Free VPN security- a must for wireless users

taxi97w

• http://compnetworking.about.com/od/vpnclientsoftware/p/openvpn-free-vpn-software.htm

Look for OpenVPN Downloads half way down the page.

VPNs (virtual private networks) protect data traffic across public networks like the Internet. Using one improves the security of a computer when connected to Wi-Fi hotspots or company remote access servers. To establish VPN connections via OpenVPN requires an OpenVPN server be installed and its configuration data available to clients. Network administrators at schools or businesses normally provide these VPN servers.

John_Gray

What's wrong with the extremely-easy-to-set-up VPN facility provided by Microsoft in XP, Vista, Windows 7...? (Network Connection Wizard -> "Connect to the network at my workplace", for XP).

I connect into work using both XP and Win 7...

System

I think the OP is under the misapprehension that any wireless user can use it to make the connection to the internet secure and doesn't really understand VPN and its uses

elvch01

The OP doesn't make it clear that to get improved security using OpenVPN, you will need to make sure ALL traffic is tunnelled through the VPN connection - only a small config issue, but an important one.

If tunneling all traffic through the VPN, it will go from the laptop in the wi-fi zone through to the VPN server (at home) and then back out onto the internet. Therefore the effective connection speed is the speed of the slowest link in the chain (usually your ADSL upoload speed).

How do I know? I use OpenVPN in exactly this way.

I use OpenVPN rather than the Windows VPN because

• I need to connect Linux machines as well as Windows ones
• Windows VPN requires access over port 1723 (default) which I can set up fine on my home router etc but if the "remote" network only allows certain ports thorugh their firewalls, you might not be able to connect to your own port 1723. An example of this may be a corporate network that only allows outbound connections through a proxy server on ports 80 and 443. OpenVPN allows me to use SSL over port 443 (standard HTTPS port) and the server version 2.1 (on Linux) will port-mux this with my Microsoft exchange server, so anybody investigating what is to be found at my VPN end-point will only see my web-mail login page

afastway

I use both OpenVPN and PPTP VPN for web surfing. If you are looking for free VPN, try this site: vpnsurfing.com

taxi97w

elvch01 wrote:

The OP doesn't make it clear that to get improved security using OpenVPN, you will need to make sure ALL traffic is tunnelled through the VPN connection - only a small config issue, but an important one.

!!!!!! wrote:

I think the OP is under the misapprehension that any wireless user can use it to make the connection to the internet secure and doesn't really understand VPN and its uses

Anyone could use this- you don't have to configure anything.
https://secure.logmein.com/UK/products/free/

bazster

Silly post. Anyone who understands what a VPN is and how they could use OpenVPN will already know about it. Anyone who doesn't understand these things is going to struggle to set-up OpenVPN.

The post above by elvch01 is perhaps an acid test: if you understood it, you don't need to be reading this thread. If you didn't understand it, you're wasting your time reading this thread.

elvch01

I wouldn't go so far as "silly" - but defintely misguided. Logmein is a great product for remotely accessing your desktop at home from a web browser. There is a free version (unlike that GoToMyPC stuff that's always being advertised) and I have it insatlled on several machines at home for the rare occasion where I have issues with my VPN.

As bazster said, if you known about VPNs and how to install & run them, then logmein is probably familiar to you, but many people reading this thread might be wondering what the fuss is all about and at least they might now know that there is a free version of an equivalent to GoToMyPC

bazster

elvch01 wrote: »

I wouldn't go so far as "silly" - but defintely misguided. Logmein is a great product for remotely accessing your desktop at home from a web browser. There is a free version (unlike that GoToMyPC stuff that's always being advertised) and I have it insatlled on several machines at home for the rare occasion where I have issues with my VPN.

As bazster said, if you known about VPNs and how to install & run them, then logmein is probably familiar to you, but many people reading this thread might be wondering what the fuss is all about and at least they might now know that there is a free version of an equivalent to GoToMyPC

I agree, LogMeIn is the way to go for the non-technical. My "silly" remark was aimed at the original post, not the person who quite reasonably suggested LogMeIn. My apologies to taxi97w if he thinks I was talking about him.

PROLIANT

John_Gray wrote: »

What's wrong with the extremely-easy-to-set-up VPN facility provided by Microsoft in XP, Vista, Windows 7...? (Network Connection Wizard -> "Connect to the network at my workplace", for XP).

I connect into work using both XP and Win 7...

PPTP can be cracked in circa 15 seconds?
Open VPN uses multi-tier authentication and unless the client has the required SSL certificate installed on the remote machine, they will not even get to the Open VPN login prompt.