AD / Remote Desktop / VPN

[Corey0808]

Hi All!

I have a question that I need clarification on.

I have a site that uses a Netgear FVS114 Firewall device with VPN support. Behind this device is a local Active Directory on Windows SBS 2003 R2. Ideally I would like to do secure remote administration from my home for this network. I was wondering if the following was possible:

1. Setup a VPN tunnel for a client-to-gateway connection from my home workstation to FVS114.
2a. Use Remote Desktop over the VPN tunnel to administer the network

or

2b. Login to the AD directory over the VPN tunnel.

Is 2a or 2b possible? If so, what steps do I need to take to configure this correctly? if I'm going over a VPN tunnel do I have to enable the ports on the firewall for Remote Desktop?

Thanks for the help!

Corey0808

 

[Genx87]

Provided you get the VPN tunnel up. You should be able to access anything on your network. This includes RD and any AD tools you use.

 

[Corey0808]

I suppose I don't understand the workings correctly. Say I want to get my workstation at home connected to the domain. How do I login to the domain with a user account IF I have to be logged into the client machine to start the VPN client?

I hope that makes sense!

Thanks.

 

[hiromizu]

Originally posted by: Corey0808
I suppose I don't understand the workings correctly. Say I want to get my workstation at home connected to the domain. How do I login to the domain with a user account IF I have to be logged into the client machine to start the VPN client?

I hope that makes sense!

Thanks.

You wouldn't do it this way in the first place. Your computer is not part of their network..why join the domain? Use the VPN client to connect to the network and use your rdp client to admin the systems.

 

[jlazzaro]

what hiro said...and even if you had some requirement to login to the domain, you would enable 'start before logon' in your VPN client and connect BEFORE logging on or alternatively just use your cached account.

 

[compman25]

Do you have a device at your home that can make a vpn tunnel connection with the Netgear? If so, you don't need to do anything other than start remote desktop and enter the ip address of the machine you want to work on after the vpn tunnel is up and running.