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Managing the Windows 7 Environment : Configuring Remote Connections (part 3) - Configuring a VPN Connection

7/12/2011 11:46:00 AM

3. Configuring a VPN Connection

A virtual private network (VPN) is a way to establish a connection between a client machine (VPN client) and server machine (VPN server). A VPN gives you the ability to connect (called tunneling) to a server through the use of the Internet or a dial-up connection (hopefully not dial-up). In a nutshell, a VPN allows you to connect to a private network from a public network.

VPN connections can be secured using different protocols. The following list shows you some of the different tunneling protocols that can be used when connecting a Windows 7 machine to a remote server.

Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is the newest of the tunneling protocols and it is available when tunneling with a Windows Server 2008 server. The way SSTP works is that SSTP allows encapsulated Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) packets to be transmitted over an HTTP connection. Because of this, firewalls or Network Address Translation (NAT) devices allow SSTP VPN connections to be more easily established. SSTP is the best choice for securing a VPN connection.

Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is one of the predecessors to SSTP and it also allows point-to-point packets to have encryption for secure connections, PPTP uses TCP/IP for the encryption. PPTP encapsulates PPP frames in the IP protocol section and uses the TCP protocol section for the management side of the PPTP protocol.

Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is a tunneling protocol that has no encryption included in the protocol. L2TP uses the IP Security protocol (IPSec) to make L2TP secure. L2TP with IPSec is a much more secure tunneling option than PPTP.

To set up a VPN connection in Windows 7, you use the Network and Sharing Center. In Exercise 1, you will set up a new VPN connection.

Exercise 1: Setting Up a VPN Connection

  1. Start the Network and Sharing Center by clicking Start => Control Panel => Network And Sharing Center

  2. Choose the Set Up A New Connection Or Network link.

  3. Choose Connect To A Workplace. Click Next.



  4. Choose the Use My Internet Connection (VPN) option.

  5. The Connect To A Workplace screen appears. You need to type in the TCP/IP address of a Windows Server 2008 machine and name this VPN connection. In this window, you also have the ability to use a smart card, allow other people to use this connection, and to set up just the VPN but not connect at this time (the option I chose). After you type in a TCP/IP address and name the VPN connection, click Next.



  6. The next screen asks you for your logon credentials. Type in your username, password, and domain name. Click Create.



  7. Now that the connection is created, I'll show you the steps needed to use it. In the Network and Sharing Center, click the Connect To A Network link.

  8. A box appears showing your connections. To connect to the VPN connection, choose the corresponding link.



  9. When the Connect Dialog box appears, make sure your username, password, and domain name are present and click the Connect button.



  10. After the connection is established, close it 3nd close the Network and Sharing Center.


In many organizations Windows 7 will be loaded onto a laptop computer. In the next section, we will look at how to configure Windows 7 mobile computing.

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