VPN - is there a way to use VPN & normal connection at the same time?
 

Hi guys,

I work remotely and my job is implementing a VPN and will require all remote staff to connect to their systems via the VPN.

I know that my employer monitors/logs all activity. Of course I have no objections when this is work-related, but here and there throughout the day I need to be able to check my personal email, login perhaps to my online banking, etc..

I don't want to do this through the VPN as those are personal sites/logins and I don't want that monitored or logged by my employer.

But it would be a hassle (I think) to keep disconnecting from the VPN to check my personal email, etc many times throughout the day.

Is there a way to force some connections through the VPN and some through my local area connection/wireless connection), or does anyone have any ideas or suggestions?


Thanks
Nat

I assume you are the system admin then, so you will have access to the full configuration.

It is easy, when you connect to the VPN, you'll get a number of routes pushed to your VPN client. (Check them with route -n)

Now for the sites that you do not want to go thru the VPN, add a route which points to your normal internet default gateway, not the VPN gateway.

jlinkels

Thanks for the reply, actually what I wrote was confusing now that I re-read it.

By "I work remotely and my job is implementing a VPN" - I meant to say that my employer is implementing the VPN and requiring me to use it ;)

So I don't have control over the VPN server.


I am looking for a way if it's possible to not have to constantly disconnect from the VPN, and be able to have some traffic go through a wireless or LAN adapter.


Thanks
Nat

The answer remains the same. Check your routing table, and see how the connection to your sites of interest is routed.

If you are outside the company and use VPN to get into the office, it is usual to have only the part of traffic which goes to the office network routed thru the VPN. All other traffic is routed directly to the Internet. This is called split tunneling.

Again, you should check your routing tables to see whether or not that is the case.

jlinkels

Adding to the above: while you're working, you aren't really supposed to check your personal stuff, mails, bank things and so on. You're supposed to do that outside your working hours (because no man works round the clock, nowadays it's illegal in most countries). So though I do understand your problem (and I think monitoring/logging employees' actions is the same as not trusting them, which in my opinion means either the boss, the workplace or the job is not right for the whole), I must say if I was running such a workplace, I wouldn't like to see my employees spend half their day chatting, e-mailing and doing their personal job while I was paying for them to do whatever they were hired for. That's why closing the VPN would be a fair thing to do, then your employer would know when you're not doing your real work business and when you are.

But, to the routing tables..that's the way to go.