[Discussion] VPN - why?

[Esther Schindler]

On May 16, 2007, at 3:00 AM, Phil Parker wrote:
> My university now offers a VPN connection, if I want to use it, for  
> off-campus
> machines.
>
> Should I be interested? If so, why, or where can I read about why?  
> (I tried
> searching VOICE newsletters, but didn't find anything relevant.)

I can't tell whether you SHOULD be interested, but I can offer a bit  
of explanation about what a VPN does.

A VPN lets you gain access into an organization's network. When  
you're signed into the VPN, you are inside the firewall. Thus, you  
can access network drives and run applications that cannot be reached  
from outside. (And, obviously, those resources *shouldn't* be reached  
from outside.) In my case, that means that I can run the CIO.com  
content management system, and I can get to the shared drive where we  
store the "articles in progress" database.

But when you log into the VPN, you really _are_ in the remote  
network. In my case, that means that once I'm connected to the CXO  
Media network, I can no longer see the other computers on the  
network, and I can no longer use my remote network printers. (The  
latter is sometimes a pain.)

Are there computing resources available only from University systems  
that you need to access? Which currently make you sigh and say,  
"Darn, I'll have to wait until I get to the office tomorrow"? If so,  
you could use a VPN.

I'll warn you, though. VPNs are strange and arcane things. Getting  
them working requires eyes of newt, the dark of the moon, and  
sometimes, I suspect, human sacrifices. Even when they "work" they  
can be problematical. It makes sense to use a VPN when you need it,  
but it's not a task for the faint of heart. (Do you have the strength  
of ten because your heart is pure? Okay, then. Go right ahead.)

Esther