Setting up remote web access

[pcoxwell]

Being a complete newbie to sbs 2003 I'm doing pretty well, overcoming things as I go, with thanks to these forums!

The next thing I want to be able to do is to enable people to logon through their web browser, through a subdomain like server.domain.com. However, I'm completely clueless as to what I need to do to set this up! Doing this, would this also allow users to use Outlook Web Access? Or is this a separate function? I'm using fixed IP addresses and have the possibility to assign them, just need to know what steps and processes I need to take in order to develop this, any help is greatly appreciated!

An idiots guide is always good, i'm an actor by trade trying to improve skills for when work is bleak!

 

[RobBoberts]

What is it you want to give these people access to after they log on? If it is to map a drive you don't do it through a browser. What exactly do you want to give them access to?

Televison will make radio obsolete.

 

[pcoxwell]

I think i'm getting confused with what I want to achieve so perhaps its best if i explain the situation and then people can suggest possible solutions....

One of the companies that I am working with currently use Small Business Server 2003 in their office and are preparing for one member of their team to be working from the South of France in the very near future. With him, he will be taking one of the company laptops; when this laptop is at the office it is connected by cable and is used as a regular client workstation.

However, once in France, he will only have a laptop and internet connection. What I want to know is possible, and if it is, how to do it, to setup the laptop to be able to logon to the server only through an internet connection using the CTRL+ALT+DEL as used when static in the office? Ideally, we want the user to be able to logon with exactly the same usability, functionality and information (folders etc.) as if they were sat at the office. Is this possible?

Many thanks in advance

 

[RobBoberts]

Setup a VPN.
VPN: Virtual Private Network. This gives you an encrypted tunnel through the Internet to your network/server. You logon to the laptop and then run the VPN client and your computer is connected to your network as if it is plugged in at your office.

If you set it up on your Windows server your server will need an ip address on the Internet. The bad thing is this exposes the server to the Internet which is not as secure as configuring the VPN on your router. The advantage of configuring it on the server is that when the client connects to the VPN it will run the logon script. Most people would recommend that you put the VPN on the router or firewall to the Internet, because it is more secure.

The documentation for your firewall or router will have the information about setting up a VPN. Set up and test the VPN before it leaves for France.

And then there is option two, Microsoft SharePoint Services this can be setup on your server or you can set it up on a Microsoft Server on the internet. Basically it is a collaboration tool. A web site where your users can logon through a web browser, share files and collaborate on ideas. Take a look at

http://www.sharepointsite.net/default.aspx

Happy computing


Televison will make radio obsolete.

 

[pcoxwell]

OK, I'm going to go for the VPN option as this seems the best option to use, would you agree?

In order to set this up, once completing all the steps required server-side, do I logon to the laptop itself or as a user onto the laptop that is connected to the server? We are using roaming profiles also, will this have any impact on what we are trying to do? When our user is logging on from abroad, does it require 2 separate logons (ie, one onto the machine and then another to the VPN to link into the server?)or will the one CTRL+ALT+DEL logon do all of these steps for me once the VPN client has been run on the laptop? Ideally, we will want them to use the roaming profile that they would use in the office when they are off-site in France.

Thank you so much for your advice so far, greatly appreciated!

 

[martyh]

Yes, it would require a log in to the local machine first, then establish an Internet Connection, then run the VPN client which will bring up a login for the server.

Since you are using roaming profiles, bear in mind that all that info will have to be pulled down to the laptop over the Internet so, unless you are using folder re-direction, all of the user's My Documents, Desktop, settings, yadda-yadda will have to travel to the South of France and back every time he logs on and off.

Marty
Network Admin
Hilliard Schools

 

[RobBoberts]

I second the oppinion don't use roaming profiles for this user.

Televison will make radio obsolete.

 

[dkediger]

Actually, SBS2003 has a replacement for VPN called Remote Web Workplace. Essentially it is Remote Desktop hosted in a secure web on the SBS Server. OWA is available through it as well. RWW is very cool, as it provides access for a remote user through regular HTTP/SSL and doesn't require VPN client software, etc on the remote client.

Setup can be tricky, depending/requiring certain items:

1. Is ISA server from SBS Premium utilized, or is it SBS Standard with the Windows Firewall? Are there any public websites hosted by the SBS server?

2. A client to host the Remote Desktop must be available within the network, and must be running XP Pro.

3. The local network host will need to have the User's profile and any needed apps installed on it.

4. You can setup RWW/OWA through the SBS Connect to Email and Internet Connections Wizard (CEICW) in the Server Management app. There is a page that enables Remote Web Access and Outlook Web Access.