kstar on Tue, 13 Oct 1998 15:28:30 -0400 (EDT)


[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: VPNs


On 12 Oct, Michael Leone wrote:
> Hi
> 
> Anybody ever set up a VPN, using a Linux server at one end (any
> distribution), with Win95 clients at the other end?
> 
> I'm investigating having 2 branch offices (Pittsburgh, Bethlehem, PA) use
> the Internet to connect to my own VPN (the Linux server at this end would
> then forward to an IBM RS/6000 running AIX 4.2 using IP, and - hopefully -
> a Netware 3.12 server using IPX).
> 
> Any thoughts/comments/suggestions/moral support appreciated. :-)

Michael,

    The simplest solution, if the branch offices are using a fixed set
    of applications to a fixed set of ports, is to use ssh tunneling. 
    I've done this many times in many situations, and it's easy and
    painless.
    
    If the problem is more complex, I would suggest that you use IPv6
    tunneled through IP.  If you upgrade to AIX 4.3 and Linux 2.1.,
    you'll get IPv6 built in, and I expect that it'll be pretty easy and
    transparent.  Caveat:  I've never done this, but I do plan to soon.

    Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.

    Peace,
* Kurt Starsinic (kstar@isinet.com) ------------------ Technical Specialist *
|  "There is an old network saying:  Bandwidth problems can be cured with   |
|   money.  Latency problems are harder because the speed of light is       |
|   fixed - you can't bribe God."  ---  David Clark, MIT                    |
Institute for Scientific Information                   http://www.isinet.com/