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VPN hogs bandwidth

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by pc&web

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I have a few MS Small Business Server 2003 setups. I am just exploring VPN since everything is so easy on SBS 2003. When I connect to any of them, the normally 2.5 Mbps of RoadRunner goes down to around 170 kbps.
This client needs 4 people into the quickbooks files remotely simultaneously. SBS is limited to 2 remote web workplaces and, I think, 2 remote desktops. I would prefer they just have the advantage of the VPN to use just the data and not bog down the server with remote control sets.
Thanks for the help...

3 replies

by p.mears

The problem here is not that your RoadRunner account is slowing down, but that the VPN tunnel that is created has only so much throughput that it can handle at any one time. It takes CPU cylces to process/maintain that VPN tunnel, and to encrypt/decrypt each packet that is sent through it.

You may be able to improve those speeds by changing the Encryption and/or Authentication settings. For example, use DES instead of 3DES. While this makes for a VPN that is not as encrypted, it can process it much more easily.

If you need higher VPN throughput, I would suggest a hardware VPN device from Cisco or Sonicwall.

by pc&web

Poster rated this answer.
We decided to bypass the VPN problem and the remote connection limit in SBS 2003. I installed 3 additional computers and from each user computer did a vpn to the server and the remote into the client. Thanks for the help.

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