[dba-Tech] VPN Clients

My clients have so far allowed me to use Hamachi.  All 
clients actually have Remote Desktop already set up.  A 
couple have a VPN set up by their hardware router most don't 
(I deal with small companies).

Regardless of existing VPNs however, Hamachi has a "browse" 
ability that allows me to directly see shares and drag and 
drop files between their computer and mine.  I can do the 
same thing by manually mapping a share to a disk drive 
locally but it is more work, and can cause potential 
conflicts, issues when the Net Use fails to disconnect the 
drive etc.

It is possible for a firewall to prevent Hamachi from 
getting out, and the larger shops would most likely figure 
that out and do so.

I used this "Hamachi as a service" widget to allow me to set 
up a Hamachi network internal to my existing network so that 
  I can use remote access from outside of my network into my 
network.

I have a couple of SQL Server machines for examples that I 
use to run jobs for a specific client.  If I am away from 
the office and the client wants a job run, I have to be able 
to run remote desktop back to my systems to do that.

While that is possible without Hamachi, it involves setting 
up port forwarding through my router, then playing sround 
with the registry on each machine to tell it what port that 
machine will use for Remote desktop.  It works, but it is 
clunky, and it requires keeping track of the ports, making 
sure the machines are always assigned the same internal IP 
address etc.

With Hamachi, each machine is assigned a unique IP address, 
so I can just place that IP address in the Remote desktop 
dialog and RD just starts up.  then I also get share 
browsing so I can pass files back and forth between my 
laptop and the server.

Hamachi very neatly solves a raft of little issues.  HOWEVER 
in this case I have full control of both ends, and I am not 
intentionally throwing up roadblocks to Hamachi.  You may 
find that your clients have locked things down such that 
Hamachi doesn't work.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


Dan Waters wrote:
> Hi John,
> 
> Do your customers allow you to use Hamachi?  Or do you use the VPN client
> they provide when you remote in to their site?  I have 2 different customers
> and one has given me Aventail, and one has given me Cisco.  I've had
> problems with both, and your recommendation made me wonder if I could solve
> that issue with one fell swoop!  
> 
> Thanks!
> Dan
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 7:38 AM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving; Discussion of Hardware
> and Software issues
> Subject: [dba-Tech] Hamachi as service
> 
> For all of you who run the excellent Hamachi VPN networking, 
> check this out.
> 
> http://serviceex.com/HServiceSetup/
> 
> Click the DOWNLOAD link to get it.
> 
> I have Hamachi running on all of my systems, and even my 
> virtual machines.  Using Hamachi I can tunnel in to my 
> systems at home when I am on the road (not that often), run 
> remote desktop on them, pull or push files between drives 
> etc.  Hamachi also allows me to use Remote Desktop on all of 
> my network machines without having to futz with the registry 
> and port forwarding on the router.
> 
> With this it runs as a service and can even be set to 
> automatically restart if the little applet is closed.
> 
> Recommended.
>