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Connecting to a Virtual Private Network Server
Chapter 12), you can travel worldwide and dial your ISP's
local access number to connect to your far-off PC or network (a good reason for laptop owners to sign up with a national or international ISP). If your remote PC is rooted in place or doesn't move much, a high-speed (DSL or cable) internet connection lets you communicate faster than any dial-up modem call. Together, high-speed lines and VPNs overcome direct dialing's twin evils: slow speeds and high costs.
Setting up a local PC to connect to a VPN server is easy. Setting up a remote PC to act as a VPN server can be another story, especially if it's part of a network. (Most people use VPNs to connect to an administered network at their workplace, rather than to their home PCs.) A VPN server needs an always-on internet connection (DSL or cable) and a static IP address (see the sidebar). The local PC doesn't need these things.
To set up the remote computer as a VPN server:
1. Choose Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections.
2. In the task pane at left, click Create a New Connection.
The New Connection Wizard appears.
3. Figure 18.1), click Next.
These settings don't apply to VPN servers.
7. Select Allow Virtual Private Connections; then click Next (Figure 18.7 ).
Figure 18.7. If you're using Windows Firewall, Windows changes its settings behind the scenes to allow VPN connections.
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IP Addresses and Remote Access
An
IP address identifies your computer uniquely on the internet for the purposes of communication. A
static (or
fixed ) IP address is the same every time you connect; a
dynamic IP address changes each time. An IP address is expressed as four numbers separated by dots: 127.160.0.1, for example.
Most internet connections use dynamic IP addresses. (See the "Why Dynamic IP Addresses?" sidebar in Chapter 12.) That's unfortunate, because remote PCs (but not local PCs) require static IP addresses to work with VPN and Remote Desktop. Furthermore, connecting a private network to the internet requires a
registered IP address to prevent duplicates. Your ISP or network administrator can give you this information, or you can check yourself: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt; type ipconfig and then press Enter. Your IP address is
not registered if it's in these ranges: 10.
x .
x .
x , 169.254.
x .
x , 172.16.
x .
x ,172.31.
x .
x , and 192.168.
x .
x .
If you don't have a registered, static IP address, your ISP may offer one for an extra fee. Otherwise, you can get a free (or cheap) unchanging alias for a dynamic IP address from a
dynamic DNS service such as Sharing an Internet Connection" in Chapter 17). All in all, setting up a VPN server or Remote Desktop may require consultation with a bona-fide geek or your router manufacturer.
8. Figure 18.2).
9. Confirm that all the networking software boxes are checked; then click Next.
10. Click Finish (refer to Figure 18.3).
Now the remote PC listens to the internet for incoming VPN connection requests.
To set up the local computer:
1. Choose Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet Connections > Network Connections.
2. In the task pane at left, click Create a New Connection.
The New Connection Wizard appears.
3. Click Next to skip the Welcome page.
4. Select Connect to a Network at My Workplace; then click Next.
5. Select Virtual Private Network Connection; then click Next.
6. Type a connection name (such as
Work VPN or the VPN server name); then click Next.
The Public Network page may appear, depending on your Network Connections setup.
7. If you have a dial-up internet connection, select Automatically Dial This Initial Connection; choose the dial-up connection from the drop-down list; then click Next.
or
If you have an always-on internet connection (DSL or cable), select Do Not Dial the Initial Connection; then click Next.
8. On the VPN Server Selection page, type the host name or static IP address of the computer that you want to connect to; then click Next (Figure 18.8 ).
Figure 18.8. If you're connecting to a workplace network, type the host name or the IP address that your network administrator gave you. Or, if you signed up for a dynamic DNS service (see the sidebar in this section), type the host's registered DNS name.
9. Specify whether you want to add a connection shortcut to your desktop; then click Finish (Figure 18.9 ).
Figure 18.9. A new Virtual Private Network icon appears in Network Connections when you finish the wizard. To change settings manually, right-click the icon; then choose Properties.
Windows opens a Connect dialog box to connect to the VPN server; see the next task.
To connect to a VPN server:
1. Double-click the desktop shortcut that you created in step 9 of the preceding task.
or
Double-click the Virtual Private Network icon in Network Connections (refer to Figure 18.9).
2. Type your name and password (Figure 18.10 ).
Figure 18.10. If you don't already have an internet connection open, Windows offers to connect.
3. Click Connect to connect to the VPN server.
A notification-area (system-tray) icon and pop-up balloon appear upon connection.
You can check email, browse the web, open shared folders, print documents, transfer files to the local PC, and so on.
4. To hang up, right-click the notification-area icon; then choose Disconnect.
