How do I remote connect to my vpn-connected pc?

[morden]

I was wondering how I can connect to my home network from a remote computer. I recently signed up with a vpn provider...so now how do I access my pc now? For example, if I want to connect to my personal ftp server, how do I go about that from a remote pc? Is a vpn-client required to do this?

Thanks in advance to all!

 

[AdvHomeServer]

Connecting to your home network remotely is separate and distinct from using the vpn provider you mentioned. The term 'vpn' is ambiguous.

A third party vpn provider offers secure communication from your pc to a web page via their secure servers. Your communication is encrypted using the vpn provider's protocols. The vpn provider stands in the middle between you and the endpoint you want.

A remote communication to your home network is a different kind of vpn. It's one you create yourself. Most home sites create a web url for themselves and use DDNS for that name to point to their home server. PPTP is a common protocol, but is not especially secure. SSL based vpns are secure but a little complicated to set up, let alone understand if you don't know anything about certificates.

I suppose there's no reason why you can't use your third party vpn provider to securely access your home network via your personal vpn. PPTP might even be secure in this instance. Seems a little over-complicated, though.

There's an easier alternative. TeamViewer is secure and easy to set up. You don't need any kind of vpn. It's free for home, non-commercial use. It's a remote desktop application that permits file transfers. Look up TeamViewer and give it a try.

My web site provides a lot of basic instruction about certificates and vpns in general and includes an article about Teamviewer. Directly including the link here gets people upset.

 

[CaptainSTX]

The type of VPN you signed up for secures your connection from the device you are running the VPN on to the VPN providers server you are connecting to.

If you want to connect to your home network using a VPN you will have to run the VPN server on your network.

Another option is to use FTP to connect from computers on the Internet to a FTP server on your network. Many routers let you set up an FTP server. FTP isn't as secure as VPN, but if you are only going to run a PPTP VPN connection they are not very secure either.

To do either you will need to set up an account with Dynamic DNS or some other organization so you can reach the non static public IP address assigned to you by your ISP.

I run an FTP server on my router only when I think I will need it. The port forwarding rules to reach the file server are turned on only during certain hours, I have a very secure fifteen character password, I have double NATed routers and finally the files are only copies of photos I have taken on various trips stored on an USB thumb drive. Nothing that can't be replaced and nothing that I care that someone would look at. My logs have never shown any attempt to hack into my FTP files.