Will this work well?

[lwilshire]

Ok so I'm upgrading my netwok at home and thought I'd ask you guys your opinions. I have 2Meg ADSL which will (fingers crossed) be 24Meg ADSL2+ by the end of next year (hence not an all-in-one box solution), I also want to VPN into my network and also connect wirelessly.

Currently I have Buffalo WMR-54g which has been brilliant but it isn't a VPN tunnel terminator so my parents are getting it and I'm doing a complete upgrade.

I'm looking at a cheap 4port ADSL modem where the phone connection is. I have cabled the house with 3 ethernet ports to different rooms from here. I will connect these into the modem (leaving the other port for a possible HTPC in future). I will then connect a Linksys 4port VPN router (BEFVP41-UK) to the end of one of the ethernet cables upstairs which will give me an extra port or 2 near my desk so I can plug both my pc and my laptop into the wired LAN at the same time if needed. Finally I would connect a Linksys 54G AP (WAP54G-UK) into the VPN router to enable wireless acces throughout the house.

Firstly will this work ok? I have obviously set up and used wireless networks before but having all these boxes makes me wonder if there will be conflicts. Is it the best option giving me easier upgrade options in the future?

Secondly what are peoples experiances of these products?

Thanks in advance for the advice as always guys!

 

[riser]

It should work. You'll want your VPN router to be the first thing your Modem connects into. At that point you can also maintain your VPN and have full access to your LAN. From there, you can branch off and connect your Linksys G WAP where ever. That should have a 4 port switch built in, so in your room wouldn't hurt.

You can also set up your current Buffalo Wireless device somewhere else. While the Linksys WAP and the Buffalo won't talk, they should still both allow internet connections.

As far as a modem, I'm not aware of the options you have in the UK for a modem. They're mostly all the same, so anything in the store will be worthy. I prefer to stick with name brands I'm familiar with though. Motorola makes a good modem for instance.

As far as setting it up, you might not want to do it differently.

From your modem, hook to your VPN router. Connect all your cable runs to the router. Add your access to point to the end of one of those cables somewhere in the house, probably where you get the best reception and cover most/all of the house.

You definately want your Router to be the first thing in line from your Modem. The rest can be done how ever you want.


Modem -> Router -> AP. I'd recommend connecting your cables to the router to make all the lines Live. If you need additional ports, a 4/5 port workgroup switch would definately be the option you want. You can put the WAP anywhere you want at the end of one of your live wire runs.

Hope that makes sense for you.

 

[lwilshire]

Thanks for the info. The thing is I was thinking of connecting like this:

Modem Router (4 ports) --> PC 1-3 & Linksys VPN router (4 more ports) --> WAP, PC 4, PC 5.

The modem you said should correct direct to the router only it is one in itself. I guess the question is will connecting two routers together work so that the second router acts essentially as a switch also with a VPN tunnel end.

I am guessing If this is the case there will be some correction to uplink ports on routers, is this right? And is it possible todo like this setup and still allow for all computers to see each other and to be seen by the VPN connection?
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I don't try to be annoying - It just comes naturally!

 

[riser]

When you use a VPN connection over that router, chances are anything behind it will be secured even from your own network, which is why I was thinking to put it at the top of the network. That way, it'll maintain the connection and not block anything else outside it on your personal network.

Now, to get 2 routers to work, you'll need to do 2 things. Disable DHCP on one of the routers, it shouldn't matter which one, but I would leave it enabled on the highest router and anything behind that one, disable DHCP.
Second, you'll need to make sure both routers can pass IPSec for your VPN. Linksys normally uses a "Disable IPSec Passthrough" and it's checked, so you need to uncheck it or select the yes/no option. Other routers word it differently, some just say allow VPN connections, etc. You'll need to consult a manual if you can't find it in the settings.

It's just a matter of placement of that VPN router. I may be mistaken by everything getting blocked, but I know that on my home network when I VPN or someone else VPNs, connections start getting blocked from each other until the VPN session is ended.

 

[lwilshire]

Perhaps I'll buy what i need to set up as I said before then if I find I am having problems with LAN access while VPNing I can just buy a switch. Thanks for all the help!