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VPN question

S

smoque

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 29, 2008
17
0
I have a mac mini server as part of a network, using time capsule as router. I want to be able to connect to that server using my macbook when I am away from home. I set up the vpn connection using the mac mini server program that is generated when that app is enabled during setup and installed it on my macbook, but it does not allow the macbook to connect the server when away from the home network. I am using snow leopard on the mac book and snow leopard server on the mac mini server.

Do I need to do port forwarding of the mini server to be able to find it when I attempt to vpn away from home?

thanks.
 
Yes you will need to port forward. Server should be able to set all of that up for you through the Server Admin tools and System Preferences.
 
OK, now I just really confused myself. I created the configuration file but now how do I use it on my mac book? I thought I new what I was doing, but obviously, I do not.

----------

Got it working here at home. Not I am going to another location to see if it will work there also. This is where the trouble occurs, when using wifi away from home

Thanks for your help.
 
It works fine at home, but when i go to someplace like starbucks and try to use vpn, it will not work. The server cannot be found. Do I need to make a connection with my router, time capsule, first?
 
You need to port forward through the router top the server (which you VPN connection should handle). The problem is when you have a dynamic ip address from your provider, you can't just connect through the ip or your FQDN as they will be changing. The cheapest and a good way to enable the connection is to get a free host account at dyndns.org and then put the client on the server so that it can periodically update the dyndns host when your dynamic ip changes.

You can then connect to your server through the dyndns host name that resolves to your server. I hope this makes sense to you. If you have the luxury of a static ip then you can just register that ip with your FQDN and have a service list your FQDN for you. Then you can just connect to your server using your FQDN.

The reason you can't connect outside or your home network is that the FQDN on your server doesn't have a DNS listing outside of your network and therefor can't resolve to anything. When you try to connect it is looking for your 10.x.x.x or 192.x.x.x server ip, which are reserved local ip addressing and it chokes out on the connection.
 
StevenMeyer said:
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!

Apple acknowledged that VPN does not work properly in 10.7.2

They have offered to even take back my 3 month old server.
Click to expand...

What exactly do you mean? Show us where Apple acknowledged whatever it is that VPN doesn't work properly in 10.7.2.

I use the built-in Cisco IPSec VPN all the time to connect to my Cisco ASA 5500. It works just fine.
 
SandboxGeneral said:
What exactly do you mean? Show us where Apple acknowledged whatever it is that VPN doesn't work properly in 10.7.2.

I use the built-in Cisco IPSec VPN all the time to connect to my Cisco ASA 5500. It works just fine.
Click to expand...

I talked to their enterprise support and they say that LION VPN LT2P ONLY WORKS INTERNALLY ON NETWORKS. Feel free to call them up to confirm.
 
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I keep seeing threads like this, where people struggle with port forwarding to set up VPN so they can remotely access computers. I use TeamViewer, which works with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Ubuntu, iPhone, iPad, etc. It's very secure and quite simple to set up and use (no messing around with ports), which comes in handy if providing remote support to those who aren't very computer literate. You can talk them through the setup on their end and be connected to them in less than a minute. It's also free for personal use.
 
GGJstudios said:
I keep seeing threads like this, where people struggle with port forwarding to set up VPN so they can remotely access computers. I use TeamViewer, which works with Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Ubuntu, iPhone, iPad, etc. It's very secure and quite simple to set up and use (no messing around with ports), which comes in handy if providing remote support to those who aren't very computer literate. You can talk them through the setup on their end and be connected to them in less than a minute. It's also free for personal use.
Click to expand...

While I love teamviewer it is a terrible VPN replacement. It is simply a enhanced screen sharing program... nothing else.
I would suggest you do what I suggested and set up a freeware VPN.
For clarification what are you trying to do OP? What is your endgame?
 
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Why not just sign up for iCloud, then use Back to my Mac, that automatically creates a VPN connection between Mac's signed into the same iCloud account. Works perfectly.
 
StevenMeyer said:
It is a client to client tunnel it lacks any of the flexibility of a regular VPN. Look it up.
AND it looks like they got rid of it w/ TV7
Click to expand...
It is a true VPN connection that meets the needs of many users. Version 7 is only available for Windows. It's still in beta for Mac users. I haven't seen any evidence that VPN support is dropped in v7, and if it is, you can still run v6 when you need a VPN connection.

While it may not be the right solution for some users, for most of the threads I see like this one, it would do the job quite well without so much hassle setting things up. In addition, in many of these threads the OP is asking for VPN when all they really need is remote desktop sharing and file transfers.
 
GGJstudios said:
It is a true VPN connection that meets the needs of many users. Version 7 is only available for Windows. It's still in beta for Mac users. I haven't seen any evidence that VPN support is dropped in v7, and if it is, you can still run v6 when you need a VPN connection.

While it may not be the right solution for some users, for most of the threads I see like this one, it would do the job quite well without so much hassle setting things up. In addition, in many of these threads the OP is asking for VPN when all they really need is remote desktop sharing and file transfers.
Click to expand...

Got ya.
 
Thank You Very Much

Thanks to you all for the robust discussion. You have given me a lot to digest.
 
icloud and gotomypc

One suggestion to solve this problem was to use the cloud, log both macs into the same account and vpn is made automatically. How secure it that? My biggest concern is security. I need access to my files back at the home office no matter where I am. Also, should I consider using gotomypc at all? What are the security concerns there?

Thanks again.
 
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