Today, virtual private networks will not surprise anyone. Their use is increasingly replacing a standard connection to the Internet or local area network. Why do most users prefer to use just such technologies, rather than standard techniques? Yes, only because if, for example, you set up a VPN in Windows 7, then you can simply remain unrecognized on the World Wide Web and visit any blocked resources, not to mention the establishment of direct communication between remote computers as a secure network connection.
The material below will briefly address theoretical issues related to such technologies and their practical application. We will use the Windows 7 operating system as the basis, although the proposed solutions are equally suitable for any other modification.
What is a VPN and why is it needed?
To begin, consider some issues related to the technology itself. What is a VPN? The operation of a private virtual network is directly similar to the functioning of the so-called anonymizers or anonymous proxy servers.
The bottom line is tunneling, in which the external address of the device changes (IP) from which an attempt is made to access some resource with a change in the user's territorial location and traffic encryption.
How to set up a VPN on Windows 7: general algorithm
In practical terms, the configuration is quite simple, but only when you consider that there is an existing VPN server to which you plan to connect (we will talk about creating the server yourself separately).
How to set up a VPN connection? Everything is simple here:
- First, in the “Control Panel”, a section of networks and shared access is selected, where the creation of a new connection is used.
- After that, a connection to the workstation is indicated exclusively in a new window.
- When requesting a connection method, an existing connection is selected ("Use my VPN connection"), after which a server address (IP) is entered, which can be provided by the system administrator or provider.
- Then the name of the connection is set (optionally) and the data obtained during access registration (login and password) is entered.
- Next, the connection button is pressed, and after passing authentication (data verification), an immediate connection string is used.
Can I configure a connection between multiple computers?
Indeed, the question is not idle. Many users would like to know how possible it is to establish communication between two or more computers or even entire local networks without using wires, but only at the expense of the Internet (and even with complete protection of transmitted and received data).
You can do it. How to set up a VPN? Here, initially, you will need to perform several basic actions:
- create a connection on the terminal that will act as a VPN server;
- set up daughter machines that will have the right to connect to it.
How to set up a VPN connection: creating a server and virtual network
So, first you need to choose a terminal that will be assigned the role of a VPN server. On it you need to enter the network connections section and select the new incoming connection through the File menu.
Next, a list of users appears who are supposed to open access to the server with the login and password for each of them (for authorization). For convenience, you can create accounts in advance.
After that, you should select a connection via the Internet, and leave the settings of the protocols used unchanged. At the end, the “Finish” button is pressed.
All! The network with the server can be used by users of other terminals (previously listed) to connect.
How to connect to the server from a child terminal?
Now let's see how to connect a VPN from child devices. In principle, all actions remain exactly the same as described for connecting to the workplace. Only each user must initially know the address of the server machine.
If it was created by a person who is ignorant of these issues, you can find out your own address through the command console by entering the ipconfig line.
Possible errors and solutions
On the question of how to set up a VPN, there seems to be clarity already. Now a few words about possible errors and failures. The error number 806 is quite common when the system reports that the connection could not be established.
The very first solution to the problem is to set all addresses to be automatically received in the IPv4 protocol settings (if the IPv6 provider is not supported, it is better to disable it immediately). Along the way, you should deactivate the use of proxies for local addresses.
If in this situation there is still no connection, the question of how to set up a VPN can be solved by using the open addresses of Google DNS servers, consisting of combinations of eights, fours and twos, or use analogs from Yandex, and manually set the IP or specify the range of allowed addresses on the router after port forwarding.
Just in case, the exceptions to the Windows firewall should include addresses whose endings correspond to the numbers 254 and 245, port 1723, and also activate the use of GRE.
In addition, it is advisable to deselect the entry activation point in the Windows domain.
Instead of a total
This is all that can be briefly said about creating and using connections based on VPN technologies. You do not need to have special knowledge here, but when creating a network, it is better to clarify the server address immediately, as well as create a list of users who will be allowed to connect.
The rest, I think, should not be any problems. In our case, even the Windows toolkit does not look particularly confusing. You can use third-party programs or even connect through mobile operators. But why, if at hand there is always a quick personal setting that can be done from any machine running Windows?