VPN Routers, they have really dropped a lot in price and are highly capable of creating a tunnel for you.