Virtual Private Networking

[Animal]

I'm a little confused as to what you're trying to accomplish with that NIC.

Just start the networking Wizard, choose advanced connection, choose accept incoming transmissions.

At the next screen "Devices for Incoming Connections" just skip it by pressing next. Ignore anything on this screen. Your PC already knows that you have broadband.

At the next screen choose "allow virtual private connections." and click next. On the next screen choose who you want to be able to connect to your VPN. You'll have to set up a user account for anyone who wants to connect to your PC.

On the next screen choose the TCP/IP properties and decide how you want IP addresses to be asigned. I'd suggest that as the host, you assign them. You can assign a range that the VPN will use, ie: 192.168.0.100 - 192.168.0.150

If the VPN server is behind a router, Port Mapping will need to be done on the router. Standard port usage is 1723 for PPTP. You might also need to configure your router for PPTP Passthrough. Port usage for IPSec is 500, 50-51. These ports will have to be forwarded to the VPN server's IP.

That should do it.

EDIT: One more thing, ZoneAlarm and VPN's very often don't play nice. Of course if you router is secure, you could shut it down for the duration of the VPN access.

[ 06-17-2004, 07:14 PM: Message edited by: Animal ]

[Vaskez]

Yeah what Animal says should work as I checked my VPN connection object and it has none of my devices ticked as the device to use.

He is also right about ZoneAlarm not liking VPN connections, but the way to solve that is to add your friend's IP address into the trusted zone and lower security for the trusted zone.

[Animal]

Speaking of firewalls, if the client (your buddy) is behind a router, he may have to activate NAT Transparancey to get the VPN to work properly.

[Ronn_Bman]

Originally posted by Animal: At the next screen "Devices for Incoming Connections" just skip it by pressing next. Ignore anything on this screen. Your PC already knows that you have broadband.

At the device screen, my next button is greyed out until I put a check beside a device on the list.

I do run ZA, but shutting it down won't be a problem, and my router is set as suggested.

[ 06-18-2004, 09:29 AM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

[Vaskez]

Well you dont have to shut ZA down if you do as I said.

Anyway, have a look at some of the articles here
http://labmice.techtarget.com/networking/vpn.htm

It sounds like you might have to install a service called Routing and Remote Access and act as a server to your friend.

[Ronn_Bman]

If I ever get far enough, I'll add him to the trusted network...lol. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I checked and routing and remote access are installed services on my machine. I was clued into checking that when I tried to set up access on my work machine as a test. On it, I couldn't even get to the device page I'm having a problem with on my machine before I recieved notification I'd have to install those services for it to work.

So I'm still stumped. It's a fresh install of XP Pro(within the last two weeks), but it just won't work. I have to be missing something ridiculously simple.

[Stormymystic]

well, I have a question for all you smarties out there about networking now as well...sorry ronn going to borrow your thread instead of making a new one we are on a cable internet with a router, I networked my husbands laptop to mine with no trouble, but my brother wants to network with ours, and he is on wireless, and I have no idea how to even get started trying to netowrk with him....any advice?

[Ronn_Bman]

Ok, connection MADE! Woo-Hoo!!!!!!!!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Now, how do we share files with one another? LOL!

I already have a home network. Does my buddy have to run the Network Connection Wizard for the VPN to show us each other's shared files and folders, or am I missing something else simple?

[Stormymystic]

if you are showing a connection, you should be able to share files, just click on the my network places, and it should show the files on both computers, if it does not, then he needs to run it as well

[Animal]

He needs to connect to the VPN first, but file sharing depends on the security priviliges you set for him when you assigned him a username.

Usually the only files you will be able to share will be under the SharedDocs folder, unless you assigned Admin privilidges on your machine.