Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.work_remotely (More info?)

Could one of the MVPs comment on this please?

I am looking to setup a PPTP VPN for a client so that he can access files at
the office remotely.

Client & Server PCs both Running Windows XP Professional
Server PC is on a small LAN implemented via a Linksys WRT54G Router

VPN is implemented using built-in networking of Windows XP:
- on the client go into Network Connections, click "Create a new
connection", choose "Connect to the network at my workplace"
- on the server go into Network Connections, click "Create a new
connection", choose "Set up an advanced connection", "Accept incoming
connections", "Allow virtual private connections"
- the router is configured to allow inbound connection on port 1723 (TCP &
UDP) and port 1723 traffic is directed to the server PC's local IP address
(192.168.1.100)


The connection works. I can bring up & access shared folders on the server
PC. The problem is that it is *extremely slow*.


For a test I setup something similar in my lab environment. My high speed
Internet provider allows me 2 public IP addresses. So, I connected a 10
Mbit/s hub to my cable modem and then split my connection off to two
routers - one the Linksys WRT54G and the other a D-Link DI704P, with 1 PC on
each LAN. I then proceded to configure the PC on LAN #1 to "Accept incoming
(VPN) connections", and the PC on LAN #2 to "Connect to the network at my
workplace". I made sure that all the IP addresses were correct. On LAN #1
I opened up port 1723 (PPTP) and routed it to the "server" PC on that LAN.
I then proceded to connect from PC on LAN #2 to PC on LAN #1. No problems.
I accessed a shared folder on PC #1 - no problems. I tried to transfer a
file - again, it was *extremely slow*.

To quantify what I mean by *slow* - the file which I originally obtained
from a software vendor's site took only about 1 minute to download on my
high speed Internet connection. When I tried to pass the same file from PC
#1 to PC #2 using VPN and purely within my ISP's network infrastructure
(both of my routers on the same subnet) it took over 40x longer to transfer.

Is this just what you have to expect in using the VPN software that's
built-in to Windows XP? Would I be better off in obtaining one of those
routers that's advertised as a "VPN Router" (examples being the Linksys
BEFVP41, RV082, etc.) Would VPN implemented in the router's hardware be any
faster???

I would appreciate any & all comments - but especially those of the MVPs.

Thanks.

"My high speed Internet provider "

what type of connection do you have?
to me it sounds like an ADSL connection,
•an ADSL( Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line )
---has a very fast download speed, usualy 3-20 times faster then upload speed,
the good thing is that you can download files faster from (fast online servers)
the down side, is that you upload files slower,

e.g say you have a 2mb ADSL connection(also called a high speed broadband connection), then (usually) you will be downloading a file at (maximum) 200kb/s and uploading at only 30 kbs.

this would explain why you transphere files so slowly. if speed is really important to you, then you might consider changing ISP, one with a faster upload connection.

hope it helped

leo

I cannot speak directly to the performance loss associated with Windows XP establishing the VPN, as I have never used it, but I have two different methods of remoting into my office, one hardware (using a D-Link DFL 300 VPN router at the office end and a Linksys BEFSX41 at home) and one software (using a Netgear SSL312 VPN gateway at the office end and an Active X plugin at home). Using a cable internet connection I have not noticed any speed difference between the two (both on my current system and my previous P4 2.8 GHz system).

This leads me to believe that with a decent computer you would not see a noticable impact by having software doing the VPN work.

I have never tried using the Windows XP native VPN capability because it seemed overly complex. As a first step, I would suggest using Hamachi to establish the VPN connection:

http://www.hamachi.cc/

This is one of the easiest applications I have ever used. I use it to establish a VPN connection with relatives to fix their computer issues remotely. I have had no problem connecting through several layers of security on each end with no configuration necessary.

As an aside, most of the remote users in my office use the BEFVP41 (my BEFSX41 was the only one of those we bought) and it has been a very reliable router for VPN connections.