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hermi14's profile

Teacher

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16 Messages

Sunday, October 12th, 2008 3:36 PM

Closed

Host a VPN on Home Computer

Hello.  I have ATT Uverse at home and would like to be able to access my home computer while I'm at work, preferably using RDC. I know that I need to have Windows XP Professional on my home computer (which I don't have yet). I assume that rather than just opening up the RDC port to the world, it's better to set up a VPN and then RDC over the VPN. I would like set up and connect to the VPN just as a test with my current XP Home operating system. I set up an Incoming connection that enables VPN. But I'm not sure how to configure the Firewall on the RG. Should I select PPTN server as the application whose ports to open up? Where would I configure the preshare key? Also, once the VPN is running, how would I open up the RDC port? So far I have figured out that I can't test this with another computer connected to the local network since RG doesn't forward internal packets. Therefore, I would like to have the exact setup steps so I can then leave the house and test it from outside (as opposed to just experimenting and modifying things to get it to work).

 

The home computer is connected using Wi Fi, if that changes anything.

 

Thanks 

Teacher

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16 Messages

13 years ago

Hello. I was googling for information on setting up a VPN behind an ATT Uverse router and found this discussion that I participated in two years ago! Funny.

 

So anyway, my situation is this: I work from home on my work laptop. When I log into the laptop I am joining the work domain somehow, but I am not actually connecting to the VPN until I double-click the Remote Access icon.

 

I also have a home laptop that has pictures on it. Both laptops connect to the Internet through the ATT uverse router/wireless access point.

 

My work laptop is connected to the printer, so I want to be able to access the files on my home laptop from my work laptop (the other way around is not necessary, and indeed I want to prevent any access happening to my work laptop from anywhere else just for security) so I can either copy or print them. I want to be able to do this while logged in to my work laptop as my regular work domain username (i.e. I don't want to create a separate login on this computer in order to join a workgroup or anything).

 

I access a lot of state networks through VPN, so I figure I can create a VPN and host it on my home laptop and access it from my worklaptop --it doesn't matter to me that the packets may go through China to get from one computer in the house to the other. My main concern is not to compromise or mess up my work computer in any way, since our IT support is "self-service" at our company (which is one of the largest tech companies in the world).

 

We use the Cisco VPN client to access the state networks, but I figure I would need to buy somethign to host a Cisco VPN on my home laptop.

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

13 years ago

I think a Cisco VPN is overkill for what you want to do.  And, I don't think you can set up anything other than a Cisco Router to accept requests for and establish a VPN, i.e. I think you'd have to trick a client on your home laptop to initiate a VPN connection to your office VPN then use that connection to access your Home Laptop.

 

There are other solutions, but I'm not sure you'd find any of them secure enough.  But, you can look at the product lines for "GoToMyPC" and "LogMeIn" and decide that for yourself.

 

Teacher

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16 Messages

13 years ago

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'm not being clear. I don't need the office VPN to be active during this connection to the home computer. For example, right at this moment I am connecting to the Internet from my work computer but I am not on the work VPN. (I am using the user profile/username that I do use to connect to the VPN, however.)

 

I'm probably making it sound more difficult than it needs to be.  I think I just need to host a VPN on my home laptop, don't I? And then install the client for whatever software I choose on my work laptop.

 

I found this article which seems incorrect. IT says that you can host VPN through "windows" but Windows XP Home does not have a VPN server on it: http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Up-a-Virtual-Private-Network-with-Windows

 

Someone recommended this freeware in reply to the above article. It is recommended by numerous sites including PC World: http://www.leafnetworks.net/index.jsp?pid=24

Teacher

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16 Messages

13 years ago

Thanks, Joe (for reading through all of my unintentional obfuscations). And of course if my IP changes I have to remap it.

 

Can you describe the difference in what is going on with mapping a drive by IP vs. joining a workgroup? Is it that it's not using NETBIOS but only TCP/IP? And there is only a one-way relationship going on here, right? Mapping a drive on my work computer to access my home computer doesn't expose my work computer at all.

 

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

13 years ago

My bad.  I misread the post to indicate you needed to get stuff off your home PC while you were AT the office, not between PC's both in your local network.  Glad that you seem to have gotten the help you need.  I regret introducing any confusion.

 

 

Teacher

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16 Messages

13 years ago

NP, JefferMC. But in case I do want to access my home computer while outside my little home LAN, do you recommend the Greenleaf product?

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

13 years ago

I know nothing about the Leaf Networks product.

 

Anytime you decide to use any kind of networking software, you need to weigh the advantage of the flexibility and features this affords you against the security risk that you create to get it.  I am so paranoid that I have never set up to allow even RDP access into my home network.

 

New Member

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3 Messages

3 years ago

Hello SomeJoe7777. Things being what they are,,,, I don't have to set up a preshare key anyplace for the VPN?

ACE - Expert

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34.7K Messages

3 years ago

Alexroberto55, you've replied to a 10 year old thread that will now be closed.  SomeJoe7777 hasn't been active in these forums for many years.

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