Creating a VPN

[KickTheBucket]

I'm really not sure if this is even possible, but here goes...
I'm thinking of creating a VPN for some of my friends from CT to connect to me. The reason being is that to play some online games, you've gotta connect to an international server and play them like that. Now it seems that if we want to play on a server i host, their traffic is send overseas and then back to me. So what i was thinking is if i create the VPN on my machine and then they can connect to it, we would be able to play the game over LAN.

Is this even possible? If so, how does one go about setting the VPN up? Can windows do it or does one need a third-party VPN program to do it?
And would the whole dynamic IP thing be a problem?

Any idea's/opinions/suggestions are welcome!!
Thanks guys!!

 

[Darth Garth]

The best bet is to use Linux or better yet FreeBSD.

See http://www.freebsddiary.org/pptp.php

 

[Tinuva]

technically a vpn should work, especially if you bridge with with lans, eg 4 different lans all bridged to 1 vpn should make a huge lan, also known as a wan.

What you are thinking is possible, but it will be really interesting to set it up

 

[samct]

VPN Sollution

Hi,

I administer a network (WAN) spaning over 7 subnets all linked together using ADSL.

I use FreeBSD to maintain the connections, but it is possible (with the correct hardware) to setup a VPN with Windows Clients as well.

If you can explain to me what exactly you want to accomplish with your VPN, I might be able to assist you in setting things up.

Ta,

Sam

 

[wab512]

Hi! I have done what you need with some success.... I am currently connecting 3 LAN's via VPN (all over ADSL). This was done with Freeswan. One problem is that broadcasts do not get sent over the VPN's, so you are limited to games where you can specify the server IP address to connect to. Not many of the newer games support this.

I also started setting up OpenVPN. Have a look at this one! With OpenVPN you can bridge your LANs so that broadcasts goes through. I then saw that the next release of the firewall that I use (MNF) will have OpenVPN built in, so I put it aside because of time constraints.... (Messing around started to interfere with my Gaming time)

Have a look at: http://openvpn.net
(Available for Windows and Linux)
If you are using someone like DynDNS the Dynamic IP is not a major problem.

 

[nic777]

The way I understand how dyndns works, when your IP number changes, there will be a lag of at least 5 minutes or more until the DNS entry has propagated through. Has this delay ever seriously affected you?

Would anyone recommend joining 2 offices using VPNs over ADSL and dyndns? What if the offices required a reliable connection all the time?

 

[DFantom]

I'm really not sure if this is even possible,

It's possible. Did it yesterday

The reason being is that to play some online games

What game? Very few games are lan only now days. Most have a international master server but the actual gaming is direct (like skype or p2p programs)

If so, how does one go about setting the VPN up?

I used two linux boxes and openvpn

And would the whole dynamic IP thing be a problem?

I got round it fairly easily, but since you are using it for lanning and not needing all the time, you could simply update the config on the client side (edit 1 line on openvpn with the IP of the server side) and you are done.

there will be a lag of at least 5 minutes or more

This is right and wrong. The delay is dependant on 3 factors.
1) Every OS nowdays has a builtin DNS cache system. Which it uses to speed up net things. All newish OS (Linux 2.4 and 2.6) and Windows 2k and higher bases the refresh on the TTL on the DNS side (see 3)
2) The DNS servers you use on your machine, normally provided by your ISP, can have the same caching system as your machine (see 1). Once again most ISP's now day base this on the TTL of the DNS. Some still only do it at set times or intervals. Like SDN, back in the day, used to only do a DNS update at midnight so any changes during the day would not be noticed until the next day.
3) The DNS itself sets a TTL. The standard for dynamic DNS is about 30s to 5min. This TTL tells all connecting machines at a maximum how often the DNS will update. If this is lower then it updates quicker.
All in all it averages 5min, but you can get that down to 20secs in a best case.

What if the offices required a reliable connection all the time?

Well I was in this situation recently on a project at work and got round it without the need for dyn dns. Refresh time is currently is anywhere from 2min to 4min, but it could be dropped as low as 5-15secs. If you are seriously thinking of needing VPN then PM me and I'll see what can be arranged. Can't promise anything at this stage but we can always see ^^

 

[BMdatacom]

how do we setup a vpn form my office to my client

Could you perhaps give me a step by step instruction on how i can remotely administer my ckients 2003 server from my adsl at home,they have adsl and i have adsl, i have not yet found anybody that can actualy tell me how this is done,a simple XP to server vpn over ADSL. Can you help me?













Dfantom,can you perhaps give me a step by step

It's possible. Did it yesterday


What game? Very few games are lan only now days. Most have a international master server but the actual gaming is direct (like skype or p2p programs)


I used two linux boxes and openvpn


I got round it fairly easily, but since you are using it for lanning and not needing all the time, you could simply update the config on the client side (edit 1 line on openvpn with the IP of the server side) and you are done.


This is right and wrong. The delay is dependant on 3 factors.
1) Every OS nowdays has a builtin DNS cache system. Which it uses to speed up net things. All newish OS (Linux 2.4 and 2.6) and Windows 2k and higher bases the refresh on the TTL on the DNS side (see 3)
2) The DNS servers you use on your machine, normally provided by your ISP, can have the same caching system as your machine (see 1). Once again most ISP's now day base this on the TTL of the DNS. Some still only do it at set times or intervals. Like SDN, back in the day, used to only do a DNS update at midnight so any changes during the day would not be noticed until the next day.
3) The DNS itself sets a TTL. The standard for dynamic DNS is about 30s to 5min. This TTL tells all connecting machines at a maximum how often the DNS will update. If this is lower then it updates quicker.
All in all it averages 5min, but you can get that down to 20secs in a best case.


Well I was in this situation recently on a project at work and got round it without the need for dyn dns. Refresh time is currently is anywhere from 2min to 4min, but it could be dropped as low as 5-15secs. If you are seriously thinking of needing VPN then PM me and I'll see what can be arranged. Can't promise anything at this stage but we can always see ^^

 

[DFantom]

Could you perhaps give me a step by step instruction

Well first you setup your VPN (http://openvpn.net/howto.html) then you just admin it with TS as you would on your LAN

If you post specific problems I can be more help.

 

[KickTheBucket]

What game? Very few games are lan only now days. Most have a international master server but the actual gaming is direct (like skype or p2p programs)^^

Brothers in arms. What happens is there is no main server. Multiplayer games are created with either 2 or 4 players, so all the multiplayer games are created by the players themselves on their own machines.
Everyone from around the world connects to ubisoft and all the games that are created are displayed in the "lobby". So you're free to connect to any game in that lobby, provided it's not password protected. Now, when my friends from cape town (i'm in jhb) create a game, i can't see it and when i create a game, they can't see it. Yet the other cape town people can see the cape town server. So that's why i thought if we get a VPN hooked up and play over "lan" it would work better.

But lately i've been too busy to try and set it up. I've managed to get the VPN set up, but haven't tried the game yet.

 

[Harley79]

I have just got OpenVPN up and running. Working like a dream on Windows XP Pro (the server) and then multiple clients on XP & Win2000. really is some VERY good software. One or two little things I need to still resolve, but on the whole, working very well.

This is across ADSL lines, presently connecting multiple clients to single server, and not doing much bridging, but thats just a little more config which I don't need.

OpenVPN rules.