OK - it's been a while since I posted here.

I've just started a new job (not IT related at all except for the use of IT in an office environment). However, the company's IT infratrstructure is somewhat cobbled together, with no VPN and security is existent only because of the lack of external access (good for that part, but bad for people working off site).

Anyhoo, at the moment the "server" is a user machine that simply has the applicable space on the drives, and so never gets turned off.

I'm thinking, for the sake of a couple of hundred (UK) tops, a linux server using OpenVPN would be both more secure and economical than the current set up (and OpenVPN on Windows has separated the RSA client, making matters more difficult).

I'm sure for the money I could convince them to separate the network from a user machine, and have a simple file server and VPN on a dedicated box (hell, I'd even teach the current "IT Guy" how to use it.

So my question, is setting up a VPN and a dedicated server on, e.g. a Debian box (headless) going to be easier than using a Win 7 box with built in tools (serving to Win 7 machines). Bear in mind, I'm the new guy, IT isn't my job, and so I have to sell it to them (figuratively speaking).

Privately, at home, I use Arch Linux exclusively, I have a VPS running Debian, with a game server, apache, and a fully self-contained email server, so I have a clue from the Linux side of things. I just haven't got around to a VPN yet.

You could use some UTM distros to have the VPN part solved. VyOS, ZeroOS, Endian what ever.

But if you say that the security isnt that well do you think its wise to set up a VPN access?

I see this as an opportunity so improve the security. At the very least, I could make laptop passwords mandatory.

If I'm going to implement this, I prefer to do so from a debian stable base (then I know exactly what I'm installing and how to manage the security), but has to be easy enough to pass on the knowledge. I'd rather work from a linux base with samba if required than from a Win 7, VPN, though for now, gotta fix the router.

As I have worked in a company where the IT was handled by Windows guys and me caring the external hosted linux machine I know how hard it is go get ppl get used to a command line. But heavily depends on the IT guys and there willingness to improve. Depending on the programms you use you could even get the users converted

But first things first. Get a dedicated box with two harddrives. One disk for linux with vpn and samba. One for Windows Server 20xx with vpn and samba. Then have them decide what they want. You can get a free trial of windows server 2012 for 120days. (Can't believe I'm saying this )