VPN Processor Load

[machinetype]

Hello,

Simple question. How much computer resources does a vpn connection take? Say I have a NT server that already has a pretty steady load on it, would 5-10 PPTP connections really make that much of a diffrence?

Thanks,

SLM

 

[HESCott]

It is my understanding that the packet encryption/decryption process is fairly processor intensive. It is certainly true that accessing a server via a VPN is dramatically slower than accessing the same server over the same connection without the VPN.

There are too many variables to make an accurate assessment. How old is the NT server? What is a typical processor load? Is it multiprocessor? How crowded is the ethernet port? Is it 10/100/1000mbit? Is there plenty of unused memory (RAM) on the server to handle the extra processes? Would that be 5-10 users at once, or a max of 5-10? Will they use the VPN all day, log on when needed, or only log on after business hours? How does that compare with the way the server is used today?

Consider the VPN process itself to be processor intensive and network card dependant. From there, you'll need to think about that server, how it is used today, and how that use would change if a VPN service was added.