Trying to set up a VPN between laptop and desktop

[Lanky0]

Basically I have a desktop computer that I want to act as a VPN server, and I want the laptop to be able to have remote access to the desktop network from just an internet connection elsewhere.

I have set up a VPN using the Windows 7 built in wizard, but what IP address should I use on my laptop when trying to connect? Should it just be my router IP? I tried entering that but got an error 800...

Do I have to sign up to some kind of VPN hosting site to obtained an address to connect to?

Help is very much appreciated!

 

[richnrockville]

Lanky0, I highly recommend Hamachi as a free vpn which works great and will do what you want.
The logmein people own the Hamachi vpn program.
https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/download.aspx

is one place to take a look at the free hamachi program.
I have been using it for over 10 years and it works great. They have a paid version if you want more capabilities but the free works fine.

rich

 

[Lanky0]

Thanks for the reply, I understand a third party program such as Hamachi would work, but I would prefer to use the inbuilt function within Windows 7.

 

[richnrockville]

Lanky0, the internal windows 7 won't setup a vpn for you as it doesn't work with a local ip address. Something has to tell it that the main IP for your router is the target IP for you vpn.

Give hamachi a try as it works without a lot of aggrivation.

Rich

 

[akshayshinde]

Yeah the connections to Montana State University are legit. And i am sorry to reply so late.

 

[Lanky0]

Lanky0, the internal windows 7 won't setup a vpn for you as it doesn't work with a local ip address. Something has to tell it that the main IP for your router is the target IP for you vpn.

Give hamachi a try as it works without a lot of aggrivation.

Rich

I tried connecting to it using a local LAN ip when connected to the same router and it worked.

I just want to use it when connecting from a remote location...

 

[Plant Guy]

Lanky0, the internal windows 7 won't setup a vpn for you as it doesn't work with a local ip address. Something has to tell it that the main IP for your router is the target IP for you vpn.

Give hamachi a try as it works without a lot of aggrivation.

Rich

I tried connecting to it using a local LAN ip when connected to the same router and it worked.

I just want to use it when connecting from a remote location...

Of course you can Remote Desktop from a PC already in the network (on the same router, subnet, etc,). You are not going to be able to do the same outside of the network "securely" unless you have connected to a VPN server. Unfortunately, you cannot use windows 7 as a host to a VPN network, only as a client. I'm not too familiar with hamachi so I can't comment on how secure it is, but I know a few people who use it for gaming (minecraft, etc.)

If you don't want to use a third party vpn agent and an encrypted transmission isn't important to you, you could remote in without the VPN. To do so you would open port 3389 (RDP default listening port) on your router. You could then use your routers public IP address as the host name apended by a colon and the port number (ie. 169.168.1.45:3389). To add a little security, you can also change the default listening port number in the registry.

However, keep in mind that the VPN is the preferred and most secure method of remote access.

 

[Lanky0]

Lanky0, the internal windows 7 won't setup a vpn for you as it doesn't work with a local ip address. Something has to tell it that the main IP for your router is the target IP for you vpn.

Give hamachi a try as it works without a lot of aggrivation.

Rich

I tried connecting to it using a local LAN ip when connected to the same router and it worked.

I just want to use it when connecting from a remote location...

Of course you can Remote Desktop from a PC already in the network (on the same router, subnet, etc,). You are not going to be able to do the same outside of the network "securely" unless you have connected to a VPN server. Unfortunately, you cannot use windows 7 as a host to a VPN network, only as a client. I'm not too familiar with hamachi so I can't comment on how secure it is, but I know a few people who use it for gaming (minecraft, etc.)

If you don't want to use a third party vpn agent and an encrypted transmission isn't important to you, you could remote in without the VPN. To do so you would open port 3389 (RDP default listening port) on your router. You could then use your routers public IP address as the host name apended by a colon and the port number (ie. 169.168.1.45:3389). To add a little security, you can also change the default listening port number in the registry.

However, keep in mind that the VPN is the preferred and most secure method of remote access.

But doesn't this video tutorial (How to Setup a VPN Server Using Windows XP - YouTube) show the host computer being setup as the server?

 

[Plant Guy]

I was wrong. You learn something new every day. In light if this, make sure you create a port forwarding rule to allow incoming connection on tcp 1723 (pptp). Also do the same on windows firewall. Can you connect now?

 

[Lanky0]

I was wrong. You learn something new every day. In light if this, make sure you create a port forwarding rule to allow incoming connection on tcp 1723 (pptp). Also do the same on windows firewall. Can you connect now?

I tried this and it still doesn't work... is it even possible to do this?

Or is the IP you enter when connecting to a VPN require to be a server from a hosting site?