Can I use OpenVPN to create a secure connection for Remote Desktop

HGeneAnthony · 04-28-2006, 12:51 AM

I was interested in setting up a VPN at my work to login to Windows with Remote Desktop. I wanted to use OpenVPN and tunnel it through my Linux server however I'm not sure how this would work. I currently have a Linksys router set up there. I'm not really sure of the logic in how this would work. Would I need to set the Linux server up before the router, after the router, etc.? I'm trying to understand the logic.

Linux.tar.gz · 04-28-2006, 08:46 PM

Dunno OpenVPN, but if you only want a remote desktop, a VNC throught ssh will be easier and very secure, depending of the length and complexity of your password.
You'll have to forward the port (22 for ssh) from your router to your server.

There's plenty of threads around explaining how to do that.
Basically, you launch a VNC server and ssh server on your box.
Then, you connect from win$ with ssh, specifying you wanna tunnel the X11 port (5900), then you launch VNC client, targeting win$ (the X11 port is tunnelled).

farslayer · 04-28-2006, 09:57 PM

yes you could use OpenVPN. once you configure your VPN connection (the vpn connection should be able to pass through the router with no trouble, although you may have to forward a couple ports) you can use rdesktop on the linux box to access the windows terminal services (rdp) on the WinXP machine.

You can also make use of something like carpaltunnel or openvpn-admin to assist in configuring the VPN connection

http://www.rdesktop.org/

another option is ssl explorer, it is also basically a SSL VPN that works on windows / linux and you can use rdestop through it as well..
http://3sp.com/showSslExplorer.do?referrer=sslexplorer

HGeneAnthony · 04-29-2006, 02:06 AM

I'll take a look into it. Thank you both for your help!

HGeneAnthony · 04-29-2006, 05:50 AM

The thing is the VPN isn't for me it's for the people up there. I recommended OpenSSH before to the IT director and he felt if it's more than clicking a button it's too difficult for them. As far as rdesktop I haven't used it before, however these people need to connect from Windows to Windows and use the Linux server in the middle for the VPN if at all possible, sorta like some routers offer. It seems like the Windows machine they connect to wouldn't have VPN. The VPN session would be betweem the Linux server and the client machine. Everything would encrypt between the two and then the Linux server would send the data to the Windows host machine.