VPN or not-VPN config advice

[TrevH]

Can somone offer a cost effective solution to the following.

I have a Netgear ADSL Firewall Router DG834. It has VPN passthrough capability for
IPSEC UDP port 500
L2TP UDP port 1701
PPTP TCP port 1723

It has the ability to route inbound requests for a given port to a specific address.

I want to access a mail server remotely from a Windows 2000 Laptop.

These seem to be the options:

Can I route all inbound requests for POP3 (port 110) to the server and if I set my mail accounts server address to my static ADSL address, will I retrieve from my mail server? Would I be able to post to the server?

OR should I go VPN? If so then:

Do I use something like a Linksys BEFSX41 to give me a VPN end point (at about £52 +vat).

Will the following work?

Laptop <-> Internet <-> DG834 <-> BEFSX41 <-> Mailserver

Do I need client software on the Win2000 Laptop?
Any other config suggestions other then the above?
Is there a better/cheaper choice than the BEFSX41?

Thanks
Trev.

 

[inticon]

Hello,

Are you saying the mail server is on your side of the router, In other words can you physically change settings on the server?

Nick Brown
IntiCon Network Solutions

http://www.inticon.net

 

[MattWray]

Both ways would work. The router to router VPN would be more secure, but the other way will work also. Don't forget about forwarding port 25 for SMTP also. You should probably have a fixed IP on your DSL as well. That way you don't have to change your client settings as your IP changes. No, you wouldn't need client software other than a mail client...

Thanks,

Matt Wray

GFH

http://www.sss-steel.com