If you had an 2 offices that needed to be linked

mada999

hey all,

Just say you had a factory in carlow and a headquaters in kilkenny what would be the best way to link them. The carlow factory has a lan and the HQ has a lan too. ?

What technologies would you use (or are available) ?

Kali

You'll need to know a bit more first..

What is the potential traffic between them?
What are the current Internet connections in both of the offices?
What are the main operating systems?
What is the proposed budget for joining the two lans?

michaelanthony

The answer to your question is ISDN(Basic rate or Primary rate) or Frame Relay or Digital/Analogue Leased line.

Dizz

The fastest you can afford (to be ripped off - cheers eircom! :P)

The Cigarette Smoking Man

If you can get ADSL in both locations - the 1Mb option, you could set up a VPN between the two offices and you'll get 256k in both directions. If you need more bandwidth than that then you'll need a leased line.

zz03

Originally posted by The Cigarette Smoking Man
If you can get ADSL in both locations - the 1Mb option, you could set up a VPN between the two offices and you'll get 256k in both directions. If you need more bandwidth than that then you'll need a leased line.

A VPN over DSL with IPsec and SSH using AES256 encryption is the safest and cheapest way to go. Keep the hackers out and use the same connection for voice (using VoIP) and data (and site security video monitoring if necessary).

zz..

Gavin

Originally posted by zz03
A VPN over DSL with IPsec and SSH using AES256 encryption is the safest and cheapest way to go. Keep the hackers out and use the same connection for voice (using VoIP) and data (and site security video monitoring if necessary).

zz..

What's the ssh for ? The IPSec will provide all the security needed. They might not even have a linux/unix machine.

Gav

quozl

i want to see this 'site security video monitoring' over a 256k link though.

mada999

Quote mada999

hey all,

Just say you had a factory in carlow and a headquaters in kilkenny what would be the best way to link them. The carlow factory has a lan and the HQ has a lan too. ?

What technologies would you use (or are available) ?


its a project I'm doin in college. We have 3 hard drives with with windows 2000 server on 2 of them and 1 with windows 2000 professional.

we have to set up 2 dns servers and other stuff like that. is it hard to do these this? we have to design our network b4 we implement it, are they're any good sites on the net that could help me?

i need cost of cables ect . . . and what lines to use isdn etc.

zz03

Originally posted by Verb
What's the ssh for ? The IPSec will provide all the security needed. They might not even have a linux/unix machine.

While IPsec should provide all the security they need, do you really trust Microsoft not have left some bugs in it? PPTP on Windows is still quite insecure - even with CHAP2.

SSH is also available for the Windows platform. Made in Finland, not USA. Ideal for file transfers over the public network and with port forwarding you can use it for other applications (eg secure e-mail between branches). It looks like Windows Explorer and gives you a view of the files on your server at one location and the client you are working on. www.ssh.com Downloads available for evaluation.

When you are using the internet to connect two or more branch locations you are putting your hard drives open for show to the world unless you take proper care.

One really needs a good firewall appliance (properly configured) as well - sitting between the DSL box and your internal network.

Important files should themselves be encrypted to make them useless to a hacker.

Good security is like an onion! That way if someone gets past IPsec there are other gates in their way.

zz03

zz03

Originally posted by mada999
Quote mada999



i need cost of cables ect . . . and what lines to use isdn etc.

Assuming your Win2k machines have network cards, why not get a switch (cost around EUR 60 for an 8 port box) and two cat 5 cables (about EUR 10 each depending on length).

If this was a real business you would have to secure the connection. Setting up a VPN from one machine to the other is relatively easy. Go into Networking and Dial up connections, New connections wizz, and select VPN options. Similar routine to set up incoming connection.

If you want to IPsec it Start Run and enter MMC and press enter. You need to check the microsoft website for IPsec setup docs to help you with the configuration.

zz..

Gavin

Originally posted by zz03
While IPsec should provide all the security they need, do you really trust Microsoft not have left some bugs in it? PPTP on Windows is still quite insecure - even with CHAP2.

zz03

I don't think anyone would rely on pptp for anything important.
http://www.counterpane.com/pptpv2-paper.html

I'd stick with a Cisco IPSec solution if for some reason I didn't want to use FreeSwan.

In this situation though obviously enough, a win2000 vpn would be sufficeient as you say.

Gav