[ltp] VPN to MS via Linux

[Tod Harter]

Well, there are a lot of ways to skin that cat. If you can run an openSSH (or 
commercial ssh for that matter) server on the windows box, then you easily 
have what you need, a secure encrypted tunnel. Technically its not a VPN in 
the sense that you can route network traffic through it, but you can run the 
ssh client on your Linux box and bounce the packets across the network.

An invocation of ssh like:

ssh -N -L 1234:windowsbox:4567 windowsbox &

would run an ssh in the background that would forward all traffic directed to 
local port 1234 across the network to windowsbox port 4567. That works good 
for simple applications like web. You can also run ssh in SOCKS mode by using 
the -D parameter. So:

ssh -N -D 12345 windowsbox &

would background an ssh that would act as a SOCKS 4/5 proxy and dynamic 
forward to windowsbox. Of course then you need a SOCKS aware application...

As far as TRUE VPNs go, IPSEC is really the way to go. There are some good 
toold for Linux for it. I would assume its built into windows or you can 
install it there easily enough. Its more complex to set up, and I don't know 
the compatibility with windows (not being cursed with supporting it much), 
but its been around a while and should in theory work fine. FreeS/WAN seems 
to be the tool of choice for setting it up these days...

On Wednesday 02 July 2003 03:31 pm, Adam Southerland wrote:
> I did a search for VPN and Linux and got ODD results...
>
> I am wanting to see if I can use a VPN Connection and then Terminal into a
> Windows PC...
>
> rdesktop.org handles the Terminal Services Client on Linux and runs well
> (I'm on a P166 so 256 color isn't bad =)
>
> Is there a linux package that will allow me to create a Virtual Private
> Network with Linux into a Windows box?
>
> Like this? http://sunsite.dk/vpnd/  <- I am new to the VPN thing but will
> catch on quick =)
>
> Thanks!
>
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-- 
Tod Harter
Giant Electronic Brain
http://www.giantelectronicbrain.com