XP peer-to-peer VPN questions

[kevotron]

I have a ten user peer-to-peer XP network on a DSL line--one of the users wants to access the network and files from home. Is there a way to do this in a peer-to-peer environment? Will I have to install Windows 2003 Server? Also what is the difference between remote desktop and VPN--I am assuming remote desktop is just remote control where everything runs on the machine being controlled whereas VPN you can actually transfer files and such--is this correct? Is there an inexpensive manner to do this, the company I work for is a non-profit organization (el cheapo).

 

[scanjam]

If all 10 client PC's have internet connectivity then this should be fairly simple.

Its unlikely you would need windows server 2003 at this stage... unless you wanted to setup some funky Routing and Remote Access VPN's etc.

Firstly some questions,
What are you using currently for your internet gateway (ie how do all the office pc's access the internet)
Is the users connection from home DSL or dial up?
Is the home OS windows XP?
Does the user have a DIRECT connection to the internet from home or are they protected by their DSL modem / firewall etc??

Remote desktop is definitely just controlling the pc remotely however over the remote desktop protocol you can tell it to connect the "client" drives (the pc connecting to the home pc) and copy files both ways...

hope this might help in someway
Happy new year

Cheers
SCANJAM

 

[kevotron]

Sorry about the delay scanjam--so busy the week after holidays. Uggh! OK answers...

*Non profit has a Cisco Soho router (will have to contact the people who set it up as I dont have the logon or password)

*user home connection is DSL and OS is XP Pro

*I believe the user is directly connected at home.

OK since my last post I have found "go to my PC" software made by Citrix

https://www.gotomypc.com/

Now for 19.99 a month this seems like the quick and dirty method I need. It is proprietary remote control software, but it also has its own FTP setup so it is bascially a virtual network from what I am gathering, and requires no firewall finagling (which I am new to, NAT and IP mapping scare at this point cause I have never done it). Now this will work for me in this situation, butI would still like to know how to do this if I wasnt going with this solution. Could you maybe give me a nutshell idea how we would have done it if I wasnt going with the go to my pc software? I would like to know where you were heading with the questions you posed.

 

[markjrees]

gotomypc is very similar in design to norton pc anywhere. we've got pc anywhere running on a server in our office with our 2mb dsl connection. from a 256k home dsl connection it is very very slow indeed. it does seem that for proper remote access - i.e. accessing software and data you do need to have a really fast internet connection both ends for it be usable.

http://www.accountantjokes.co.uk

http://www.markjrees.co.uk

http://www.mjrcomputersolutions.co.uk

http://www.mjrfm.co.uk

 

[scanjam]

Kevotron,

Firstly,
My PC at home is always on with a 256/64k DSL connection I enabled remote desktop and setup port forwarding on my home router - firewall device. (unless you have a direct public ip address assigned to the home PC)

So when a user connects from the internet they open a Remote Desktop connection too

myhomepc.no-ip.comort_number_opened_on_home_firewall
ie
scanjam.no-ip.com:55000

this connection is then forwarded to my home PC on its internal address (which never changes) but the router translates the 55000 and instead forwards it to 3389 (microsoft RDP) instead...

I can connect from any internet enabled device (pretty much) and its as quick AS! You can also enable the setup and connection of the home pc's disk drives through RDP so you can access files and copy direct to the PC @ work!

The only drawback here is Security, if someone was to do a high port scan on the router @ home then they would notice 55000 was open and could use a number of things to try and connect to it, but for a home environment this is ideal.

You could also setup the home PC to allow incoming VPN connections direct from the internet, (this would require more ports being opened) which would secure the communications from the work office (i think this is a feature included in the home version of XP? i know its definitely supported in professional)

Either way, both of these methoids are entirely free, but require a little time to simply setup... Why pay for gotomypc.com when you dont have too? even if its only $19.95 its still 19.95 that doesnt have to spent... (maybe im just a tight ar$=..... )

Im not a huge fan of Norton PC Anywhere because i always found it slow and cumbersome, however it does much the same thing as remote desktop i guess only a little more secure!

Lets know if you have any further qestions or require further clarification!

Good luck!

 

[kevotron]

scanjam--again sorry on the delay-- what is noip.com is that the dynamic dns service or am I way off--if so how does that come into play? Also i always get hung up with the port forwarding --you said "this connection is then forwarded to my home PC on its internal address (which never changes) but the router translates the 55000 and instead forwards it to 3389 (microsoft RDP) instead..."

can you explain this--is it port forwarding? it goes to the router, which then says ok things coming to this ipaddress w/this port number actually gets routed to this internal address, right?