Setting up VPN with Actiontec Router
braitz
Newbie

I apologize if the answer is really obvious...I have the following work scenario - which appears to be different than most of the vpn postings i've seen thus far.  Instead of people connecting from HOME to office via VPN, I want my office to connect to my home.....I do accounting for various companies and what I do now is update 3 or Quickbooks files and then each night I FTP them to a backup site, then they (clients) download to review transactions only....it works great for backup purposes, but now it's becoming a pain.  What I would like to do is put the PC on my network that has all the QB files on it.  Then from my clients offices, they can create a VPN connection TO MY Network.  I have symmetrical speed at 30/30 so speed should't be issue.  So, my question is this...can I create a VPN connection on my actiontec router?  How? and  what else would I need to do?   The computer I want to use is a Dell XPS, with 2GB RAM, and more importantly it's running XP PRO....

thanks 

0 Likes
Re: Setting up VPN with Actiontec Router
jimqwerty
Enthusiast - Level 2
I don't believe the Actiontec Router has the capability to support inbound VPN.  The only way to do this is to buy a VPN router and place it in the DMZ. 
0 Likes
Re: Setting up VPN with Actiontec Router
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

@jimqwerty wrote:
I don't believe the Actiontec Router has the capability to support inbound VPN.  The only way to do this is to buy a VPN router and place it in the DMZ. 


So, you are saying the info at

http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Actiontec/MI-424-WR/Point-to-Point_Tunneling_Protocol.htm

or

http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Actiontec/MI-424-WRv2/Point-to-Point_Tunneling_Protocol.htm

is misleading?
0 Likes
Re: Setting up VPN with Actiontec Router
Arun3
Newbie
I don't think they are capable of establishing VPN tunnels, they are just VPN pass throughs. For your scenario, try SSL/IPSec VPN solution for security.
0 Likes
Re: Setting up VPN with Actiontec Router
spacedebris
Master - Level 2

not that I know a lot about VPN's but I can see at least one possible problem.... Your dynamic ip. In order to connect from a remote location you generally need to know the IP address of the location you are connecting to. Now when you are connecting from home to work, that is usually a static IP on the work side so once you have it set, you dont have to worry about it. But going the other direction, your home IP can technically change every 3 days (not that it always will, but it could). and you would constantly have to know what your IP is.

Now there may be another solution. Instead of doing a VPN set up. Have you considered using a program like Go to My PC? Or another desktop sharing program? I've used something similar and what I had to do was to log into the webpage before I left home, and then I could access my desktop from any other computer by logging into the web page and establishing a link that way. The only configuration I had to do was to open the ports on the router. Very simple process. This may be a much easier solution for the direction your doing your connection.

0 Likes
Re: Setting up VPN with Actiontec Router
prisaz
Legend

@spacedebrismark wrote:

not that I know a lot about VPN's but I can see at least one possible problem.... Your dynamic ip. In order to connect from a remote location you generally need to know the IP address of the location you are connecting to. Now when you are connecting from home to work, that is usually a static IP on the work side so once you have it set, you dont have to worry about it. But going the other direction, your home IP can technically change every 3 days (not that it always will, but it could). and you would constantly have to know what your IP is.

Now there may be another solution. Instead of doing a VPN set up. Have you considered using a program like Go to My PC? Or another desktop sharing program? I've used something similar and what I had to do was to log into the webpage before I left home, and then I could access my desktop from any other computer by logging into the web page and establishing a link that way. The only configuration I had to do was to open the ports on the router. Very simple process. This may be a much easier solution for the direction your doing your connection.


I agree with the above. For inbound setting up a VPN is going to be difficult. If you use something like DynDns.org or No-IP.com, you could handle the dynamic IP issue. But the Actiontech is not going to act as a VPN endpoint for inbound connections. If you have a different router or a server that can do this, it would need to be placed in the DMZ. I know GotoMyPC works and is run buy Citrix which is a good company. But any regular inbound open ports to a VPN or server can be hacked in minutes. If you are really worried about security, I would think twice. I have a RSA key that changes my security every sixty seconds. Something I know and something that changes. Not a standard config and it costs a bit to set up.

Message Edited by prisaz on 05-18-2009 07:36 PM