VPN link speed and setup question

[francistaxi]

Hi everyone.

I am required to setup a connection for our 1 HO going to our 25 branches. Our ISP is offering us a VPN connection with different link speed, 256kb, 512kb, and 1mb. I really don't know what to get.

The use of the VPN will just be to make HO send a print job to whatever branch. So technically, each 25 branch has their own local printer/POS printers. Now HO will print to whatever branch.

Will 256kb handle this requirement?

Please help.

Thank you.

 

[lazybedone]

I also want to learn about this things. I'd like to connect to a vpn network but I don't know where to start and what to do. I'm a newbie with these kind of things and I am here to learn.

 

[drebo]

If you have an Internet connection at each site already, I would buy some Cisco ISR/ISRG2s and set up DMVPN (or if you don't need branch-to-branch communication, just point to point GRE tunnels).

Talk to your networking consultant. He should know about the above technologies and should be able to help you get this going. If he doesn't know what these are, find a new consultant.

 

[mxnerd]

Don't know what's the internet speed your BO is, but I would suggest open source SoftEther VPN Server if your are willing do/try it yourself.

https://www.softether.org/

Setup a SoftEther VPN Server at HO, and let BO login as client. And it's free.

There are very detailed documents and tutorial video on youtube.

 

[kevnich2]

Op what internet gateways/firewalls do you have at your HOmand branch offices? Id suggest using that equipment if it supports it over your existing Internet vs using your ISP's suggestion, they seem awfully slow for the speeds.

 

[francistaxi]

Sorry for the late reply,

Head Office
Internet: 8mpbs static ip dsl
Router: Pfsense PC (We have a spare Cisco RV082)

Branches
Internet: 1mbps static IP but shared connection (PnP)
Router: Cisco 880

VPN connection would be just HO-Branches.

 

[mxnerd]

You should print the report to a PDF file and see how large it is in bytes. One byte equals 8 bits. However, since coding is 8/10, meaning one byte is packaged into 10 bits.

So if the print job size is 10000 bytes, then it will be 100000 bits, if divided by 256K bps link, let's say taking 20% VPN performance hit, then it's 100000/256000 * 1.2 = 0.46875 second.

The question is, your branch office doesn't need to access internet at all? 1Mbps? That's super slow nowadays. Your VPN link is only for print job?

Like drebo said, the network guy should be able to answer your question. If he can't, you should find another one.

 

[drebo]

Don't know why this is even a question. Replace the head office firewall with a real Cisco router and configure GRE tunnels between the Cisco 880s and the head office. Again, DMVPN makes this like 10 lines of config per router.

Call your network consultant and they'll get you going.