RE: VPN to Remote Desktop

[Linwood Ferguson <ferguson () uvii mag aramark com>]

> Regarding option 3: I believe PPTP is only for dial-up
> connections...   Doesn't sound like that's what you want...

PPTP works fine between desktops.  You can use it between 
workstations as well as from workstation to server (and of
course let the workstation or server then forward to the
rest of the net).  Just keep the routes straight if you
are using it inside to inside.

The question I guess is one of whether it is secure.  I asked
that some time ago to this group, and received a lot of 
concern that you may want to go back and look through, but
to over simplify (a) it's Microsoft and so suspect, (b) it's
default is 40 bit encryption, and apparently some concern about
the encryption types [note that supposedly a 128bit version is
available that should alievate some of this concern, though I 
haven't personally gotten it yet], and (c) the PPP/PPTP and 
related standards seem to have some ill/un-specified issues 
and Microsoft has once again gone their own way, and (d) it's
Microsoft and so suspect.  :-)

FWIW we are using it for dialup and quite happy, performs well,
suprisingly low load on the RAS server itself considering that
it's de-/encrypting.  But as some people pointed out, we must
not be all that worried about security.   :-(

Your mileage may vary.

    - Linwood

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Linwood Ferguson                  e-mail: ferguson () mag aramark com
Director, Software Engineering    Voice:  (US) 540/967-0087
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