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VPN implimentation help needed

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by sselinger 1 view

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I am working on a small VPN for a company based in rural Canada. The company has 6 remote offices throughout Canada and the US. The main office is very remote and the only data lines available is dedicated 56k and T1. The T1 line is very very expensive..approx $15,000 to install and $4 grand a month so the cost must be very justified. The remote offices only have one computer (95/98) and no internet access. Each remote could have dial up 56k or possibly some could have DSL. The main officehas 18 PC's (95/98) and a Novell 4.11 server running Groupwise for email. Installation of more modem lines is very expensive so client is trying to reduce dial up modems. Client would like internet access for 18 pc's to go through 56k. (remember t1 is not free!)Network is all CAT 5. My proposed solution is as follows. Install a Nortel Networks Connectivity 1500 box (approx $10,000 CDN) in the main office. Install a dedicated 56k to main branch and have remotes on 56k dial up or DSL is possible. Maybe have Vpn us

9 replies

by allswell

My reccomendation is this. For the remote sites, that only have one station there is no reason to go more than a 56k. Though it still relies on what they are used for. As for the main office. I know Novell offers a wide veriety of applications thatwould be well suited for you, including their Small Business Suite 5.0 which uses Groupwise 5.5 for your email. For the main connection rather than going with the T1 or the 56k I would see about getting a Cable or DSL connection. It may be hard though. For more info try www.dslreports.com.

by marc.potvin

I am not in a rural location, but I am in a remote Canadian region !
Here's a simple solution:
I have installed a Intel/Shiva Lanrover Express in a similar configuration.
First benefit (in-box solution): Being a LAN/LAN box, you use the better technology or router offered by the telco for internet access. My guest is that they can offer you to aggegate more than one 56K. (112K or 256K)

Second benefit (easy management): In the remote PC's you simply need a VPN client supplied with the VPN box. If you have locations with 2 or more PC's, you can find smaller VPN boxes that can be installed.

- What is the Nortel 1500 ?

by lo

Might try this - but non-corporate but ...

Try making a site other than the remote hq your hq network site. Put whatever makes sense there to get horsepower and reasonable network access. That may be a more practical solution that trying to gethi-speed to a remote hq. lo

by scott

You certainly have a connectivity issue to deal with. You can implement multiple scenarios using dedicated hardware VPN solutions from CISCO, Redback, Netopia, etc in combination with PPTP for dial-up users. This is cost effective and will require some education re: PPTP and it's security issues (but then you have that issue on everything else too). The key will be implementing IPSec, L2TP or PPTP or all three depending on how you can implement each location. The biggest issue here is probably maintaining the different scenarios. Weigh the cost/benefit before jumping.

Good Luck.

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