Windows 7 As VPN Server

Hi ,

Today i am going to show you how to use Windows 7 as a VPN Server.

We all know what the VPN Server is and for what purpose we use VPN, still I will give you some quick information regarding VPN then we will proceed .

VPN is virtual private network.  When you allow a computer to act as a VPN server, you basically allow computers outside your network to connect to VPN host and utilize the private network’s capabilities (e.g., accessing Internet, share files, Printer etc…).  To make this a little clearer, you can sit in a hotel room and access your office’s n/w through Internet connection of Hotel. So that means you are accessing your Office n/w  through Public n/w so in order to make it secure we use VPN.  With a private Internet connection such as your office’s Internet connection, you don’t have to worry about unknown users sniff your Internet traffic (e.g., prying on your Internet activities, stealing your plain text password).  In addition, the VPN connection will automatically encrypt all of your data from and to both ends of VPN (i.e., from the public to the private networks).

Now lets see how to use Widows 7 as a VPN Server

1. First Open Network and Sharing Center from the network system tray icon.

2.  From the Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center, click Change adapter settings.

3. Press the Alt button to show the File menu, then click File and select New Incoming Connection…

4. From the Allow connections to this computer window, select the users’ accounts that you would like to give VPN access. You can create new users through the Add someone… button. The Account Properties button allows you to change the user’s passwords and other details.

5. Click Next.

6. Check the Through the Internet option to the question How will people connect? And click Next.

7. At the Networking software list, select the protocols and other services that you want users to have access to, such as, File and Printer Shares. In addition to the default services you can add other network features through the Install… button. The Properties button allows you to configure advanced option for each network service that has additional features such as Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP).

8. Click Allow Access to enable the selected items for incoming connections.

9. The final screen displays the computer name that users will be connecting to and allows you to print this information. Click Close.

Now, in Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections you should have a new connection named Incoming Connections. Double clicking this connection would load all properties for the VPN server.

Show specific devices that allow incoming connections if installed.

Enable and disable the VPN service.

Modify the allowed users properties while adding/removing users from the list.

Configure additional properties of the network components that connecting users have access to.

For example, to define the IPv4 address range for VPN clients:

1. Double click the Incoming Connections connection.

2. Select the Networking tab and Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IP), then click the Properties button.

3. Select Specify IP address and enter a starting and ending IP addresses that are not used internally or defined in your internal DHCP scope. You have the option to allow users specify their own IP address by checking the Allow calling computer to specify its own IP address. From this tab you can also allow/disallow users access to the LAN.

4. Click OK twice.

And I  recommend that you assign IP addresses to VPN users automatically using DHCP as this would be the safest option. These options are also available when setting up the VPN server for the first time.