SnapGear 1.7.8 manual Virtual Private Networking, 1VPN tunneling using the Pptp server

7. Virtual Private Networking

Virtual Private Networking (VPN) enables two or more locations to communicate securely and effectively, usually across a public network (e.g. the Internet) and has the following key traits:

•Privacy - no one else can see what you are communicating

•Authentication - you know who you are communicating with

•Integrity - no one else can tamper with your messages/data

Using VPN, you can access the office network securely across the Internet using Point- to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) or IPSec. If you take your portable computer on a business trip, you can dial a local number to connect to your Internet access provider and then create a second connection (called a “tunnel”) into your office network across the Internet and have the same access to your corporate network as if you were connected directly from your office. Similarly, telecommuters can also set up a VPN tunnel over their cable modem or DSL links to their local ISP.

With the SnapGear appliance you can establish a secure VPN over the Internet using either PPTP or IPSec. IPSec provides better security; however PPTP is the preferred protocol for integrating with existing Microsoft infrastructure. The SnapGear appliance provides a PPTP server to enable remote Windows clients to securely access your office network. Using the SnapGear appliance’s PPTP client or IPSec you can also connect your office network to one or more remote networks.

This chapter explains how to configure the PPTP server and client, as well as IPSec, in your SnapGear appliance and how to set up remote clients to connect to your VPN tunnel as shown in the following figure:

Figure 7.1VPN tunneling using the PPTP server

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Virtual Private Networking