[BPearce]

Here's the scenerio: we've recently upgraded to internet access via cable modem, which we can access wirelessly through a (Graphite) AirPort Base Station. I'm using an iBook; I'm going to purchase a WiFi card for my wife's PC, so she'll be able to do the same.

One of our primary goals is for my wife to be able to access her office network with VPN , using IPsec. As far as I can tell (based on lots of research with Google), I won't be able to do this with the equipment I have on hand, as the original AirPort Base Station won't support it. Which leads me to ask:

Is there an inexpensive router that I can use with the AirPort Base Station I already own to do this? (I'd like to avoid having to buy a new ABS unless it's the best solution.

Will it still be possible to share an Internet connection through the ABS and do this?

*Any* help would be appreciated; the more elaborate the explanations, the better, as I'm not well-versed by any means in this stuff.

Thanks!

[ghporter]

You can put any of the inexpensive gateway routers between your cable modem and your ABS. Tell the router to provide DHCP addresses, tell the ABS not to, and you're pretty much in business

Some of these routers are optimized (supposedly) for VPN, though you're going to hear a lot of talk about "the crap Company X puts out!" circulating in the many forums about such things. Don't believe 99% of the rants, but do pay attention to solid reviews by such people as Practically Networked, PC Magazine, and the like. Note that it is human nature to gripe about stuff that we don't like, but to smugly go about our business when things go our way.

My Linksys BEFSR41 has IPSec Pass Through, which should allow your wife's VPN to work; it works for a friend of mine using VPN. The only catch is that your wife will have to use a CAT5 cable to her notebook when she wants to use the VPN, rather than going wireless.

[BPearce]

Originally posted by GHPorter:
My Linksys BEFSR41 has IPSec Pass Through, which should allow your wife's VPN to work; it works for a friend of mine using VPN. The only catch is that your wife will have to use a CAT5 cable to her notebook when she wants to use the VPN, rather than going wireless.

Based on your reply, I'm assuming the only option for my wife to access the VPN by wireless is to replace the AirPort Base Station with a comparable WiFi product that supports this stuff...correct? (Meaning there cannot be an intermediary device between the router and the computer.) This is particularly important, as my wife's PC is a portable. (Or as portable as a PC gets, anyway.)

Thanks for the advice!

[ghporter]

The only way for your wife to wirelessly use her VPN is to use an access point that supports IPSec-the AirPort Base Station doesn't, but there are several non-Apple products that do. As a side note, any access point with dual, external antennas will have greater range and signal quality than any access point, like the ABS, that doesn't. I like my Linksys WAP11, which allows me to use my (generally reviled for its own range issues) WPC11 PC card in my PC laptop anywhere in the house. My internal Cisco-equipped laptop has even better range.

One secret for range is to put your access point as high above the floor as possible. This seems to avoid interference from furniture, people, etc., and dramatically improved my coverage at home.

[howardm4]

well, I use a Lucent RG1000 which is the
same hardware as the original ABS. I
also use an Asante 3004 router and
w/ that combination, have zero problems
doing wireless VPN to my office.

And, come to think of it, one guy in my
office uses an ABS w/ a Linux laptop
and it too connects to the office VPN. So,
I think statements like the ABS won't
work are not accurate. Perhaps it's
because the ABS (or RG1000) is running
in BRIDGE mode.

From what I know, the Linksys integrated
WAP/router works fine but in a cruel
twist of firmware bugs, you have to turn
OFF IPsec passthru in order to get
wireless VPN to work. Several people
in my office have that Linky box.

[ghporter]

I think the problem is not the RG1100 hardware, but rather the firmware that runs it. If used as a stand alone, wired and wireless router I think it may work with IPSec, but I don't have one to play with to be able to say...