Topic: how do i access my LAN machines from the internet?

[Douglas Evans]

Hi there.
I have an e-smith 4.1.2 server and gateway which has a permanent internet connection and static IP address.  It provides internet access/mail/proxy etc to our LAN that has a number of Win95/8 machines with a NT file server too.

I want to be able to access, from home on my linux (Debian) machine, a machine on the LAN (that's behind the e-smith box).  How do I do it?  (so that I can remotely control it to access files stored on the fileserver, the printer etc).

I am familiar with using VNC at work (on the LAN) and have also used it over the internet when messing with friends.  Is that what I should use?  But I would only be able to type the IP address of the e-smith box when I want to vnc to the win98 box behind it?

Thanks for any guidance,
Douglas.

[Elias Ouahhabi]

Use SSH Port Forwarding capacities.

You just need to configure your client.

Under Linux : ssh -L or SSH -R
Under Winblows : use SecureCRT (commercial)

[Douglas]

Thanks for the tip Elias.

This is my set up.



Debian  -----LAN-----MyESmith----INTERNET-----WorkESmith---Win98

My Debian machine has the IP address 192.168.0.66
My E-Smith server has the local IP address 192.168.0.1
It has a dial up connection to the internet.

The e-smith server in work has a static IP address (I'll call it www.ooo.rrr.kkk)
The Win 98 machine on work's LAN has a static IP of 192.168.49.8.

After reading your tip I found the page on AT&T's site about using ssh with vnc (www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/sshvnc.html).  Following their instructions, I've tried typing into MyEsmith machine:

ssh -g -L 5900:192.168.49.8:5900 www.ooo.rrr.kkk
and then trying to run the vncviewer with the server address 192.168.0.1:0

But it doesn't work.

Any ideas anyone?
Thanks in advance.

[Andrew Roberts]

Is using VPN an option?  Your machine becomes part of the remote network, and any shares that you have rights to can be accessed.  I know it is nothing like VNC, as you don't have "control," but you do have access to shares.

I'm running an esmith at home and at work, and I can grab the odd file that I've forgotten this way.  I haven't tried printing remotely though.  FWIW, I haven't tried this with anything but Win9x boxes on either LAN.

Cheers,

Andrew

[Shaukat Manji]

Hi Andrew,
Do you have a Howto for setting it up as a vpn that you can post?
I am interested in setting it up the way you mentioned.
Thanks,
Shaukat

[Andrew Roberts]

I don't really have a howto, but here is a stab at what I did to get things working.  I'm describing the setup of a Win98 client.  See also the e-smith user guide.

Server Side:
1.  In the e-smith manager, under remote access fill in the number of PPTP clients you would like to connect at once.

2.  Make sure that you have a user account and password set up for the user that would like remote access.

Client Side:
1.  On the client machine, the windows login and password must be the same as on the e-smith machine.

2.  Install the VPN adapter on the client machine. (Start...Settings...Control Panel...Add and Remove Software...Windows Setup tab...Communications...Virtual Private Network).  

5.  Make sure that you have updated DUN encryption to 128 bit.  I thihk windows update can do this.

6.  Create a new connection from DUN for the e-smith server you want to VPN to.

7.  Connect to the internet.  Open your VPN connection.  The client machine becomes a "virtual" part of the remote network, allowing you access to shares on the network.

[Andrew]

Once you have VPN working you can use VNC anyway to control systems on the network.

[IS]

I've got a problem with VPN connection.

I setup the client and the server without problems but when I try to connect in the server, the server accept me but stop the connection one second after.

I tried to use the 'admin' user and a 'simple' user but both don't work.

Do you have an idea ?

Thanks.