the best best vpn solution

[sven]

Im going to get myself a laptop soon, and i would like to have a vpn tunnel that i can use for those days i need to connect to my home network shares, or use a secure tunnel over the internet from my location. i have found a few options, i just need an opinion for which would be the best.

Hamachi - makes virtual secure wan networks, needs a central cerver to make connections (so far its working fine with me, server could possibly go down is a down side)

ipig - ill set up my own server, connect to it using the client, looks like it works better for forwarding traffic, not sure if it connects to network shares.

open vpn - no idea how to set it up, still waiting for the security now episode about it lol

at the moment, i think Hamachi is the best bet, but i dont know what to do if the central server dies. i could use ipig as a back-up, but im not in the mood for 5 network adaptors lol. also, i have to forward all the ports through the hamachi tunnel. just wondering what your opinions are.

[jondercik]

Why not use Windows VPN?

[sven]

i would need to set up the vpn server, and all that complex stuff im not in the mood of doing. thats why im not using open vpn.

[rikgale]

Why not use Windows VPN?

Also if he's working from a hotel, the VPN packets maybe blocked by the hotels router for either being too big or being fragmented. OR something similar to that. I did listen to that Security Now, but that was a few weeks back.

I'm currentely using Hamachi and RealVNC for secure comms to my house! and it works a treat

[gamehead200]

Been reading about Hamachi, but I'm so confused as to what it does.

From what I have read, all I can see it doing is connecting you to computers you want to share files with, right? Kind of like a VPN, except its not connecting to the network, but the computer instead.

[rikgale]

The bext way to think of it is a secure(encrypted) network that sits over the top of your current network. The bouns addition is that this secure network can extend out over the internet. Each of the computers with Hamchi installed on them is given an IP in the 5.x.x.x range and this can be used to access it. However if you use the computer name it will not work over the Hamachi network.

Hamachi doesn't allow you to browse the internet securely, but you can use a VNC/XP Remote desktop client and the 5.0.0.0 address to browse the internet using another machine.

I hope that this clears things up a bit for you.

rikgale

[sven]

yea, u can use it to brose the net securely, you have to set up freeproxy and run a proxy server down the secure tunnel created by hamachi. you then forward all your trafic through that one server on your lan, using hamachi.

[rikgale]

yea, u can use it to brose the net securely, you have to set up freeproxy and run a proxy server down the secure tunnel created by hamachi. you then forward all your trafic through that one server on your lan, using hamachi.

*waves hand over head, while making a swushing noise*

That went right over my head, care to go into a tad more detail? please?

Cheers

Rik

[gamehead200]

Quick question, let's say my server's running Hamachi and has the MagicOption set on port UDP/12975, I should be able to connect to the network from over the Internet, correct? Now, will I be able to connect to any of the other computers that are connected to the server but which are also on the same LAN as the server without forwarding any other ports? Just want to get this cleared up.

[sven]

gamehead, you confused me lol.

to clear up what i said before, you set up your hamachi network. once that it done, you set up a proxy server on one of your pcs. as you know, proxy servers forward all trafic through that computer, so you set your internet to go though that proxy server.

link to hamachi topic

if u need a diagram

[your pc] ------- Hamachi tunnel ---- [other pc on hamachi network running free proxy ] ------->internet

your forcing your date through the hamachi tunnel, instead of directly out to the internet

[gamehead200]

gamehead, you confused me lol.

to clear up what i said before, you set up your hamachi network. once that it done, you set up a proxy server on one of your pcs. as you know, proxy servers forward all trafic through that computer, so you set your internet to go though that proxy server.

link to hamachi topic

if u need a diagram

[your pc] ------- Hamachi tunnel ---- [other pc on hamachi network running free proxy ] ------->internet

your forcing your date through the hamachi tunnel, instead of directly out to the internet

Yeah, I got it... Setting up a dedicated server for this since I have nothing better to do.

[gamehead200]

OK, anyone that would like to join my public server, it should be ready by tomorrow morning...

Network: gamehead200/public1

Password: 12345

Also got that FreeProxy program working... All I can say is WOW!!!

[rikgale]

@Sven

Thanx for a link to that post. I'll have to give it a shot this w/e as I am away from home using and insecure wireless access point.

@Gamehead200

I'll try ur public server if I can't get mine setup b4 the w/e

[sven]

lol, id join both but this pc is running windows xp home and i cant protect the shares.

btw, i set up a freeproxy to use with hamachi before the both of you