From: freewheeling@spamcoptail.net   
      
   Hi Folks:   
      
   I've been tasked with creating a VPN connection between the office   
   network and about a half dozen home users, so I'm using my own home   
   network as the test case.  I realized that I might be in over my head.   
   The router at work is a NetGear FVS318, and it's VPN enabled.  I   
   assigned 32 bit encryption (AEP, AES, AEO or something like that) and   
   assigned local and remote IPSec IDs and a pre-shared key.  The   
   documentation on the NetGear says that the remote ID ought to be the   
   "name" of the router at my home location, and the local ID is the "name"   
   of the NetGear router.  I've established domain names associated with   
   both ends of the connection that appear to resolve to the correct IP   
   address.  But the problem is that the router I have at home is a Belkin   
   N1 wireless, and although the fellow that sold it to me said it was VPN   
   capable, I don't see any way to establish a VPN connection.   
      
   So instead of initiating the connection from my Belkin router I tried to   
   establish a VPN connection directly from my XP box.  When I try to   
   connect directly from my XP box I don't even see a place to specify a   
   local or remote IPSec ID, although it does allow me to input the   
   pre-shared key.  Moreover, I did not make any changes to the server at   
   work, because it didn't occur to me that I had to.  Do I need to set up   
   rules on the work server for VPN, or does the router handle all of that?   
     (That's what I'm assuming.)   
      
   So, is it even possible to use the Belkin N1. Do I need to do anything   
   to that to allow the VPN tunnel to pass through the Belkin NAT firewall   
   to pierce the heart of my XP box?   
      
   Is there a resource that specifies how to get this sort of thing done   
   that isn't shrouded in jargon?   
      
   One thought that occurred to me is that even though I gave the correct   
   "name" for my home router (the Belkin wireless N1) and the right domain   
   name, the router itself has a pre-shared key that I established as   
   security at this end (basically so not every can use my open WIFI   
   gateway).  That key isn't the same as the key I gave to the NetGear at   
   work.  Should I make that key the same as the pre-shared key on the XP   
   VPN setup and the Netgear?  Do all three have to be the same?   
      
   Oh well, another learning curve.  I don't want to presume whether anyone   
   has any answers, but if you do thanks in advance.  I'm heading to work   
   to take another look at the NetGear settings and change that pre-shared   
   key. (I can't just switch them at home, because of restrictions on   
   length that don't conform to the one I have at work.)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)