VPN suggestions

[MarkB]

After several months of trying to get a linux box working as a router routing back to school over a vpn connection and it almost working (just can't have more than 1 machine with a connection open to windows file sharing on the server, as the server only sees one session coming from the remote site) I've given up and have decided to look for a commercial solution.

 

We have 2 remote sites with BT business ADSL (one seems to be fixed 2MB and has 5 client machines, the other Rate adaptive at 4.5Mbps and has 12 machines), I really need the client machines to work as if they were on the school network directly.

 

Any sugestions?

[TornUp]

we use Hardware VPN's to connect to our US site, and Scotland (from hertfordshire)

 

you can pick up hardware VPN's quite cheaply, and we have never had any issues with ours!

 

software VPN's are ok, but only really designed for laptop users connecting while on external trips, etc...

 

We use FortiNet hardware, its rated about the same as cisco..

[tom_newton]

We can provide commercially supported vpn gateways, or there is always SmoothWall express - which is free (Welcome to Express 3.0! - SmoothWall.org), but does not have any support, but is a step above wrangling FreeS/WAN yourself

[MarkB]

I had looked at Smoothwall at one point but at the moment we only seem to be able to access PPTP services on our VPN server (Its Windows Server 2003's RRAS) we can get clients to connect with L2TP/IPSec when they are on the local school network but not from outside, I have got SWGFL to open incoming ports 500,1701 UDP as well as Protocols 50 and 51, This results in an error occurring during the initial security negotiations. I assume this is becuase the server is trying to make outgoing connections which are blocked by the SWGLF firewall, but they don't see anything being denied why I attempt to connect, they claim its a problem on my end as they can't telnet to the ports, which is probably because they are running on UDP.

 

If I were to set up a test smothwall box as a vpn server at the school what Ports/protocols would I need to get SWGLF to open incoming and outgoing?

[FN-GM]

This post might help

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/20814-vpns.html

[yabbadabba]

Did you get the VPN working ok?

 

IF so can I be cheeky enough to ask you how as it would save myself some time.

 

Cheers

[FN-GM]

Did you get the VPN working ok?

 

IF so can I be cheeky enough to ask you how as it would save myself some time.

 

Cheers

 

What type of VPN is it?