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04.17.2008 at 11:37AM PDT, ID: 23332049
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Why use a VPN Router?

Tags: VPN Router
I had a client yesterday who was using Windows remote desktop to connect over the Internet.  They had supposedly had a "lightning strike" on their rotuer and had to get a new one. The guy who they hired at first spent 6 hours trying to configure it and couldn't do anything, so they called me.  I assumed that the router that they currently had hooked up (a Linksys regular cable/dsl router with wireless) was the new one.  The lady who called me left and I got to work.

I connected to their remote server using logmein.com and found out that the remote router was forwarding the RDP to the wrong server.  So, I corrected that and then got the WAN IP (78.43.?.?) and used the Windows Remote Desktop to connect to that WAN address and it worked fine.  So, I left.

This morning the lady who hired me called back and asked me about the guy who had tried to fix her computers for over 3 weeks.  During that conversation, she said I hadn't even hooked up the "new" D-Link VPN router.  I told her I wasn't sure why she needed another router.  Evidently, the Linksys router was pre-existing and was not a VPN router.  She said that the other guy had bought this D-Link VPN router for $286.  

My question is why would a small company like this that can use RDP with a regular router need a VPN router?  For that matter, what does a VPN router do that VPN software does not?  I feel kinda silly asking this question. . . but it is something I never learned so I figure I should educate myself.  Is there something she won't be able to do because I didn't use the VPN router?  She says the way I fixed it was "perfect" and worked exactly the same as it did before.  What gives?
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Question Stats
Zone: Computer Hardware
Question Asked By: computerdoctortexarkana
Solution Provided By: kevo04
Participating Experts: 3
Solution Grade: A
Views: 4
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04.17.2008 at 12:03PM PDT, ID: 21380263

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04.17.2008 at 12:29PM PDT, ID: 21380514

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04.17.2008 at 01:08PM PDT, ID: 21380831

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04.19.2008 at 05:35AM PDT, ID: 21392188

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04.20.2008 at 04:36PM PDT, ID: 21397992

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04.24.2008 at 12:34PM PDT, ID: 21434353

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04.17.2008 at 12:03PM PDT, ID: 21380263
Well the simple answer is VPN= virtual private networking.  Google you hearts away, probably a thousand ways to describe it.  The one thing I can guess was the 1st techie's thought was...set up VPN for file sharing.  On a VPN, the remote user has acces to a file server or PC and able to share and move files between the two.  That would be my guess.

A second good reason for VPN besides sharing and transferring files is for VoIP phones.  If your client has a IP phone system.  A remote user could connect a remote phone through the VPN and utilize the phone system.  The remote user would have an extension like he/she was in the office and make and receive calls.

There's probably bigger and better things for VPN but on a simple note.  Just my thoughts.

kevo
Accepted Solution
 
04.17.2008 at 12:29PM PDT, ID: 21380514

Rank: Master

Adding to the above, VPN routers will outperform most software solutions because they operate in hardware but if it is a small business the ability to have say 100 people connect at once probably isn't that importent. Establishing a VPN before doing an RDP will also provide some extra security as the traffic is encrypted across the net. Saying that if the guy spent 6 hours on it and ended up setting up the wrong RDP port and selling a new router he either isn't the shiniest penny in the pond or he was taking advantage by charging 6 hours and selling a high end router on top if it.
Assisted Solution
 
04.17.2008 at 01:08PM PDT, ID: 21380831

Rank: Genius

You might find this page has some good information on it:

http://www.vpntools.com/vpntools_articles/hardware-router-vpn.htm
Assisted Solution
 
04.19.2008 at 05:35AM PDT, ID: 21392188

Rank: Genius

computerdoctortexarkana, any feedback?
 
04.20.2008 at 04:36PM PDT, ID: 21397992

Rank: Master

Any updates for this?
 
04.24.2008 at 12:34PM PDT, ID: 21434353
All three of you provided good information about VPN routers.  I think I understand the concept much better now.  Sorry it took a while to get back to you'll and award the points.  Thanks for your help!
 
 
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