From: undrhil@bellsouth.net   
      
   "Karl"  wrote in message   
   news:1136996583.199855.244710@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...   
   > VPN to Single Application and/or Fileserver?   
   >   
   > Hi I am very new to VPN technology and have been asked to setup a VPN   
   > to enable four branch offices to access a fileserver and application   
   > server located at a fifth office.  We have purchased a Linksys VPN   
   > router for the fifth office and want to setup the computers in the   
   > branch offices to tunnel in to the VPN router.  All of the PCs are   
   > running Windows XP Pro with SP2.  I would prefer to use the VPN   
   > technology built in to Windows XP if at all possible for simplicit4y's   
   > sake.  Here are my questions/concerns:   
      
   I don't think the Linksys routers allow software clients to use the tunnel.   
   If the four PCs are in the same location, you will need to get one more   
   Linksys router and put it in place for the other remote side.  You can   
   configure the tunnel to allow those PCs to access to tunnel to the remote   
   router.   
      
   > 1) I have heard that PPTP (the VPN technology used by Windows) was   
   > severely broken at some point.  Has it been fixed by SP2?  Would you   
   > guys reccomend using it?   
      
   Don't know anything about this, but I assume that if you want to use PPTP,   
   you won't need the LinkSys router.  You should be able to set up a Incoming   
   Connection on the fileserver machine (assuming it's Windows 2000 or better)   
   and setup the four machines to log into it.  The drawback to this is that   
   you will have to create uses on the fileserver for each of the PCs wanting   
   to connect to it.  This isn't really a drawback ... more of an   
   inconvenience, but it is nice to have for security.  You *could* configure a   
   single account and have them all connect using it, if you wanted to.   
      
   > 2) My limited understanding of VPN technology tells me that once a   
   > computer has established a VPN tunnel from a branch office to the fifth   
   > office, that computer will be relying soley on the Internet connection   
   > of the fifth office for any and all web browsing/email/etc.  Is this   
   > correct?  If possible I would prefer that the branch office computer   
   > rely solely on their local Internet connections for web browsing, and   
   > only use the fifth office's web connection for accessing the file and   
   > application servers located in that fifth office.   
      
   The PCs connecting through VPN tunnel will continue to use their own   
   internet connection(s) independently of the tunnel established.  Otherwise,   
   they would drop the tunnel everytime a tunnel was made since the tunnel is   
   made through their internet connection.  When you are connected to the   
   fileserver, you should be able to browse to the intranet web address (the   
   private-side IP address assigned to the fileserver, more than likely) with   
   no difficulties.   
      
   Undrhil   
      
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