I think you can probably get away with a bit less than the $400-$800 if you're tech savvy and don't require top-notch support. I've been eyeing this D-Link Office Firewall to do much the same thing you're describing:
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=66 I've found it thru Froogle.com for under $300. But you're not gonna get Cisco-type service and support out of a company like D-Link which is why I've hesitated to pull the trigger and buy it. I'm thinking I may just save up my pennies until I can afford a Cisco solution. --- Rex. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:owner-macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Garton Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 12:52 PM To: macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu Subject: Re: MacGroup: Virtual Private Networking Question What you are really looking for is a VPN server at your home. This can be built into a router via peer-to-peer(one side must be static), or something like Mac OS X Server. If you want to go the router option, you will pay about $400-800 for the router on top of a monthly charge to your ISP for a static address. The best routers in the business are made by Cisco and the Cisco 860 has a very strong VPN capability. If you go the Mac Server way ( I assume you would rather use that then a Windows, or Linux version) then that is $500 or $1000 (10 client vs. Unlimited Client Licensing). There are also some 3rd party apps out there that will facilitate this or which I don't have a whole lot of experience with and have only looked at them as possible solutions. The Server option does not require the purchase of a new computer as you can run Mac OS X Server on any recent machine (I would not recommend this for anything lower then a 1Ghz G4 with 512Mb RAM). SSH(Secure Shell), is simply a secure method of file sharing. If you use the terminal you will have to be very familiar with Unix, and you will still have to have a static IP on the end you are trying to access. The terminal method is fine if you want to just move files and documents from one machine to the other but the difference between it and VPN is that the VPN literally creates a tunnel between you and the other client (which until recently prevented any access to the local network while in the VPN). VPN also allows you to see the computer, and the network its connected, to as if it were on your network. The Secure shell only makes a connection between your computer and the computer you are connecting to. In the financial industry, VPN is the preferred method because the management tools to control and update and visibly secure the network are much more powerful and the connection stronger. Secure Shell is mostly used for web sites and web applications on a network to secure data rather then computers and users. Mike Garton On Aug 16, 2004, at 12:21 PM, Brian wrote: > Does anyone know of a consumer grade(Cheap!) router that will allow me > to make a vpn connection to my home from other locations? > > It seems that most everything that has "VPN Pass Through" is for > outbound connections. Meaning from my home to my office. I want the > reverse of this, from my office to my home. > Is anyone successfully getting from their office to their home > networks with vpn? What is your set up, if so? > > I have read, very little, about SSH. Is this similar to VPN? And if I > understand correctly it is accomplished through the Terminal, correct? > > Brian O'Neal > > > > | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be August > | 24. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. > | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> > | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will be August 24. | The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup> | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be August 24. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>. | List posting address: <mailto:macgroup at erdos.math.louisville.edu> | List Web page: <http://erdos.math.louisville.edu/macgroup>
