VPN Access

[wifi4milez]

I have a large library of music files as well as pictures that Are stored on an external hard drive here at my house. I would like to be able to access these files from my friends house using his wireless network. I have a Linksys WRT54g with the newest firmware, and I noticed that it supports VPN's. Does anyone know of a way for me to essentially stream my MP3's? I beleive that windows xp supports some kind of rudimentary VPN, and I would really rather not go and purchase a VPN client.

Thanks!:confused:

[yonah]

Wifi4milez,

Let me better understand this - You essentially want to share your files with your buddy over a VPN link. Although your router supports VPN, TTBOMK, it doesn't act as a VPN server. VPN support, in this case simply means that it will allow you to connect from behind the firewall to a VPN server on the Internet using a VPN client on your PC.

Linksys, D-Link, and others make VPN Wireless Routers that actually act as VPN servers which would let your friend connect, but those are generally more $$$.

There are however, several ways to skin this cat -
-You could use your router to set up your 'file server' in a DMZ and allow it to be accessed by your friend over the Internet
-Depending on the distance between your friends house and yours, you could possibly bridge the two wireless networks

But bear in mind that streaming might cause you other problems, like, say, surpassing the bandwidth limitations of your ISP.

If you provide more details about your setup, I am sure someone lurking here (if not me) will offer more help.

[wifi4milez]

Basically what I am looking to do is to be able to access content that resides on my LAN from anywhere I happen to be. More specifically, I would like to be able to play my MP3's at a party or something similar to that. My current setup invloves one desktop computer connected by ethernet to my Linksys WRT54G router, and then a number of labtops connecting via 802.11B and 802.11g. The content I would like to access is on an external drive attached to my desktop. I will most likely be using one of my own laptops at the remote location if that helps.

[modgeek2003]

First off do you have a pc running win 2000 or 2003 server? ... If so what you can do is set it up as a RAS server. Remote access server. Or a straight VPN server. And use L2TP/IPSEC as you authentication method with a preshared key as your shared secrete, that way you encrypt the data tunnle and you dont have to remember any passwords.


You can config a VPN server threw Routing and Remote Access snap in in the mmc. Run the enable server wizard and set it up as a VPN server and set your key. Create a new conection on you client machine and use your servers ip as the host and your good to go. There is a bit more to it thatn that ,little details.

[wifi4milez]

The computer I would like to connect remotely to is actually running XP Pro, not Server 2003. Is there any way I can still have it act like a server so I can access my MP3 files remotely and most importantly, safely?