Re: [PLUG] Wireless VPN

["Brian Vagnoni" <bvagnoni@v-system.net>]

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From: Casey Bralla [mailto:MailList@NerdWorld.org]
To: Philadelphia Linux User's Group Discussion List [mailto:plug@lists.phillylinux.org]
Sent: Sat, 10 May 2008 16:24:55 -0400
Subject: [PLUG] Wireless VPN

I want to set up a wireless VPN, so that I can have a couple of remote
computers accessing my main network via a wireless access point at each end
of the VPN. (See attached sketch)

In other words, I want to connect 2 segments of my local network via wireless
instead of via wired CAT5.

Can anybody suggest a how-to to help me set this up?
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Casey Bralla
Chief Nerd in Residence
The NerdWorld Organisation

Hey Casey;

Need a little more info than that.

Is this just a project for fun or is this for a production environment? On the cheap, or do you have a budget to work with?

How far, inside the same building or are you talking different buildings, same floor or multiple floors? Have you done a site survey to check for interference sources as well as other AP and wireless devices? If this is in the same building you should consider a hard wire honestly. Running wire on the outside of a building is the easiest if possible.

Not all buildings and areas are the same. You should have preferably at least 35db SNR at each end of the bridge according to Cisco for proper stable and reliable operation. 

If it is across a greater distance you will need 2 outdoor dishes to do point to point. You still may need external antennas depending on the area and AP's that support it.

The vpn is fine server/client or you could just wpa2 with a radius server as there are no known vulnerabilities as far as I know. You mite get better wireless performance running no encryption and just doing a vpn over your network. If you already have a ldap environment the radius server from what I hear is trivial to add.

Brian
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