We live in an information age and modern telecommunications have revolutionised the way we look at our IT assets. In  the last 20 years office computers have gone from the role of glorified typewriters and calculators to a critical business tool for keeping in contact, exchanging information and interacting with customers.

Getting the most from your IT investment means utilising your computers to their full advantage, wherever you happen to be. Remote access systems allow you to access IT resources within your organisation from a remote location and breaks down the traditional barriers that once stopped people accessing IT on the move. Historically remote access was often provided using a dial-in service, where users used a telephone line to call the company network, but in recent years this has almost completely been replaced by the internet as a communications medium.

This diagram can help us visualise remote access technologies. There are three main variables in any remote access system. These are explained in more detail below:

1. Remote Access Server - The remote access server is the device on the internal company network that accepts incoming connections from a remote user. This device could be a router with built in VPN functionality, a Windows 2003 server or just an XP machine which accepts remote desktop requests.

2. Remote Connection - The remote connection is basically some way for the remote user to connect to the internet or chosen telecommunications network. This can be a dialup connection to the Internet, a broadband connection, a 3G mobile connection or any one of a number of technologies.

3. Communications Technology - When we're talking about connections over the internet our biggest concerns for choosing a communications technology are usually speed and security. Information travelling across the internet is not usually classed as secure because it can easily be intercepted. Because of this we use communications protocols with built in authentication and encryption to ensure your data can't be read or modified in transit.

This is a simplified view of the process but by varying these three components we can create secure and reliable remote access systems that facilitate communication in a number of circumstances. Indeed is is quite possible to mix and match a number of systems to provide almost continuous remote access.

Remote Access Solutions

This guide lists some of the more common remote access solutions and rates them against certain criteria. The criteria are listed below with a short explanation of each:

• Site-To-Site: A site to site situation is where two or more offices are linked across the internet in order to share resources such as servers, shared files and printers. Usually in this arrangement the two sites are both connected to the internet via a broadband connection.

• Home-To-Site: A home to site situation is where a user connects to the office across the internet from their home in order to access work resources such as servers, e-mail and shared files. Usually in this arrangement both the users home and the office are connected to the internet via broadband connections.

• Roaming Laptop: In this situation a user wants to connect to the network using a laptop which they connect to the internet using one of several different methods (I.e. 3G mobile, dialup or broadband).

• Internet Cafe: In this situation a user wants to connect to the network using a public unsecured system such as an internet cafe or hotel PC.

• Setup: This refers to the overall cost of implementing the system.

• Security: This refers to to how secure the system is thought to be by today's standards.

VPN - Virtual Private Network

You may have heard the term VPN when talking about remote access systems. A virtual private network is a private communications network used by companies or individuals to communicate confidentially over a public network. Basically a VPN is a way of creating a secure tunnel between two points through an insecure network such as the internet.

A VPN is a great way to connect multiple offices to a single network and can be used to connect home users to a company network securely and efficiently. Once setup a VPN offers a very similar experience to that of being connected directly to the office LAN.

VPNs require specific hardware or software at both ends of the VPN tunnel and also require significant configuration. Because of this they are not really suitable for roaming users or users who wish to connect from multiple locations.

Site-To-Site
Home-To-Site
Roaming Laptop
Internet Cafe
Security
Setup

 

Remote Desktop

Remote desktop is a feature built in to Windows operating systems that allows you to connect to a computer remotely and view the screen as if you were sitting in front of it.

Remote desktop is a very useful technology which can be used to gain access to a computer at a different location and use all the programs installed on that computer. Whilst it is possible to use this technology across the internet as a stand-alone solution this is not usually recommended because of security concerns.

Remote desktop is often used in conjunction with other technologies such as VPNs. In these solutions a user would VPN to the company network and then use remote desktop to access a computer sitting on that network. This presents a much more secure solution because a potential hacker would need to break the VPN before they could even attempt to gain unauthorised access through remote desktop.

Site-To-Site
Home-To-Site
Roaming Laptop
Internet Cafe
Security
Setup

SSL VPN

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) VPNs are a slightly different form of VPN technology that communicates over the same protocol used by banks and other secure websites. There are many of these products on the market and they often provide access to the company network using little more than a standard web browser.

Once an SSL VPN is setup the users usually have a number of options. They can use a web browser to check e-mail or initiate remote desktop sessions or they can open a full VPN to access shared resources. The benefits of an SSL VPN are that it requires no specialist software at the remote end and hence can be used by users in internet cafes or public computer systems.

Site-To-Site
Home-To-Site
Roaming Laptop
Internet Cafe
Security
Setup

Small Business Server

Small business server comes with a range of applications for creating remote access solutions and represents amazing value for money when you consider what the package actually offers. A small business server comes with VPN functionality, a dial-in server and remote web workspace.

Remote web workspace is a technology that enables users to connect to the small business network using a standard web browser. It enables remote users to check e-mail, access shared resources and create a full VPN tunnel using an easy to use wizard.

The major drawback to this system is that it requires the company to be operating a full small business server network and therefore entails a significant investment in IT resources.

Site-To-Site
Home-To-Site
Roaming Laptop
Internet Cafe
Security
Setup

The Remote Access Specialists

Navigating the choices for implementing a remote access system can seem daunting but luckily Geek-Guru are here to talk you through the options. We have a wealth of experience with projects of every size and configuration and can work out the best strategy for you and your business.