Setup Guide

When setting up a VPN it is best to start by using the PTPP protocol as it is the most supported and therefore less change of compatibility issues, it security and encyption is an absolute must then L2TP would be the better choice, though not as popular PTPP is has been widely accepted.

The following guides will give steps to create a PPTP tunnel to the server

Windows Server

The Windows Server version of VPN hosting can be configured in many different ways, in this example it will be set up on a machine that utilises one network card for simplicity.

The VPN server should be already available on a default installation of Windows Server, if it is not available then it can be installed via Add Remove Windows Components section or Turn Windows Features On or Off.

In the Control Panel, choose Administrative Tools then open Routing or Remote Access / Remote Access depending on the version of Windows.

On the left pane of the management console, right click the server name (local) and choose Configure and Enable Routing or Remote Access.

At the configuration scren of the wizard, choose Custom Configuration.

On the next screen Tick VPN Access, another click of next and the Summary screen follows. Click Finish and the VPN service will start.

With the VPN server running, its time to configure it for incomming connections, Right click the server name again and choose properties. Then choose the a IP tab.

Since the server is not running a DHCP server, or not connected to one due to the static IP, an address pool needs to be created.

Move the radio button to Static IP Pool then click Add

In the New Address Range box, add a range of IPs like below, making sure that they have the same prefixes as the local network, its best to use a range above 200 on the final prefix to avoid interference from any DHCP servers and other devices.

Click OK and an address pool has been added, click OK again to close the window and complete the server setup.

Setup VPN Connection

From a remote PC wanting to connect via VPN, open the Network Connections Window by pressing key and R, then typing ncpa.cpl and OK, in the window double click New Network Connection to start the wizard.

Click Next at the start screen, then choose Virtual Private Network connection on the next screen, then Next

Under the Host name field, enter either the internet domain of the server if it has one, or the DDNS address of the server, followed by Next.

A quick review and it's ready, the VPN connection will appear on the Windows machine as if it was a dailup connection, allowing users to connect and disconnect at will depending on requirements.

To connect, double click the VPN connection, enter a username and password that resides on the server and is enabled for a Dail-in Connection, and click Connect.