Help!! Stuck With Setting up Office with Remote Desktop Elsewhere Using VPN

df2k5 · 10-12-2006, 09:04 AM

Hi, I’m having a huge headache over remote networking computers, as I only have a small background in networking. I surfed through quite a few sites on about VPN, but after all of that, I’m still confused of what I should do, given the situation I have.

Situation:
I’m setting up a new office and just hired a few professionals who can only work from their home.
They will use our computers here in the office, as like their “own” computer remotely, accessing the internet. Therefore, no matter how many nodes of connections there are (their computer – to their office computers – to our ISP – internet); the speed or bandwidth has to been maintained as high as possible. Also, their internet connection between their home computers and the computers here at the office, has to be completely untraceable
The reason is that the websites they need to access may trace IP address, MAC and physical addresses of people’s computers and their modem (gateway), and may leak out our professionals’ identity to them .
Therefore, I was planning to have a separate connection or gateway (modem) and IP for each of their individual, corresponding computers. So that their identity can be protected, while they can all access to those “high-security” sites all at the same time with their personal accounts there, without being traced.

Things to keep in mind:
1)Reduce the total cost of setting up everything, as low as possible (reducing number of computers, reducing multiple modem internet connection to reduce cost to our ISP, etc)

2)Maintaining high bandwidth as much as possible at all times, using their home computer to remotely access internet through our office computers.

3)The identity of our professionals (their home IP, MAC address, and other personal info) can NEVER be leaked out to the sites they visit, meaning they can all access the same site at the same time, without being traced.

Solutions that I thought of:
1)Get an ISP that offers VPN service
2)Get a computer for each of our professionals, and they will be stationed in our office
3)Have a separate IP and gateway (modem) for each of these computers, but ISP will be charging us for a lot of $$$
4)Install top, sophisticated firewall that can be configured for VPN client protocols on all of our office computers, as well as on each of their own home computers.
5)Install VPN client software on each of their home computers

OR to Cut the Cost:
-Have all of their office computers connect to one central server at our office, and that central server connect to one gateway, to our ISP’s VPN servers (meaning our central server serves as a VPN client too). This central server will have IP masquerade on all the computers connected to it, and port forward all data transferred to these office computers. So I can save $ in the long run for internet connection cost

OR to cut the cost even more:
-Just set up ONE central server for all our professionals to use as their remote desktop, and that central server connects to ONE gateway (modem) with multiple static IP, just installing some crazy program on this central server that can properly do IP aliasing, port forwarding, IP masquerade, etc (don’t really know what I’m talking about on those terms, haha)

What do I need? (Recommendations Needed Please!)
1)Which VPN client software should I use? Using IPX protocol over PPTP?

2)Which Firewall should I use that can compliment VPN client programs?

3)How should I set up my “central server” or the office computers? What software do I need to use? Use Linux as the OS for all computers? Do I need to set up these computers as proxy servers, port forwarding, etc?

4)What remote desktop program should be installed in the professionals’ computers? VNC? Telnet?
Would using Satellite internet connection be able to work in my situation here?

Yea, my situation is pretty complex here (In my opinion, haha), I’m in a deadlock situation here, don’t know what to do, so I would appreciate it if someone can help me here.

Your Help is Appreciated!

Thanks!

10-12-2006, 09:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
df2k5 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1 OS: WinXP	Help!! Stuck With Setting up Office with Remote Desktop Elsewhere Using VPN Hi, I’m having a huge headache over remote networking computers, as I only have a small background in networking. I surfed through quite a few sites on about VPN, but after all of that, I’m still confused of what I should do, given the situation I have. Situation: I’m setting up a new office and just hired a few professionals who can only work from their home. They will use our computers here in the office, as like their “own” computer remotely, accessing the internet. Therefore, no matter how many nodes of connections there are (their computer – to their office computers – to our ISP – internet); the speed or bandwidth has to been maintained as high as possible. Also, their internet connection between their home computers and the computers here at the office, has to be completely untraceable The reason is that the websites they need to access may trace IP address, MAC and physical addresses of people’s computers and their modem (gateway), and may leak out our professionals’ identity to them . Therefore, I was planning to have a separate connection or gateway (modem) and IP for each of their individual, corresponding computers. So that their identity can be protected, while they can all access to those “high-security” sites all at the same time with their personal accounts there, without being traced. Things to keep in mind: 1)Reduce the total cost of setting up everything, as low as possible (reducing number of computers, reducing multiple modem internet connection to reduce cost to our ISP, etc) 2)Maintaining high bandwidth as much as possible at all times, using their home computer to remotely access internet through our office computers. 3)The identity of our professionals (their home IP, MAC address, and other personal info) can NEVER be leaked out to the sites they visit, meaning they can all access the same site at the same time, without being traced. Solutions that I thought of: 1)Get an ISP that offers VPN service 2)Get a computer for each of our professionals, and they will be stationed in our office 3)Have a separate IP and gateway (modem) for each of these computers, but ISP will be charging us for a lot of $$$ 4)Install top, sophisticated firewall that can be configured for VPN client protocols on all of our office computers, as well as on each of their own home computers. 5)Install VPN client software on each of their home computers OR to Cut the Cost: -Have all of their office computers connect to one central server at our office, and that central server connect to one gateway, to our ISP’s VPN servers (meaning our central server serves as a VPN client too). This central server will have IP masquerade on all the computers connected to it, and port forward all data transferred to these office computers. So I can save $ in the long run for internet connection cost OR to cut the cost even more: -Just set up ONE central server for all our professionals to use as their remote desktop, and that central server connects to ONE gateway (modem) with multiple static IP, just installing some crazy program on this central server that can properly do IP aliasing, port forwarding, IP masquerade, etc (don’t really know what I’m talking about on those terms, haha) What do I need? (Recommendations Needed Please!) 1)Which VPN client software should I use? Using IPX protocol over PPTP? 2)Which Firewall should I use that can compliment VPN client programs? 3)How should I set up my “central server” or the office computers? What software do I need to use? Use Linux as the OS for all computers? Do I need to set up these computers as proxy servers, port forwarding, etc? 4)What remote desktop program should be installed in the professionals’ computers? VNC? Telnet? Would using Satellite internet connection be able to work in my situation here? Yea, my situation is pretty complex here (In my opinion, haha), I’m in a deadlock situation here, don’t know what to do, so I would appreciate it if someone can help me here. Your Help is Appreciated! Thanks!