techguy1979
asked on
customer needs 5 employees to have remote access to 1 application on server08 box
My company needs to implement a vpn solution for 5 employees to be able to access a landscaping software remotely.
The customer has a server 08 box
but don't have any domains setup nor do they want it setup exposed to the internet.
I've configured a Mikrotik router to act as a vpn server.
My questions is they don't seem to know if simply having a vpn will allow them access to the program.
Usually they just work onsite and can access the software on the lan.
Please i really need some help. My company doesn't want to have to support and changes to the server box as we didn't implement nor do we maintain it.
The customer has a server 08 box
but don't have any domains setup nor do they want it setup exposed to the internet.
I've configured a Mikrotik router to act as a vpn server.
My questions is they don't seem to know if simply having a vpn will allow them access to the program.
Usually they just work onsite and can access the software on the lan.
Please i really need some help. My company doesn't want to have to support and changes to the server box as we didn't implement nor do we maintain it.
your best bet is to setup terminal server. server 08 is great for that. apps like quickbooks, sage software work best localy. you can make your TS web capale so your users can just open up rdp put in the Ts address and connect. you'll have to get certs of course and if you can I'd set it in a dmz. you can still have them vpn and then use rdp but it'll be a little slow.
ASKER
unfortunately the customer's IT consultant doesn't want anyone to have access to the server directly for fear they may screw something up.
My first proposal to the customer was logmein.com on the server or RDP logmein and rdp isn't acceptable to customer they need 5-6 concurrent sessions and they dont want access to server where the application resides.
I spoke to the software vendor and they say the customer has a shortcut on their laptops when they are working locally they just use the shortcut and can run the software on the server without directly accessing the server how can i replicate this over a vpn connection?
My first proposal to the customer was logmein.com on the server or RDP logmein and rdp isn't acceptable to customer they need 5-6 concurrent sessions and they dont want access to server where the application resides.
I spoke to the software vendor and they say the customer has a shortcut on their laptops when they are working locally they just use the shortcut and can run the software on the server without directly accessing the server how can i replicate this over a vpn connection?
Well I wonder, if they have so overprotective IT consultant, that is so lazy that he better asks for a complicated tech than just create a pair of new users with customized rights (if he/she is so concerned about the evil that resides in people that work for this business..) for RDP session, if you should ask for appropirate final money, because this is then a request to engineer a new software..
(that would be: you would research the packets programm is sending when launched in LAN (by that shortcut you mentioned, and then write a programm to simulate them)
Still I would propose to follow jasin00's advice he just gave and to set up TS server.. and please read carefully about remoteApp
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753844.aspx
(there about .rds files that an user could percieve just as another shortcut)
(that would be: you would research the packets programm is sending when launched in LAN (by that shortcut you mentioned, and then write a programm to simulate them)
Still I would propose to follow jasin00's advice he just gave and to set up TS server.. and please read carefully about remoteApp
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753844.aspx
(there about .rds files that an user could percieve just as another shortcut)
it would help if you listed the application in question. maybe they have a stand alone installation they work with that syncs to a db once they touch the home network. How users can use an application without actually using it is a new one on me.
ASKER
jasin
I spoke to the software vendor the software in question is called landpro
it is a software setup for landscaping businesses.
The software vendor said theres a database that resides on the server and the client laptops all have a shortcut on their laptop desktops. My concern is usually stuff of this nature usually relies on being able to access network share paths. which over the vpn we can't do.
tomorrow i go onsite and install the vpn router.
I know the vpn works i tested it last night.
However even with the pptp clients receiving addresses in same subnet as the remote server i can't figure out why it won't access the remote lan resources.
My VPN is configured is as follows
ether 1
Wan IP
66.X.X.X /24
ether 2
wlan
added to bridge1 interface
remote lan ip scheme
192.168.1.1 router lan gateway
192.168.1.0/24 ip address assigned to bridge1
DHCP
hands out 192.168.1.100-192.168.1.20
On the VPN router i setup each vpn user with the vpn local address of 192.168.1.230
then each vpn user's remote address is 192.168.1.240
then next user's remote address is 192.168.1.241
then next remote address = 192.168.1.242
all the way to .250
I can vpn in and can ping 192.168.1.1 remote lan gateway
i can ping google and other external sites and can even access internet using remote gateway.
I just can't figure out why the customer wouldn't be able to access the software sitting on the server 08 box this server box has an ip of 192.168.1.5
Please i could really use some help.
I spoke to the software vendor the software in question is called landpro
it is a software setup for landscaping businesses.
The software vendor said theres a database that resides on the server and the client laptops all have a shortcut on their laptop desktops. My concern is usually stuff of this nature usually relies on being able to access network share paths. which over the vpn we can't do.
tomorrow i go onsite and install the vpn router.
I know the vpn works i tested it last night.
However even with the pptp clients receiving addresses in same subnet as the remote server i can't figure out why it won't access the remote lan resources.
My VPN is configured is as follows
ether 1
Wan IP
66.X.X.X /24
ether 2
wlan
added to bridge1 interface
remote lan ip scheme
192.168.1.1 router lan gateway
192.168.1.0/24 ip address assigned to bridge1
DHCP
hands out 192.168.1.100-192.168.1.20
On the VPN router i setup each vpn user with the vpn local address of 192.168.1.230
then each vpn user's remote address is 192.168.1.240
then next user's remote address is 192.168.1.241
then next remote address = 192.168.1.242
all the way to .250
I can vpn in and can ping 192.168.1.1 remote lan gateway
i can ping google and other external sites and can even access internet using remote gateway.
I just can't figure out why the customer wouldn't be able to access the software sitting on the server 08 box this server box has an ip of 192.168.1.5
Please i could really use some help.
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ASKER
Thanks I spoke to the software vendor and they say only scenario thev've seen work is setting up a beefed up xp machine on the remote lan running windows unlimited which would give them 5-10 concurrent terminal services sessions on the xp machine which would also have the software shortcut.