Creating a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection

Creating a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection

• to access a virtual computer (e.g. at work)
  here, you might use the Remote Desktop Connection program (found in Start, All Programs, Accessories – you will need a login name and password from you network administrator).
• to connect to a mail exchange server (e.g. at work)
  here, you will need to setup an exchange email account in your email program.
• to synchronise a database within Sage Act!

a) Server Computer Installation

1. Start, Control Panel
   if your Control Panel is in Classic View double click Network Connections
   if your Control Panel is in Category View click Network and Internet Connections, Select Network Connections Under the section “or Pick a Control Panel icon”
2. Select Network tasks from the Task Pane or Click File and select New Connection
3. At the Welcome to the New Connection Wizard screen click Next.
4. Click the radio button labelled Set up an advanced connection and click Next.
5. Click the radio button labelled Accept incoming connections and click Next.
6. Click the radio button labelled Allow virtual private connections and click Next.
7. Under User Permissions select the already listed users that can access the computer or more likely Add user/s you wish to allow to network to this computer and click  Next. (You can manage users later simply by right clicking on the Incoming Connections item and selecting the Users tab)
8. Under Network Software to be enabled for incoming connections, this can be generally left as is, click Next.
9. Click Finish on the final dialogue screen.

a)To find out the internet IP address on the server side. Open a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox and in the Address bar, type inwww.whatismyip.com. Write this address number down for use with the client installation/s.

b)To find out the IP address of this computer. Click Start, Control Panel

• if your Control Panel is in Classic View double click Network Connections
• if your Control Panel is in Category View click Network and Internet Connections, Select Network Connections Under the section “or Pick a Control Panel icon”.

Click on the connection used to connect to the internet – e.g. Local Area Connection. Now look at the bottom of the Task Pane on the left and you should see in the Details section under Local Area Connection your IP address. Alternatively you can also find out your IP address by clicking on Start, Run, type in cmd, click OK. At the command prompt, type: ipconfig and press Enter. If your router does port forwarding to IP addresses only then you should give this computer a STATIC IP address. If your Router port forwards to a computer name or mac address then you can leave your computer set to receive server assigned ip addresses. You can check this in step c) below - Server Side Router Settings.

To set your computer with a static IP address right click on the connection used to connect to the internet – e.g. Local Area Connection, select Properties. Select the last item in the list – Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Click Properties and select the Radio button Use the following IP address. Fill in an IP address based on the same numbers as your router, except the last three digits can be in the range of 001 to 254, but not the same as another device on the network. Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 and Default gateway: the same IP address as your router. Below at Use the following DNS server addresses at the preferred DNS Server enter the router IP address again.

b) Client Computer Installation

1. Start, Control Panel
   - if your Control Panel is in Classic View double click Network Connections
   - if your Control Panel is in Category View click Network and Internet Connections, Select Network Connections Under the section “or Pick a Control Panel icon”
2. Select Network tasks from the Task Pane or Click File and select New Connection
3. At the Welcome to the New Connection Wizard screen click Next
4. Click the radio button labelled Connect to the network at my workplace
5. Select the radio button labelled Virtual Private Network Connection and click Next
6. Enter a Company Name and click Next
7. If prompted, select the radio button labelled Do not dial the initial connection and click Next, otherwise continue to step 7 below.
8. Type in the Host name or IP address of the server computer and click Next
   If connecting via the internet, the IP address of the server computer will be the internet IP address of the server side connection, which was covered in a) above If using a Dynamic DNS service then type in the Dynamic DNS name instead of an IP address. 
9. In the final dialogue – Completing the New Connection Wizard, Tick – Add a short cut to my desktop and then click Finish.

c) Server Side Router Settings

1. Using a web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, type in the address bar the IP address of your router.
2. Some routers may require a login at this stage, if so log in using the router username and password.
3. Depending on the router click on Port Forwarding or Firewall, Allow Applications.
4. Depending on the router click...
   on Service Type: Port Forwarding
   Service Name: PPTP
   Server IP address: enter the IP address of the server computer (covered in b)Server computer installation, b) above.)
   or
   Select a computer to Port Forward to, then in the services section, add PPTP.

B. Creating a VPN connection using Hamachi² from LogMeIn

1. Visit http://www.logmein.com
2. Click on Products, LogMeIn Hamachi² tick the Conditions of Use and click Download Now under the Unmanaged Mode.
3. Install the downloaded program by double clicking it and follow the installation prompts.

1. On the server computer, click Network, Create a new network... and for Network ID, enter your company name.
2. Below that for Password: enter a password.
3. Using the above Network ID and password, on each client computer..
   Click Network, Join an existing network...
   Type in the Network ID you wish to join as well as the Password.