FREE vpn Solutions

[BKGarry]

Ok so I am on either the SEGfL or KCN (which ever it is called now) for out internet connection but the vpn solution they use is a pile of rubbish (to use polite words) We are, or should be getting, Ranger Outpost for students and Teaching staff to use.

 

But for me I would like a great solution that allows me to have full network access from home. Anyone got any methods, I have a spare base unit that I can setup *nix on but which version should i use if i need this for free. I have one server I could use to run it out over. Since there is direct access to port 8080 on it for web services. But would be nice to run it seperatly.

 

I would like it to recognise as i dial in network connection but i use wireless and BB at home.

 

Can anyone think of a nice solution even if it lets me use my network as if im on an old XP home machine asking for passwords.

 

What software would you use or reccomend, the Free'er the better

 

Gaz

[plexer]

What about the community version of SSL-Explorer? can give you access to files, intranets and allows you to remote desktop into work as well?

 

Ben

[kingswood]

I use HamachiX on my Mac to do this. Might be worth a look. I think you can get a Windows/Linux version too.

[NetworkGeezer]

SSL Explorer is better. No 3rd parties and is completely under your control.

[CyberNerd]

http://www.edugeek.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=43307#43307

[MkII]

logmein

[SpuffMonkey]

logmein

 

Seconded - great bit of free kit

[plexer]

Blocked by our LEA.

 

Ben

[ITWombat]

@Plexer have they blocked all SSH tunnelling. You said you couldn't use SSL Explorer at work either. At least your LEA is ahead of the game.

 

@Mark & SpuffMonkey although LogMeIn allows remote desktop access it's not really VPN. You have control of a specific computer. So you would have to have install on each server you want to connect to. You also wont be able to use any client applications (e.g. school mail & MIS) locally..

[Geoff]

Does your LEA not provide any VPN or remote access capability already? We have PPTP VPN on request here in Lancs.

[MkII]

Wombat: I use RDP connections to all my servers and vnc to all clients from the host PC. MIS isn't local no, tho' ActiveX speed is pretty good and better than any vpn solutions i've tried.

 

Citrix / terminal services provides the best experience for that but then it's trickery that makes it smooth to use. [/sour grapes ]

 

I have reverse proxy direct access into my email box so can admin it too.

[sisutcliffe]

BKGarry: http://www.openvpn.net Has client and server for win, mac and *nix.

[SpuffMonkey]

@Plexer have they blocked all SSH tunnelling. You said you couldn't use SSL Explorer at work either. At least your LEA is ahead of the game.

 

@Mark & SpuffMonkey although LogMeIn allows remote desktop access it's not really VPN. You have control of a specific computer. So you would have to have install on each server you want to connect to. You also wont be able to use any client applications (e.g. school mail & MIS) locally..

 

True - it isn't VPN - but direct control of your PC in the office is pretty good - then you can RDP to any servers, do your email etc anyway. Well - it works for me.

[Outpost]

OpenVPN or SSL explorer really secure though you may notice a speed lag on very high encryption. OpenVPN will get through NAT as well.

UltraVNC http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/ with its various flavours (repeater, SC, etc) and encryption is worth a look.

 

GT

[Geoff]

You can get an SSL encryption offloading card if things are too slow for you.

[NetworkGeezer]

Please explain.....

[tom_newton]

IME SSL/SSH aren't huge resource-hogs, so speed shouldn't be an issue. A P500 can saturate 100Mbit ethernet with AES, for example.

 

WRT LEA blocking - you can run ssh tunnels over an http proxy, etc. - there's usually ways round these things. Our technical nutcase, Lawrence, has been sighted on IRC after running PPP over SSH over HTTP on a Nonia communicator. The man is mad.

[Geoff]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSL_Acceleration

 

Basically it's a PCI card. You stick it in your server and it does all the SSL encryption instead of the main CPU. Thus making things faster. Only downside is that they cost around £600. The other gotcha is that they are generally not supported under Windows. You need a BSD/Slowaris/Linux webserver to use them.

 

Most big vendors sell them. For example, if you have HP Prolient's you need a AXL600L (rated at 600 SSL connections/sec).

 

 

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/security/axl600l/index.html

[NetworkGeezer]

Would it be possible to split the load across two boxes somehow. Multihomed so that the encryted traffic travels on a private subnet within the LAN.

You could probably build 2 two pretty decent base units for 600 quid.

[Geoff]

Yes. Use a load balancer.

 

http://www.linux.com/article.pl?sid=05/07/27/1729229

 

Also with things like Moodle, you'd need a backend database server for each web server to connect to and a backend NFS server for uploaded files. So in total this would require a minimum of 5 servers. That SSL offloading card doesn't look that expensive now does it?

[number34]

I've had a look at logmein, works fine on my laptops and desktops at home but when installed on a desktop in school it fails to connect. We are using SEFGL for our internet; does anyone know if this is blocking the connection?