Okay, so maybe I'm in over my head?

Ron

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Apr 1, 2004
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Hi.

I have a main office with 3 computers connected via a wireless vpn router
(linksys). I have 2 satellite offices, each with one computer hooked into a
wireless router with vpn passthrough capabilities (Netgear). All computers
run WindowsXP Pro SP2. I'm installing static IP DSL in each office. No
server program is being used anywhere in this deal.

I want to have the satellite offices be capable of accessing data stored in
the main offices main computer. That access needs to include both satellite
offices at the same time, possibly. If not, I know I could simply set up a
remote desktop, but that's not what I'm after. Also, with remote desktop
the computer taken over would be unavailable for use at the main office--not
possible either. All computers need to be available for local access at any
time.

Eventually, there will be a need for wireless access from any office back to
the main offices data, thus the "wireless" routers.

Is this scenario even possible? If so, using what? I've been through all
the documentation that comes with all this, and it SEEMS do-able...but I
really have no clue as to where to start.

TIA for any help anyone can offer.
ron
 
G

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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

In article <CiTFd.7269$Ii4.6809@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
ronSPAMBLOCKERwest777@earthlink.com says...
> Hi.
>
> I have a main office with 3 computers connected via a wireless vpn router
> (linksys). I have 2 satellite offices, each with one computer hooked into a
> wireless router with vpn passthrough capabilities (Netgear). All computers
> run WindowsXP Pro SP2. I'm installing static IP DSL in each office. No
> server program is being used anywhere in this deal.
>
> I want to have the satellite offices be capable of accessing data stored in
> the main offices main computer. That access needs to include both satellite
> offices at the same time, possibly. If not, I know I could simply set up a
> remote desktop, but that's not what I'm after. Also, with remote desktop
> the computer taken over would be unavailable for use at the main office--not
> possible either. All computers need to be available for local access at any
> time.
>
> Eventually, there will be a need for wireless access from any office back to
> the main offices data, thus the "wireless" routers.
>
> Is this scenario even possible? If so, using what? I've been through all
> the documentation that comes with all this, and it SEEMS do-able...but I
> really have no clue as to where to start.

I'm not sure if I read it right, but you have a main office building and
a couple remote offices in another building. The remote offices are not
using the Wireless to connect to the main office.

If you were to use BEFVP41 routers you could setup fixed IPSec tunnels
between the remote offices and the home office and share anything you
want.

HOME OFFICE 192.168.1.0/24
Remote 1 Office: 192.168.2.0/24
Remote 2 Office: 192.168.3.0/24

When you setup the BEFVP41 units with IPSec tunnels, you create one
tunnel per network you want to access - so, if you want the two remotes
to access the home, but not each other, you would have 2 IPSec tunnels
configured on the home office router and one each on the remote offices.
If you wanted any office to reach any office you would have to setup
like this HOME<>REMOTE1, HOME<>REMOTE2, REMOTE1<>REMOTE2. Then any
office could access any office.

The kicker to all of this is the name resolution between offices. If you
don't have a DNS server and register the machines in each network with
it you will have to use a HOST file with names/IP so that you can
resolve names. If you set them up as all part of the same Windows Domain
you can point the remote office machines to the home office server for
DNS and everyone can find everyone and even share printers.


--
--
spamfree999@rrohio.com
(Remove 999 to reply to me)
 

Ron

Distinguished
Apr 1, 2004
992
0
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Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

"Leythos" <void@nowhere.lan> wrote in message
news:MPG.1c51f4eb88a3459b989f1a@news-server.columbus.rr.com...
> In article <CiTFd.7269$Ii4.6809@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
> ronSPAMBLOCKERwest777@earthlink.com says...
>> Hi.
>>
>> I have a main office with 3 computers connected via a wireless vpn router
>> (linksys). I have 2 satellite offices, each with one computer hooked
>> into a
>> wireless router with vpn passthrough capabilities (Netgear). All
>> computers
>> run WindowsXP Pro SP2. I'm installing static IP DSL in each office. No
>> server program is being used anywhere in this deal.
>>
>> I want to have the satellite offices be capable of accessing data stored
>> in
>> the main offices main computer. That access needs to include both
>> satellite
>> offices at the same time, possibly. If not, I know I could simply set up
>> a
>> remote desktop, but that's not what I'm after. Also, with remote desktop
>> the computer taken over would be unavailable for use at the main
>> office--not
>> possible either. All computers need to be available for local access at
>> any
>> time.
>>
>> Eventually, there will be a need for wireless access from any office back
>> to
>> the main offices data, thus the "wireless" routers.
>>
>> Is this scenario even possible? If so, using what? I've been through
>> all
>> the documentation that comes with all this, and it SEEMS do-able...but I
>> really have no clue as to where to start.
>
> I'm not sure if I read it right, but you have a main office building and
> a couple remote offices in another building. The remote offices are not
> using the Wireless to connect to the main office.
>
> If you were to use BEFVP41 routers you could setup fixed IPSec tunnels
> between the remote offices and the home office and share anything you
> want.
>
> HOME OFFICE 192.168.1.0/24
> Remote 1 Office: 192.168.2.0/24
> Remote 2 Office: 192.168.3.0/24
>
> When you setup the BEFVP41 units with IPSec tunnels, you create one
> tunnel per network you want to access - so, if you want the two remotes
> to access the home, but not each other, you would have 2 IPSec tunnels
> configured on the home office router and one each on the remote offices.
> If you wanted any office to reach any office you would have to setup
> like this HOME<>REMOTE1, HOME<>REMOTE2, REMOTE1<>REMOTE2. Then any
> office could access any office.
>
> The kicker to all of this is the name resolution between offices. If you
> don't have a DNS server and register the machines in each network with
> it you will have to use a HOST file with names/IP so that you can
> resolve names. If you set them up as all part of the same Windows Domain
> you can point the remote office machines to the home office server for
> DNS and everyone can find everyone and even share printers.
>
>
> --
> --
> spamfree999@rrohio.com
> (Remove 999 to reply to me)

Thanks for the info. You were right...the remote offices are further away
from each other than to allow wireless (different cities, actually). The
wireless capability I need is for a tablet computer that will "roam" between
offices with it's owner. He'll have access to either the main office's
wireless capabilities, or either of the remote office's wireless network
depending on where he is at the time.

You've brought in much more than I need. I don't need the remote offices
to have access to each other--the remote offices just need access to the
main office's main computer. And, by default then, the tablet "the boss
man" has will have that access as well, while he's in the offices. The
purpose of this whole thing is so the remote offices can access the data
stored on the main office's main computer transparently--like they're in
that office. No need for printer sharing or such. Just data. And the
program they're all using to access said data will be set up to seek it from
wherever the mapped netword drive is.

Since you mentioned a model number, already installed routers are Linksys
wireless VPN router WRV54G which says it can have "50 remote VPN
connections" for the main office and WGR614 Netgear wireless routers for
each remote site that says in the specs "passthrough VPN" (I think only one
at a time, which would be fine under these circumstances).

So, sounds like from your response that I may be able to pull this off? Not
sure what a "DNS server" is at this stage...I guess I'm do for more reading.
Never a dull moment. Can anyone suggest a good website? I've got about a
week to 10 days before all the DSL stuff can be done by the phone company,
so I've got time to learn.

TIA yet again.
ron