After Hours

Or doing your set-up directly on the server? Anyway, go to the sourse, the MSDN Lirary. (then -> win32 and COM Devolopment
-> Security) a good place to get up to speed. link: [ http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa139845.aspx ]
Best for you though to get you where you need to be is (again the MSDN Library) You'll be working in the Cert Manager, found on your system under WINN (or Windows, on the XP machine, and I think the Ser2003 and up) Then open the System 32 folder. You'll find the 'certmgr.exe' there. (it will appear as an icon, of a certificate) Again to guide you through that go to the MSDN Library -> .NET Development -> Previous Versions (don't ask me why it's there) -> Tools and Debugger -> .NET Framework Tools -> Certificate Manager. Link: [ http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e78byta0(VS.71).aspx ]
Have Fun, Let me know how you make out. -d

Certificate Services is not normally installed in a Small Business Server by default.

you CAN create web site certificates or install 3rd party web site certificates in IIS, however to use L2TP IPSec in a Small Business Server environment, see this article which applies to L2TP IPSec remote access on Small Business Server 2003. Note using the remote access wizard simplfies the configuration process.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816514

I still not sure exactly what it is that he's setting up. My first question was to find out if this is an internal (as in all in one place, office) or external (as in utilizing the big www, maybe for telecommuting). You're right in that it looks like over kill. I have to use such things as certs, to be able to communicate with those that require such. (a must for SSL) Good link BTW, Thanks. -d
(and a thanks for keeping an eye on me. was I getting carried away again?)

but Small Business Server isn't like Windows Server 2003 standard. It's setup using wizards and manually configuring stuff can actually break SBS. Example DHCP. DHCP breaks if you try to make a new scope to replace an existing scope manually. Have to rerun the setup wizard and the connect to the internet wizard to fix it.

just like certificate services. it's not installed by default and because Small Business Server runs sharepoint services, you can have web certificates that have nothing to do with L2TP IPSec remote access certificates. On top of that, implementing L2TP IPSec communications on the LAN and WAN can be a problem. Certificate services works but their self signed so for the WAN traffic the certs aren't recognized as safe.

Thanks for all your replies. I will try you advice tomorrow. Just to let you know. I'm trying to share network resources cross continent. There is a dc running w2k on site A and a DC running w2k3 on site B. I'd like to be able to share folders, etc securely via the Internet.

Thanks again so much for all your helpful and timely replies.

best way to do this is on a Small Business Server 2003 is RWW or simply VPN using the remote connection client program. An even better way is to publish the internal Company Web via https.

L2TP IPSec over VPN, though really secure would be a bear to administer on SBS network.