Setting up this network/VPN

[riahc3]

Im seeing if I can set up this network with a VPN connection.

Basically we have one network (top in the following diagram) where are headquarters are. This one has a 192.168.100.x range. That's all great. The problem is when we set up a VPN connection with a client.

(All WAN IPs are fake/made up on the spot)

The diagram would be that.

I am physically at the top half of the diagram. As you can see, my VPN server is 192.168.100.199 In the VPN tunnel it has a IP of 10.10.10.1

On the bottom half, there is a remote client which I do not have physical access to NOR do I have networking access to (basically impossible to touch any networking configuration on that side).

Those remote VPN clients should never have access to my network or other networks on that VPN network. That is why there is a 172.16.x.x network. This network has 172.16.9.x and another client would have 172.16.7.x, 172.16.2.x and so on....

I split the networks so they cannot see each other while I can see them (thru the 10.10.10.x tunnel and routing).

The bottom side would be the typical example of a client. He has a machine running Windows Embedded Standard 7 with 2 NICS: His network is set up as 192.168.10.x and one of the machines would be 192.168.10.9 and the OpenVPN client running on that machine would have the assigned IP of 10.10.10.9 BUT I would also like it to have a IP of 172.16.9.1 on ANOTHER NIC (NIC2) on that WES7 machine. Below it would be another machine running Windows CE with 172.16.9.10 directly connected to that NIC2.

When I generate the client configuration using Webmin on the OpenVPN server, I do something like this:

I have been able to configure this network before but we are now using WES7 machines while before we were using this: http://www.netmodule...ine-router.html I cant change the configuration for "better" as it all has to stay compatible between the NB1600 and the WES7

I hope some of you have some great ideas to implement so I can try them out. Thank you.

 

[riahc3]

Not one idea huh. Anyone know a good networking forum?

 

[seepy83]

Can you clarify what your question is? I don't see a question mark anywhere in your first post.

 

[drebo]

My idea? Don't use hacky bullshit like OpenVPN and instead use a commercial VPN solution like Cisco AnyConnect or Juniper Pulse or use an IPSec site-to-site tunnel.

 

[JackMDS]

My idea? Don't use hacky bullshit like OpenVPN and instead use a commercial VPN solution like Cisco AnyConnect or Juniper Pulse or use an IPSec site-to-site tunnel.

+1

 

[riahc3]

Can you clarify what your question is? I don't see a question mark anywhere in your first post.

I apologize as you are not the only one that didn't understand my problem.

To dumb it down, basically Im using this system with NB1600 that is acting as a OpenVPN client itself. Now, Im switching to a WES7 that will be acting as a OpenVPN client.

My idea? Don't use hacky bullshit like OpenVPN and instead use a commercial VPN solution like Cisco AnyConnect or Juniper Pulse or use an IPSec site-to-site tunnel.

"Hacky bullshit"?

First off, Cisco AnyConnect and Juniper Pulse are both proprietary software, correct? Im sorry if you liked to be vendor locked to one OS/hardware.

Speaking of which, I did a quick search, and their cheapest VPN router seems to be a Cisco RV016 at $368.99 (Amazon). I imagine Juniper has more or less the same.

Do you think any SOHO or even a medium business that doesn't focus on IT at all can gear their budget towards hardware like this?

The only thing positive out of your post is your IPsec solution. So lets give you the benefit of explaining how I would create this VPN network using IPsec, hell, the NB1600 support it, WES7 support it, the ZyXEL router I have here supports it, lets go with IPsec. How would you implement this?

 

[mikeyJo]

My idea? Don't use hacky bullshit like OpenVPN and instead use a commercial VPN solution like Cisco AnyConnect or Juniper Pulse or use an IPSec site-to-site tunnel.

great thank you sir.

 

[riahc3]

great thank you sir.

Did you read my reply?

First off, Cisco AnyConnect and Juniper Pulse are both proprietary software, correct? Im sorry if you liked to be vendor locked to one OS/hardware.

Speaking of which, I did a quick search, and their cheapest VPN router seems to be a Cisco RV016 at $368.99 (Amazon). I imagine Juniper has more or less the same.

Do you think any SOHO or even a medium business that doesn't focus on IT at all can gear their budget towards hardware like this?

So answer me please Would you in your home buy a VPN router use proprietary software from Cisco or Juniper?

 

[seepy83]

I apologize as you are not the only one that didn't understand my problem.

To dumb it down, basically Im using this system with NB1600 that is acting as a OpenVPN client itself. Now, Im switching to a WES7 that will be acting as a OpenVPN client.

No need to "dumb it down" for me. All of that was perfectly clear from your OP. You still didn't explain the problem. What's not working? What networks can't talk to eachother? Is it just that you can't get the VPN connection established?

As for OpenVPN vs commercial products...I've used both with success. I would definitely say that the Cisco or Juniper (or, dare I say even Sonicwall) offerings are more stable than OpenVPN. But it's not like OpenVPN doesn't work.

 

[riahc3]

No need to "dumb it down" for me.

Im very sorry and I apologize; It never ment to "dumb it down for you". I reread the post and thought you might take it personally. I swear it was not intended for you or because of you. I simply wanted to "dumb it down" in the sense of making it simpler to understand so it is a lot easier for everyone to understand.

Again, seepy83, I had no intentions of offending you. Im sorry.

All of that was perfectly clear from your OP. You still didn't explain the problem. What's not working? What networks can't talk to eachother? Is it just that you can't get the VPN connection established?

Its not about not working, its more about changing it from the NB1600 to the WES7. The NB1600 running Linux and the WES7 running Windows 7.

As for OpenVPN vs commercial products...I've used both with success. I would definitely say that the Cisco or Juniper (or, dare I say even Sonicwall) offerings are more stable than OpenVPN. But it's not like OpenVPN doesn't work.

Ive only worked with Cisco but you do have to take in account that OpenVPN vs Cisco is price. Yeah, Cisco is tried and tried over and over but besides that?

And again seepy83, Im sorry for the dumb it down comment; It was not towards you directly, I simply wanted to make it simpler to understand

 

[drebo]

So how much money have you wasted trying to get this up and working, versus how much it would cost to buy an ASA?

Shit, an ASA5505 with AnyConnect Essentials is like $600. That's 4 hours of my billable time. 4 hours. I guarantee you've spent more than 4 hours on this little "project."

Free != Free. Sure, the software's free. But you can't call up OpenVPN when there's a problem you can't figure out and it generally takes quite a bit longer to set up. If you run a business, that's pretty important. Also, time = money. Now, you're probably a $10/hr employee, so it probably doesn't matter to whoever employs you, but how much revenue/image is lost because you've been working on this for 5 days and still haven't figured it out? That's money, too.

People who do shit like this are a disservice to the IT industry as a whole. People like you make small businesses distrust IT consultants. Cisco/Dell/HP isn't a multibillion dollar company for no reason.

 

[JackMDS]

The Thread exceeds its usefulness.

Closed.

Jack

Super Moderator

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