vpn to either xp pro or 2000 pro desktop

[Guest]

sorry for the newbie question:
Using a dlink 804hv at the office with dsl. I connect to my lan at the
office via vpn but have no idea what to do from there.. seems like when I
connect with vpn, there is a pretty like connection saying i'm connected on
the machine at work.. great but how can I access a desktop from that point..
I used vnc at one time and works nice across a same lan but how do I access a
desktop on that machine remotly if it is running vnc server... and is that
secure as long as I'm connection with the vpn? Perferred to use vnc because
connection to the 2000 pro computer at the office would be disired.. the
program I need to access in loaded on that machine (on the 2000 pro). Alt.
I'm assuming I can connect easier and smoother to an xp pro workstation at
the office through the vpn and use remote desktop but it would be slower,
probably a lot slower to get to the 2000 pro machine.
Any idea's for the best and most secure way to do this with the equipment I
have? The machine at home is XP pro.
Thank you

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

sorry for the newbie question:
Using a dlink 804hv at the office with dsl. I connect to my lan at the
office via vpn but have no idea what to do from there..

Whatever you like!

seems like
when I connect with vpn, there is a pretty like connection saying i'm
connected on the machine at work.. great but how can I access a
desktop from that point..

If you've enabled remote desktop on a WinXP Pro workstation, run the RD
client on your workstation and enter the LAN IP of the remote workstation as
the hostname (unless you have WINS set up/use LMHOSTS etc). Or use VNC,
whatever.

I used vnc at one time and works nice
across a same lan but how do I access a desktop on that machine
remotly if it is running vnc server...

Same way. Launch the VNC viewer from your home PC and then enter the
hostname/IP of the remote machine as the host you want to connect to.

and is that secure as long as
I'm connection with the vpn?

Yes, although security depends somewhat on the type of VPN. I'd use IPSec.

Perferred to use vnc because connection
to the 2000 pro computer at the office would be disired..

Yes, you need VNC or similar as there's no native RD/TS in Win2k Pro.

the program
I need to access in loaded on that machine (on the 2000 pro). Alt.
I'm assuming I can connect easier and smoother to an xp pro
workstation at the office through the vpn and use remote desktop but
it would be slower, probably a lot slower to get to the 2000 pro
machine.

RD is not slower - but if you need to get to a 2000 PC you have to run VNC
on it or something similar. Or do you mean, bypass VPN, access an XP Pro
workstation over the Internet via RD, and then from the XP Pro session
launch VNC? I wouldn't do that. Can you install the program you want to
access on the XP Pro box in the office and just use VPN-->RD to that box
alone?

Any idea's for the best and most secure way to do this with the
equipment I have? The machine at home is XP pro.

That won't matter.

 

[Guest]

"Thanks Lanwench"

how can I access a desktop from that point..
I think the first problem lies in not being able to see any of the
drives/machines outside each network.. within each network I have access to
everything I need.. I dont know if this sounds newbie to you but when when I
try to view any shared drives or machines while connected to vpn.. Doesn't
happen.. again nothing is interupted on each individual lan.

If you've enabled remote desktop on a WinXP Pro workstation, run the RD

client on your workstation and enter the LAN IP of the remote workstation as
the hostname (unless you have WINS set up/use LMHOSTS etc). Or use VNC,
whatever.

My sister is a lot less technical then I am (and she needs to get in too), I
think it would be easier to have one way to get to the desktops we need
access. The main program is on the 2000 machine and runs the fastest locally
on that machine which would be obvious verses going through her workstation.
There is quickbooks on her machine (xp pro) that she may use occationally and
I can have her log into her machine with the same vnc viewer over the vpn..
thinking this would be suitable unless vnc uses alot of resources sitting in
the tray waiting for a connection. If so, then I can look into RD I suppose
to her machine.



how do I access a desktop on that machine remotly if it is running vnc
server...

Same way. Launch the VNC viewer from your home PC and then enter the hostname/IP of the remote machine as the host you want to connect to.

Getting timed out so far.. Do I need to have any other protocols installed
in the vpn besides TCP/IP? Like IPX.. I wouldn't think so but I can't see the
problem yet.

Is that secure as long as I'm connected with the vpn?

Yes, although security depends somewhat on the type of VPN. I'd use IPSec.

Right now, I guess I was taking the easy way out using PPTP. Can you tell me
is it difficult to use IPSec.. I was looking it within the router and seems
like a lot to learn before it will work. true or no?

do you mean, bypass VPN, access an XP Pro workstation over the Internet via RD, and then from the XP Pro session launch VNC? I wouldn't do that.

No, sorry that isn't how I meant it to come out : )

Can you install the program you want to access on the XP Pro box in the office and just use VPN-->RD to that box alone?

The program installed on the 2000 pro machine is also installed on her WS
(well, just most of the files needed to help it run faster over a network
anyway).. and wouldnt mind trying that if I can just ping or see the
network.. I don't mind trying RD to see if it is too less practical being
much slower then loging straight to the 2000 box (where the host program is
actually running from).. Sometimes I get impatient using this program over
the office network because it is so huge.. was actually thinking of
converting to a gigabit lan because of it.. but it's ok for now.

Any idea's for the best and most secure way to do this with the equipment I
have? The machine at home is XP pro.

that won't matter.

I failed to mention my sister has a laptop also with HOME installed.. will I
have to install PRO on the laptop also or does that matter?

that won't matter.

Thank You

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

"Thanks Lanwench"

how can I access a desktop from that point..
I think the first problem lies in not being able to see any of the
drives/machines outside each network.. within each network I have
access to everything I need.. I dont know if this sounds newbie to
you but when when I try to view any shared drives or machines while
connected to vpn.. Doesn't happen.. again nothing is interupted on
each individual lan.

Not sure what you mean by "see". If you have a VPN connection, you should be
able to ping a remote computer by its IP address....and if you use WINS you
might even be able to ping by name. LMHOSTS is another option, but will
require that the remote computers have static IPs or DHCP reservations -
anything that doesn't change.

client on your workstation and enter the LAN IP of the remote
workstation as the hostname (unless you have WINS set up/use LMHOSTS
etc). Or use VNC, whatever.

My sister is a lot less technical then I am (and she needs to get in
too), I think it would be easier to have one way to get to the
desktops we need access. The main program is on the 2000 machine and
runs the fastest locally on that machine which would be obvious
verses going through her workstation. There is quickbooks on her
machine (xp pro) that she may use occationally and I can have her log
into her machine with the same vnc viewer over the vpn.. thinking
this would be suitable unless vnc uses alot of resources sitting in
the tray waiting for a connection. If so, then I can look into RD I
suppose to her machine.

Either VNC to the Win2k Pro machine and use it, or RD to the XP Pro machine
directly and install what she needs on there. It's much easier that way. If
the XP box is slow, add memory - that's probably what it wants - and/or do a
defrag on it to see if that helps.

how do I access a desktop on that machine remotly if it is running vnc
server...

Getting timed out so far.. Do I need to have any other protocols
installed in the vpn besides TCP/IP? Like IPX.. I wouldn't think so
but I can't see the problem yet.

No - only TCP/IP should be needed. Again, can you ping the host computer by
its IP address?

Is that secure as long as I'm connected with the vpn?

Right now, I guess I was taking the easy way out using PPTP. Can you
tell me is it difficult to use IPSec.. I was looking it within the
router and seems like a lot to learn before it will work. true or no?

I wouldn't think so. What router do you have? I use IPSec VPN with Sonicwall
firewalls as the endpoint a lot and it works quite well - some Netgears,
etc., have the same features (and use the same VPN client software).

 

[Guest]

how can I access a desktop from that point..

Not sure what you mean by "see". If you have a VPN connection, you should be
able to ping a remote computer by its IP address....and if you use WINS you
might even be able to ping by name. LMHOSTS is another option, but will
require that the remote computers have static IPs or DHCP reservations -
anything that doesn't change.

--- I thought if I connect sucessfully, I would be able to map shared drives
and access files on those drives that way, at least I would like to run vnc
at that point and launch viewer to the 2000 box with vnc server running (I
can access with vnc fine unencripted untill I connect over vpn)... then I
could access everything that way. I can set these machines up as static
except I was using the router to filter 3 mac address on the network from
internet access.. Of course there is other ways I can use for that..
No, I cannot ping the server machine 192.168.0.100 while connected to the
vpn at this point.
----Thats just it.. It just times out.. cannot connect to the vnc server
(again, I can connect to without using vpn.. but thats defeating the purpose)

No - only TCP/IP should be needed. Again, can you ping the host computer by
its IP address?

--- Understood, only tcp/ip No, I cannot ping anything on the remote network.

I wouldn't think so. What router do you have?

------ DLink DI-804HV
----Can she do vnc over vpn with XP Home after I get this all worked out?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

--- I thought if I connect sucessfully, I would be able to map shared
drives and access files on those drives that way,

Yes, you can, if you have an LMHOSTS file configured properly (and static
IPs on the host computers).

at least I would
like to run vnc at that point and launch viewer to the 2000 box with
vnc server running (

If you can ping the host by name, you should be able to use VNC.

I can access with vnc fine unencripted untill I
connect over vpn)... then I could access everything that way. I can
set these machines up as static except I was using the router to
filter 3 mac address on the network from internet access.. Of course
there is other ways I can use for that..
No, I cannot ping the server machine 192.168.0.100 while connected to
the vpn at this point.

There's your problem right there. Something is funky in your setup.

----Thats just it.. It just times out.. cannot connect to the vnc
server (again, I can connect to without using vpn.. but thats
defeating the purpose)

--- Understood, only tcp/ip No, I cannot ping anything on the remote
network.
------ DLink DI-804HV

There are lots of sites that will help with VPN. One is here:
http://www.practicallynetworked.com/support/VPN_help.htm

----Can she do vnc over vpn with XP Home after I get this all worked
out?

Sure.