Remote access to shared folder for small business

[Spicedaddy]

My friends have a small network. They currently have a DSL modem plugged in a WRT54G router (running DD-WRT). There's a network printer, and a file server (running Windows 7 Pro) wired to the router. All the users have laptops (a mix of XP, Vista and Mac OSX) connected through WiFi.

Anyways, I'm looking for an easy/reliable way for them to access the shared folder from their homes. Would using DD-WRT's PPTP server be a good idea? Or should I get a VPN router like a Cisco RV042 and just use the WRT54G as an access point?

There will only be maybe 3-4 users connecting remotely at a time.

 

[theevilsharpie]

I've never been terribly impressed with the PPTP implementations on low-end routers, and pure IPSec VPNs typically require some type of client software to work properly from mobile clients without a static IP or hostname.

The PPTP server built into Windows 7 is pretty solid, and I recommend using it.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I thought the Win7 PPTP server only supported one connection at a time?


I've been doing some reading, and the cheap (~200$) VPN routers don't look very good like you said. I might as well try a cheap router with DD-WRT's PPTP server.

Or maybe something like Hamachi? I've never used it, but it looks as easy as it can be. Don't know if there's a Mac OSX version, will have to look.

 

[theevilsharpie]

Yes, you're right. If you need more than one concurrent PPTP connection, Windows 7 won't work.

I'm a little leery of using Hamachi for a business VPN that involves the transfer of private data, as traffic can potentially be sent via Hamachi's relays. If you just need a cheap way to connect and you're not concerned about privacy, it may suffice.

Another option is to use Microsoft SBS Server. It has a shitload of options for remote connectivity, including a full-featured PPTP server, a web portal with access to RDP, webmail, SharePoint, etc, and a variety of other mobile communication technologies. However, if you're looking at $200 routers, it's probably out of your budget.

You can try to use DD-WRT for a PPTP VPN, but a VPN concentrator requires substantially more memory and processing power than simple IP routing, and you'll probably be disappointed with its performance and reliability.

 

[RebateMonger]

Windows Home Server can be used to host shared web folders.

WHS can also host site-to-site and client-based VPNs, although it's not supported. The Windows Server 2003 that is the foundation of WHS can host both PPTP and L2TP software VPN tunnels using the standard built-in Windows VPN client built into all recent versions of Windows.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Thanks for the advice, I didn't know WHS could do that. I thought it only had the option of a remote access web site.

The file server is working fine, so I don't want to reinstall WHS on it. Hamachi is great, but I don't feel comfortable recommending that to a business.

I'm going to order a router that supports DD-WRT and play around with it. Something like an Asus RT-N16 (480Mhz, 128MB ram) should be powerful enough for 3-4 PPTP connections.

 

[drebo]

You don't feel comfortable recommending one hacked-together solution to a business, yet you are considering and have implemented others?

Do the rest of the industry a favor and just stop it. Let them hire someone competent to set this business up correctly.

PSA: DD-WRT has no place in a business. Neither do peer-to-peer servers based on desktop operating systems.

 

[Spicedaddy]

It's a small business and they're cheap, not my fault. Try telling a small business owner that he needs a 2000-3000$ server and a 800$ router to share less than 1 GB of Office files between 5 users... Good luck!! Before the Win7 Pro box, they just used a shared folder on the secretary's desktop, which is an old Dell running WinXP Home...

Do the rest of the industry a favor, and chill!!

 

[RebateMonger]

For about $800, you can get a Dell T110 server running Server 2008 R2 Foundation Server pre-installed on a pair of 250 GB disks running in Windows software RAID 1.

It's licensed for fifteen users. It can run a VPN, Terminal Services, VPN, IIS, and pretty much everything else (including Domain Controller) that a "full" server 2008 R2 can do other than virtualization. I just put one of these at a client who wanted a separate server to run an application.

 

[Spicedaddy]

I'm in Canada, the cheapest T110 with 2x250GB is 979$, almost double what they paid for their desktop, and that has 2x500GB. I know it's worth it, but they don't see it that way unfortunately.

 

[skyking]

You can migrate them onto a linux server and support any number of different secure protocols.

 

[VinylxScratches]

What about setting up a Linux server and using SSH connections to it for data?

Macs can you SSHFS GUI, Windows users... I believe there's a SSH Mapping app that will allow you to see it in My Computer.

I currently run a Debian server that I ssh into. It's a awesome solution and costs nothing to try out.

 

[mxnerd]

How about Clarkconnect? Now is ClearOS. Has VPN, router, and file server all in one.

http://www.clearfoundation.com/Software/overview.html

 

[Emulex]

just change their terminal service ports and let them rdp in. free. no vpn overhead mtu headaches. not the most secure but gets the job done quickly.

 

[rasczak]

For about $800, you can get a Dell T110 server running Server 2008 R2 Foundation Server pre-installed on a pair of 250 GB disks running in Windows software RAID 1.

It's licensed for fifteen users. It can run a VPN, Terminal Services, VPN, IIS, and pretty much everything else (including Domain Controller) that a "full" server 2008 R2 can do other than virtualization. I just put one of these at a client who wanted a separate server to run an application.

link?

edit: nevermind. I got it.

 

[RebateMonger]

just change their terminal service ports and let them rdp in. free.

Since they all have laptopos at work, I'm guessing that they might be taking their laptops home with them, or, at least, on trips.

Also, some have Macintoshes and, since they have no server, it's likely that many are running non-business versions of Windows. Since there's no Windows Domain, you'd have to set up a pool of business-version computers that they could attempt to log into (if they aren't being used by another remote user) and set up multiple user accounts on each one, since you don't know who will be logging onto them.

RDP (or SBS Remote Web Workplace) is a great remote work solution, but I'm guessing it's not practical in this case.

 

[Emulex]

ahh well then throw together a open-source *Bsd router with openvpn - it will be fast and not run on crappy hardware

 

[gsaldivar]

http://www.ebox-platform.com/

 

[Lemieux66]

...share less than 1 GB of Office files between 5 users...

If that's the objective I think dropbox.com will suffice. 2GB free storage, win, mac, linux, mobile, and web clients. Just use the same account on all computers and they will all share the same data. No VPN needed!