Anybody used a VPN server/router before?

[kingsley]

I want to buy a VPN router so that I can connect to my network at home from work. Has anybody bought one before?

I was looking to purchase a Linksys WRV54G but the reviews I read on zdnet were really bad.

[pluto]

You can set up a PPTP VPN endpoint on a Linksys WRT54G router with DD-WRT firmware installed. Apparently it's pretty fast too...

[revert]

i've got an SMCBR14VPN from SMC for sale brand new. i have one and use it all the time. It has a pptp server built in, you can have up to 5 users connected.
its also got a built in USB and parallel print server

[seaside995]

How secure is this setup? I would be interested in setting up a vpn as well, but have always been concerned about security issues.

[computer01]

Take my word for it here and now. Steer clear of the WRV54G. It is nothing but trouble. Linksys has had firmware troubles with this device since day 1.

Just Google "WRV54G" and "problem" or "issue" or "unstable piece of junk" to see for yourself.

I had two of these units and while they looked good and the specs were okay, the tunnels would crap out with no warning and it would require a hard reboot. (Real useful for a remote VPN application!) Internal DHCP was spotty. The internal 802.11 was also very unstable.

When I had my units, I ended up talking to several Cisco software engineers and every one of them promised newer firmware coming "soon" that would fix all of the issues, (which they openly admitted to, by the way), and they even sent me unreleased beta firmware which did nothing for the issues. Since then, to date, there have been no further firmware releases for this product. It has been over a year since I had my units.

The WRV54G is to Linksys what Windows Millennium is to Microsoft.

STEER CLEAR!

If you want a reliable IPSec VPN router, go with something like a Netopia R9100 or R910. They can be had on eBay for as little as $50. I use many Netopia products with tonnes of IPSec VPNs and they are stable 24/7. I've had Netopias running for years without any interaction.

I want to buy a VPN router so that I can connect to my network at home from work. Has anybody bought one before?

I was looking to purchase a Linksys WRV54G but the reviews I read on zdnet were really bad.

[pluto]

agreed, Netopia are excellent routers for VPN

[Hugh]

An old PC running Linux can be used a VPN router. I've been running a couple of such routers in my home for a few years. Reasonable old PCs typically cost $100 or less (free in many closets).

You haven't said what VPN technology your workplace uses. IPsec is the internet standard for VPNs, but there are others that are used.

Look at www.openswan.org for free open source Linux IPsec software. It can even be run on a Linksys router flashed with OpenWRT, but that is probably less easy to set up than on a regular PC.

Bias: I was one of the authors of the FreeS/WAN code which is the basis of Openswan.

[pluto]

An old PC running Linux can be used a VPN router. I've been running a couple of such routers in my home for a few years.

don't forget the higher power bill associated with keeping another PC on 24/7

I think we are using OpenVPN for linux at work, not sure how different it is from OpenSwan

[PennyArcade]

we use clark connect for our vpn at work

it is a great program. You could use clarkconnect to act as a router (can limit bandwidth via ip), vpn, and email all on one box.

[Hugh]

don't forget the higher power bill associated with keeping another PC on 24/7

I think we are using OpenVPN for linux at work, not sure how different it is from OpenSwan

You are right to point out power consumption. My gateway boxes are old Compaqs (EN SFF PII 350). Headless, they use 30w each (I just measured it). My Linksys WRT54GS uses 5w and is quieter (no fan, no hard disk).

People report OpenVPN is very easy to set up, much easier than IPsec. I have no first-hand experience.

The first question to the original poster is: what VPN protocols is your workplace willing to support.