Windows Vista Forums

Whats the best way to access internal network externally
  1. #1



    Newbie
    Join Date : Apr 2010
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Pro
    Local Time: 07:44 AM

    Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    Hi there I have been asked to install a file server but the director of the company uses a laptop and works in the office and out the office.


    He has asked me to setup his laptop to be able to connect to network shares on the fileserver.


    This is our first server and we have window server 2008 R2 foundation
    So far I have configured the server as a domain controller and setup network shares and configured My documents re-direction using Group Policy.


    I was thinking the best way would be to setup a VPN so the laptop can connect to the internal network allowing the director to get to files. If this is the best way could someone please point me in the direction on how to set this up.




    If a VPN is not the best solution what else should I use?


    Thanks in Advance

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  2. #2


    Leythos Guest

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    In article <012c7a27244eeaf1498ea8a1bf54af12@newsgroup-gateway.com>,
    guest@newsgroup-email.com says...

    >
    > Hi there I have been asked to install a file server but the director of
    > the company uses a laptop and works in the office and out the office.
    >
    >
    > He has asked me to setup his laptop to be able to connect to network
    > shares on the fileserver.
    >
    >
    > This is our first server and we have window server 2008 R2 foundation
    > So far I have configured the server as a domain controller and setup
    > network shares and configured My documents re-direction using Group
    > Policy.
    >
    >
    > I was thinking the best way would be to setup a VPN so the laptop can
    > connect to the internal network allowing the director to get to files.
    > If this is the best way could someone please point me in the direction
    > on how to set this up.
    >
    >
    > If a VPN is not the best solution what else should I use?
    >
    >
    > Thanks in Advance
    A VPN would be slow and cause you no end to problems because they are
    often of poor performance when it comes to residential or remote
    locations.

    Your best bet is to setup Remote Desktop to his own computer in the
    office or to setup a terminal server - this means that all data stays
    inside the company and his laptop doesn't even need to be joined to the
    domain.

    We normally setup DHCP reservations for specific computers where a
    company doesn't buy a terminal server, then we use the firewall
    appliance port mapping to map directly (via translation) to the users
    specific computer....

    So, we might map EXTERNAL IP:50101 to INTERNAL IP:3389, then the user
    just opens remote desktop, types office.yourdomainname.com:50101 to
    connect to their own computer.... you can do the same thing with other
    computers, using 50102 to map to computer 2.....

    Not all firewalls allow port redirection, you need a real firewall for
    that.

    --
    You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
    voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
    Trust yourself.
    spam999free@newsgroup (remove 999 for proper email address)

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  3. #3



    Newbie
    Join Date : Apr 2010
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Pro
    Local Time: 07:44 AM


      Thread Starter

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    Thanks for the reply :-)

    The problem is he only uses a laptop so he does not have a desktop PC in the office.

    What port is 50101?

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  4. #4


    Leythos Guest

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    In article <b008cfe9084bbbb1bce411f0c5c86164@newsgroup-gateway.com>,
    guest@newsgroup-email.com says...

    >
    > Thanks for the reply :-)
    >
    > The problem is he only uses a laptop so he does not have a desktop PC in
    > the office.
    >
    > What port is 50101?
    Pick any port that you want, as long as it's not used by any standard
    service, I sometimes use the 58100-58199 range, just depends on what you
    could be walking on top of.

    --
    You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
    voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
    Trust yourself.
    spam999free@newsgroup (remove 999 for proper email address)

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  5. #5



    Newbie
    Join Date : Apr 2010
    Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Pro
    Local Time: 07:44 AM


      Thread Starter

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    My problem is tho the director does not have a desktop PC in the office to RDP to. He only has a laptop

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  6. #6


    Leythos Guest

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    In article <66c8e047ec2e7715f166d8c24c44000d@newsgroup-gateway.com>,
    guest@newsgroup-email.com says...

    >
    > My problem is tho the director does not have a desktop PC in the office
    > to RDP to. He only has a laptop
    In the long run the cost of a PC for him to connect to will be cheaper
    than dealing with all of the issues the VPN's for ignorant users
    connecting via it.

    --
    You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
    voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
    Trust yourself.
    spam999free@newsgroup (remove 999 for proper email address)

      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  7. #7


    Bill Grant Guest

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally



    "Leythos" <spam999free@newsgroup> wrote in message
    news:MPG.2645317e490ab3b598a323@newsgroup

    > In article <66c8e047ec2e7715f166d8c24c44000d@newsgroup-gateway.com>,
    > guest@newsgroup-email.com says...

    >>
    >> My problem is tho the director does not have a desktop PC in the office
    >> to RDP to. He only has a laptop
    >
    > In the long run the cost of a PC for him to connect to will be cheaper
    > than dealing with all of the issues the VPN's for ignorant users
    > connecting via it.
    >
    > --
    > You can't trust your best friends, your five senses, only the little
    > voice inside you that most civilians don't even hear -- Listen to that.
    > Trust yourself.
    > spam999free@newsgroup (remove 999 for proper email address)
    And I would certainly not make a DC a VPN server!




      My System SpecsSystem Spec

  8. #8


    David Kerber Guest

    Re: Whats the best way to access internal network externally

    In article <MPG.2645317e490ab3b598a323@newsgroup>,
    spam999free@newsgroup says...

    >
    > In article <66c8e047ec2e7715f166d8c24c44000d@newsgroup-gateway.com>,
    > guest@newsgroup-email.com says...

    > >
    > > My problem is tho the director does not have a desktop PC in the office
    > > to RDP to. He only has a laptop
    >
    > In the long run the cost of a PC for him to connect to will be cheaper
    > than dealing with all of the issues the VPN's for ignorant users
    > connecting via it.
    Yep. As somebody said in the first response, file sharing over a VPN is
    slooooooooow. Remote Desktop over a vpn works well, though; you could
    get a $500 desktop that would work fine for this.



      My System SpecsSystem Spec

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