Win2K server VPN???

[Grahammer]

I'm trying to help a friend set up some VPN connections between a few small
offices and a main office. At the main office they are running a Windows
2000 server (SP3). At the small offices they are running Windows XP Pro.
They need to securely connect these offices through a DSL or Cable internet
connection. The server will most likely have a static IP address. I'm
assuming the same of the WinXP machines (but can't say for sure at this
point) The only service that will be used is FTP (port 20 and 21) and some
higher unreserved ports.

Unfortunately I don't know much about VPN, etc. I'd appreciate any advice I
could get...

- Does Windows 2000 Server have build in VPN capabilities? Can Win XP Pro
use these capabilites? Is third party software necessary? Are there any
tutorials online?

- Are there any reasonably priced broadband routers out there that will do
the VPN connection without any software intervension by the 2K server or
WinXP machines? I've seen "VPN" routers, but is all they do is allow the
software VPN on the computer work through the router or do they actually
make the VPN connections?

Thanks!!!

 

[Pawan Agarwal \(MSFT\)]

Win2k server has buit-in VPN capabilities. win2k server has Routing & Remote
Access service to provide these capabilties.
You should go to http://www.microsoft.com/vpn for online information.

-Pawan

 

[Bill Grant]

A static IP at the server end will certainly make things easier. The
server needs to be reachable through the Internet to establish the
connection. It is not required at the client end. They simply need access to
the Internet, so that they can access the server.

W2k server has built-in support for VPN through RRAS, which is installed
by default and just needs to be enabled and configured. W2k/XP have the
client software built in. No third party software is required. But running
your first/only server as a VPN server can cause problems with name
resolution and browsing. These are fixable, but another incentive to look at
offloading routing (including running a second W2k server apart from the
first DC).

Hardware router/firewalls are getting cheaper and more versatile all
the time. Many reasonably priced ones do support VPN server software, not
just VPN pass-through to another server.