Setting up a VPN server and client

[bernZ]

This is my current network situation.

ADSL Modem feeds into WRT54GC router, Cat5 cables feed into various computers. One of which feeds into a BEFSR41 router, and splits the signal into two more computers.

I want to set up a VPN right now such that my dad can access all his files from home [and we don't want to use a FTP solution]

I have my IP, and my own computer to accept incoming connections, as well as allowing whoever into my computer to have access to the entire network as well.

However, I cannot access the network. What is wrong? It says it cannot establish a connection. Do I need to open up some ports or something? And If so, could someone show, or link me to a place that shows? I'm in the learning process still.

I have used these links to help set up the server part of it..but I'm not even sure if I did it correctly. I followed all the instructions to set up the server as shown here;
http://www.zdnetasia.com/insight/network/0,39044847,39050037-39000223c-1,00.htm

Thanks in advance!

[ngp]

On the router, you need to forward port 1723.
Also, enable VPN passthrough.

[bernZ]

How do I forward ports?

[gman]

How do I forward ports?

You need to login to your router to do port forwarding.

[xwar]

How do I forward ports?

You want to create a VPN and you can't even open a port? Good luck :|

Check the router manual.

[Daijoubu]

Maybe try Hamachi.cc?
It's like VPN, without the hassle

[cwb27]

If you have XP Pro, use Remote Desktop, it's more simple to setup than a VPN. Why do you want a VPN anyways?

[gman]

If you have XP Pro, use Remote Desktop, it's more simple to setup than a VPN. Why do you want a VPN anyways?

He can't do remote desktop without knowing how to do port forwarding.

VPN can be used for file sharing + more. Remote desktop is slower too.

[cwb27]

He can't do remote desktop without knowing how to do port forwarding.

VPN can be used for file sharing + more. Remote desktop is slower too.

I realized this right after I posted... :)

[bernZ]

OK; I found where to do port forwarding..

Which IP do I forward it to?

[Cafe_333]

To the IP of the pc you wish to connect to.

[bernZ]

OK.

I've forwarded ports 500 and 1723 to 192.168.1.102 [which is my own IP address on MY computer]

Which is the IP address that I should use for establishing a connection on the client side? The one of my router, or the one of my computer?

[bsorensen]

which program are you using again?

use UltraVNC.

then run the server on the host machine.
on the router allow IP connection to be forwarded to the host.

using the client computer, you open up a VNC client, type in your IP, from the ISP if not at home, and then password, boom your in.

if your dad is at home on the same network he should be able to just type in the local IP.

check out
portforward.com for a more indepth walk throu, and how to configure

I use Ultra VNC at home and at work

[Cafe_333]

OK.

I've forwarded ports 500 and 1723 to 192.168.1.102 [which is my own IP address on MY computer]

Which is the IP address that I should use for establishing a connection on the client side? The one of my router, or the one of my computer?You connect using the Internet IP of your cable modem. Do not use your router's IP (which is likely 192.168.1.1). As you connect through the internet to your cable modem's IP, via those respective ports, your router will in turn know which internal IP (192.168.1.102) to pass the request along to - thanks to port forwarding.

[Daijoubu]

So much trouble, just use one click solution man :P

http://hamachi.cc

[p0lar]

How do I forward ports?
Why, just reference THE best book never written, Networking Made Easy! :)

[bernZ]

I've tried Hamachi before and I don't really like it.

And, right now on my dad's computer [we're running on the same network], I tried to establish the VPN connection, and it does not work if I input the modem's IP(206.xxx.xxx.xxx) However, if I use the 192.168.1.102 IP, it works fine. I can establish the connection with the 192.168.1.102 address, but not the modem's address

Any ideas as to why?

[Cafe_333]

Just understand it like this:

This is your (Cable Modem): 206.xxx.xxx.xxx

* Your Cable Modem is what accesses the Internet and is known to the world as 206.xxx.xxx.xxx.
* Behind the Cable Modem is your router, which we know splits the internet in your house.

INTERNET
I
(CABLE MODEM)
I
(ROUTER)
I
I____192.168.1.101 Dad
I
I____192.168.1.102 You
I
I____192.168.1.103 Sister
I
I____192.168.1.104 Mom

To the world, the Internet, it ONLY sees your ENTIRE house as 206.xxx.xxx.xxx, and the fact that you have multiple computers behind it is completely transparent to the Internet.

So, if "You" want to connect to "Dad" internally, you only need to use the internal IP address 192.168.1.101. Being on the same private network, your computer will know how to find your dad's computer.

However, if you want to connect to your Dad's computer from say your uncle's house, you would have to do it over the Internet. This time you can't simply use 192.168.1.101 - you would have to use the Cable Modem's IP address: 206.xxx.xxx.xxx. The request is sent out over the Internet, arrives at your cable modem and passed along to the router. The router will see it is coming for ports 500 and 1723 and will know to specifically forward it to your dad's computer. This is why you have to port forward so the router knows what to do with the VPN request if it receives one from the internet.

Hope this helps. ;)

[gman]

I've tried Hamachi before and I don't really like it.

And, right now on my dad's computer [we're running on the same network], I tried to establish the VPN connection, and it does not work if I input the modem's IP(206.xxx.xxx.xxx) However, if I use the 192.168.1.102 IP, it works fine. I can establish the connection with the 192.168.1.102 address, but not the modem's address

Any ideas as to why?

Wait a minute! Are your dad's computer and yours in the same house behind the same cable connection? In that case, why do you need to do VPN? Do you worry about yout own LAN is not secure?

Or, is it just your testing machine is in the same LAN while your dad's is somewhere else?

[bernZ]

Alright! awesome..
Thanks Cafe! I'll report back after my dad goes to work to test out the connection from his workplace.
Gman: No, we already have a LAN set up. I was just testing to see the connectivity of the VPN, that's all. I guess I'll need to wait till my dad goes to work and then we can test out the VPN;

Thanks everyone!

[bernZ]

Woops, I think I need to be a bit more clear.

My current computer is ALSO behind a router [after the WRT54]

Would this affect anything? Would I also have to forward my router's ports? [the 2nd router]

My dad tried at work today, and it says that a domain needs to be specified? Can someone help?

[CodecX81]

I wanna set one up for games that only have LAN support, but to play with others via broadband :)

[gman]

Woops, I think I need to be a bit more clear.

My current computer is ALSO behind a router [after the WRT54]

Would this affect anything? Would I also have to forward my router's ports? [the 2nd router]

You need to fully describe what your network looks like. Picture can help.


My dad tried at work today, and it says that a domain needs to be specified? Can someone help?

He need to connect through an IP address unless you set up a DNS server somewhere. If you are using dynamic IP, you will need to tell him everytime your external IP is changed.

[bernZ]

How will I be able to tell if I have a dynamic IP or a static IP for my router? I am using Telus ADSL.


Modem
|
WRT54
|
BEFSR41
/ \
Me Dad


If I set it up correctly, all he will need is the IP address of the router in order to gain access via VPN to the home network, correct?

[gman]

How will I be able to tell if I have a dynamic IP or a static IP for my router? I am using Telus ADSL.


Modem
|
WRT54
|
BEFSR41
/ \
Me Dad


If I set it up correctly, all he will need is the IP address of the router in order to gain access via VPN to the home network, correct?

First, why do you need 2 routers?

In order to access from outside (your dad's office), he needs the external IP address of WRT54. If you have to keep this configuration, you need to port forward WRT54 to BEFSR41 and also port forward BEFSR41 to the VPN server. I don't know who is running VPN server. 'Me' or 'Dad'?

[bernZ]

"Me" is running the VPN server. I actually unplugged the 2nd router for now, and the VPN works.

I have a question bout this though. I was at a friend's and successfully connected to the VPN. But

When I got home, my connection to the "Internet Gateway" wasn't working [he was still connnected], and as soon as I delete the VPN server connection on my end[it takes a minute to set up for me anyway], my internet connection to the Internet Gateway comes back.

Any explanations? Or would I just need to use two ethernet ports? One for my internet and one for the VPN?

Also;

How do I set it up such that the users which are connected to my computer via VPN can access the files?

Edit: Oh, and the reason why I need two routers? I can do without for one of them, its just that I don't want to have to hook another cable through the walls of the house so that my dad can be directly connected to the WRT54

[gman]

"Me" is running the VPN server. I actually unplugged the 2nd router for now, and the VPN works.

I have a question bout this though. I was at a friend's and successfully connected to the VPN. But

When I got home, my connection to the "Internet Gateway" wasn't working [he was still connnected], and as soon as I delete the VPN server connection on my end[it takes a minute to set up for me anyway], my internet connection to the Internet Gateway comes back.

Any explanations? Or would I just need to use two ethernet ports? One for my internet and one for the VPN?

No, you don't need 2 ethernet port. Your problem is related to your routing. I don't know how to set up a VPN server in windows. Which windows OS are you running anyway?

Also;

How do I set it up such that the users which are connected to my computer via VPN can access the files?

Personally, I won't set up the VPN your way. I would build a Linux PPTP server if I need that.

Edit: Oh, and the reason why I need two routers? I can do without for one of them, its just that I don't want to have to hook another cable through the walls of the house so that my dad can be directly connected to the WRT54
Do you have more than one computer in your room? Otherwise, I still don't understand why you need 2 routers. You can set up BEFSR41 router as a switch.

[bernZ]

No, you don't need 2 ethernet port. Your problem is related to your routing. I don't know how to set up a VPN server in windows. Which windows OS are you running anyway?

Personally, I won't set up the VPN your way. I would build a Linux PPTP server if I need that.

Do you have more than one computer in your room? Otherwise, I still don't understand why you need 2 routers. You can set up BEFSR41 router as a switch.

I'm running Windows XP Pro with SP2. I've figured that since my dad's building a data server anyway, I might as well use that as the FTP server as well? All the things I'm doing right now are simply for testing such that i know how to set it up properly when we get the data serv.

A what server? Explain please? I'm OK with computers in general, but networking is my weakest attribute hands down.

Yes, I have more than one computer in my room, hence the reason why I said I wanted to use the other router. However, I have unplugged my dad's computer [also in my room] from the BEFSR41 and now am directly hooked into the WRT54G [and I can ping and log in successfully onto the VPN from a friend's computer, yay!] I'm just going to his house again tomorow and try to map my network drive and see if I can grab anything. If I can, then I declare success. :D

[gman]

I'm running Windows XP Pro with SP2. I've figured that since my dad's building a data server anyway, I might as well use that as the FTP server as well? All the things I'm doing right now are simply for testing such that i know how to set it up properly when we get the data serv.

What OS will the data server run? I don't expect it will run Xp Pro. If it runs Win 2003, what you 'learn' right now may not matter.

A what server? Explain please? I'm OK with computers in general, but networking is my weakest attribute hands down.

PPTP server. You need to google that. But, I don't think that matters to you anyway.

[bernZ]

Well, I was planning to run XP Pro w/ SP2 on it.. Any reason to not run it? I'll google.

[bernZ]

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ccs/docs/vpn/nmap/n-drive-winxp.htm

At the link, the second picture, the folder is '\\nas-nt\husers\huser01"

Can I replace 'nas-nt' with my modem's IP?

Once I replace that with my modem's IP, can I just type in 'c' in place of husers to access my c drive while I'm not at home?

Third picture, if the User name is 'Daddy', do I just type in Daddy for the username? Or is there something else I'll need to type?

[gman]

Well, I was planning to run XP Pro w/ SP2 on it.. Any reason to not run it? I'll google.

Probably number of user who can connect at the same time but I am not sure. When I set up the VPN server for my office (we wanted to retire the win2k server), I tried and then gave up the idea using XP Pro. However, I forget why.

[gman]

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ccs/docs/vpn/nmap/n-drive-winxp.htm

At the link, the second picture, the folder is '\\nas-nt\husers\huser01"

Can I replace 'nas-nt' with my modem's IP?

Once I replace that with my modem's IP, can I just type in 'c' in place of husers to access my c drive while I'm not at home?

Third picture, if the User name is 'Daddy', do I just type in Daddy for the username? Or is there something else I'll need to type?

I don't think so. huser01 is the shared name. I am not sure if you really want to share the whole c drive. I think if you want to share c drive, it becomes $C or something like that.

[bernZ]

Well, I tried today. I tried to map the drive as follows;

\\myip\c:

and then i provided the login and the password where it asks for it underneath. It didn't connect through. Any help is appreciated!

[bernZ]

up, help?

[gman]

up, help?

What is the shared name of the c drive?

[bernZ]

storage;

am i supposed to type

\\ip\name of the shared drive\ ?

[bernZ]

up~