Access from home

[button_ripple]

I want to be able to access our network (mainly the servers) from home on a vanilla windows network. We have 3 servers all running server 2k3.

 

any ideas? ideally i would like something free!!

 

Also, we use E2bn for our broadband at school. Can I do this through them?

[Jona]

logmein? https://secure.logmein.com/home.asp?lang=en

or vanilla VNC UltraVNC: Remote Support Software, Remote Support tool,Remote Desktop Control, Remote Access Software, PC Remote Control

 

Or setup a VPN server which you can authenticate against and then use remote desktop.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Jona

[SYNACK]

Don't know about whether your broadband will allow it but the Microsoft remote access stuff is free (vpns). Just go into "Routing and remote access" (admin tools) on a server and set it up to take incoming VPN connections. Then get your ISP to open up the right ports and configure the router to point VPN packets at the server that you chose.

 

I have them setup at all of my client sites, free, easy, reliable. If you have ISA it even has a whole bunch of wizards to do most of it for you.

Edited April 2, 2008 by SYNACK

[Diello]

LogMeIn - supurb

[jcollings]

LogMeIn - supurb

 

Another vote for logmein - I have it on my work PC and just control that from home to access servers etc.

[DMcCoy]

rdp is faster than vnc/logmein and better suited for server to server connections too.

[jcollings]

rdp is faster than vnc/logmein and better suited for server to server connections too.

 

 

I only use it to log in to my work desktop PC - I control the servers via RDP from that. Can't say I've noticed any speed issues.

[Dafty]

We use Citrix at our main site and it is fantastic for doing maintenance work from home.

 

it does cost quite a bit but it is definitely worth it in my opinion.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Dafty

[tech_guy]

Yup, go for Logmein - I use it for work and for a whole load of other PCs I look after.

[Guest PatBoland]

Another vote for LogMeIn - I have servers and my desktop available at home. Also have Aventail VPN Connection via the LA but it is not as quick or as stable as LogMeIn.

[kestrel1]

We have Citrix which is used for most remote access & I can RDP into the PDC by using one of our external static IP addresses. Easy. RDP is restricted to admin accounts.

[zag]

VPN + RDP here, works flawlessly.

[maniac]

I have SSL explorer installed to provide remote access for us and a few selected staff, and file access to all staff. The community edition is free to use, although all traces of that seem to have vanished from their website recently, so I think the days of it being free are numbered.

[JamesC]

RDP all the way. I hate installing unnecessary applications on my servers. Why bother with the likes of logmein and vnc when microsoft have provided a perfectly functional tool (RDP) for you anyway? Plus the likes of vnc are EASILY exploitable, believe me

[Joedetic]

I agree with regards to the MS RDP stuff. It's fine. You can access the target server with both Windows and Linux/BSD etc.

 

MSTSC to one of your servers (ours was the ISA server I believe) then from that session MSTSC to another server within your network.

[eean]

LogMeIn - supurb

 

E2BN don't allow this, at least in Essex they don't. Will they will un-barr it for specific schools - anyone done this?

[Geoff]

logmein here.

[button_ripple]

E2BN don't allow this, at least in Essex they don't. Will they will un-barr it for specific schools - anyone done this?

 

They cannot unblock it for specific schools as it will affect all the users. Could speak to LEA - they should be able to get something done about it! ;-)

[InvisibleIntellectual]

How about Hamachi?

 

Works over SSL, and also allows you to "see" which of your machines are up and running and you can RDP to them.

 

https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp?lang=en

 

Wont work if your LEA has blocked access to the DNS entries for *.logmein.com unfortunately.

[ahunter]

We did have rdp setup for remote access on 3 of our servers. Shortly after doing this we had security breaches, "unknown accounts" appearing in user profiles, symantec detecting tamper attempts and virus alerts.

 

The servers do have external ip addresses, so whether thats the problem im unsure. Also I know you can restrict users/user groups who are allowed to access the server this way but is it possible to add another level of authentication before you get to the login prompt? like what you get in VNC.

[SYNACK]

is it possible to add another level of authentication before you get to the login prompt? like what you get in VNC.

 

Not that I know of, the newer versions of RDP are lots more secure when dealing with sending passwords and stuff but I still prefer to use them over a VPN

[Jobos]

I use rdp for server access and ssl explorer for file access. I've still got version 1.0.0_RC17 here if you can't find it.

[ahunter]

Is it possile regardless of whether your servers have external ip addresses or not, to only allow ip's of hosts on the internal network to connect to the servers via rdp? I'd like to use it inside school but keep it secure so it cannot be accessed outside by "ip scanners" is this possible?

[Joedetic]

Just don't forward the necessary port then. (3389 iirc)

[ahunter]

Here is a reason why not to have your router managed by someone else:

 

I phoned up RM (yes I know!) and asked if they could block port 3389 on the router, eventually after many questions they understood what I was asking for and proceeded to make the change. They requested I reboot the router which I did to then find they had blocked every port apart from port 80!

 

After going backwards and forwards to update the support call and pretty much doing it for them they unblocked the email ports and the other ports we needed. What a nightmare though I only wanted one port blocked! lol