VPN Network Via 2x 768 ADSL

[RogerRuntings]

My employer has recently opened another corporate office located about a mile away from us, and wants the staff there to be able to send/receive email to existing staff at HO. Both offices possess 768K DSL lines;however, the IP addresses are static ones.

I have been told that a VPN solution would work, howeverI have some questions, such as:

1. Do I need to get additional equipment, such as routers, etc

2. What brand do you guys have confidence in, in terms of ease of setup and maintenance

3. Is there any link(s) you know of that would point a VPN beginner in the right direction?

Environment: Win 2K, 768K DSL, Alcatel SpeedTouch DSL modem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
RR.

 

[EddieVenus]

RogerRuntings

To be honest that is an easy, and yet not so easy thing to answer.

First off. How much do you have to spend. If money is no object, or less of an issue than security, then go all out and put in CheckPoints all the way around. A FW-1 high end unit at the corp site and some smaller FW-1 appliances at the remotes should do just fine. If you like lots of configuration options, and money is still easy to come by, try Symantec Raptor. They have probably the most configuration options of anyone, meaning you can do alot with them. If you are familiar with Cisco, or prefer speed and security over a GUI then try a pair of PIX's. They make short work of VPNs, but can be a pain to admin if you are not CLI orientated. If money is tight, as with most companies now, try something from Sonicwall. They are not really cutting edge, but they are safe, effective and easy to admin.

You do not *need* routers unless you have a complex network, or wish to make this one more complex than just connecting 2 simple networks. Chances are you have all the routers you need already. But only a look at what you have now, what your network is like now, and what you want it to look like will determine if you need more hardware.

As for links, just search google for VPNs, or better yet click on the FAQ section of this forum and that of the VPN appliance hardware vendors forums. there is alot of info out there you don't need us to point it out.

Also I assumed you will be needing firewalls, since you mentioned ADSL and VPN together. All the products mentioned earlier are firewalls and VPN endpoints in one. But if you already have firewalls, and they do not handle VPN traffic already, perhaps a VPN device is the best bet. You can even use 2 Win2K servers (or workstations) to do that.

Honestly I suggest looking for a professional consultant in your area that can help you out with this, they can do a better job of determining your needs based on what you have and what you want to get to. Good luck

Eddie Venus