Win2003 EE Server Functions Setup Help?

[ChromWolf]

Howdy all!

I got myself one of those 180-day trials discs of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition from the MCSA class I'm taking, and am trying it out. I'm trying to set it up to do several functions;

• Router (I tried to do this with RRAS/VPN server function so far)
• DHCP Server (intend on moving all our normal computers behind the 2003 box)
• DNS Server (for faster lookups, rather than having to go to the internet; mostly just to play with it)
• Web Caching Proxy Server, tied in with....
• NAT system
• Firewall
• VPN Server
• IIS Server for Web Hosting (this is definitely just for playing around with)

However, I'm sorry to say, aside from setting up the 2003 box for those functions, I really don't know all the settings to configure, in what order, etc.

I should note that I'm also trying a 60-day (I think) trial of ISA Server 2004 for the VPN and firewall part.

I've got a Router and Switch; currently, all boxes are on the router, using the router's DHCP service. In the 2003 box, I've got two NICs; one for the "Router-side" connection, and one for the "Switch-side" connection. ...What IP addresses and default gateways should I have for both of these? For the Router-side one, as I say, it's getting its IP address from the Router's DHCP server. I assigned a static IP address for the Switch-side NIC, and tried setting the default gateway to the IP address of the Router-side NIC, but that didn't seem to do much (and windows complained that the default gateway wasn't on the same network; I figured that was okay, since I wanted to set the thing up as a router, but wanted to mention it here).

What am I doing wrong? How do I configure the server for all these functions? Is there a basic walkthrough/site for helping someone out with this? I like to try to learn by doing, but I really don't know where to begin.

Can anyone help?

[macko72]

http://www.visualwin.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...n/default.mspx
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art...dows_2003.html
http://www.netadmintools.com/art424.html

Sorry for doing it this way but there is a lot to write so it's better that you read already writen!!!

[ChromWolf]

No, I totally understand, and really, that's exactly what I was looking for!

I should mention that I was planning on running VPN through the ISA Server 2004, rather than the 2003-native VPN server function.... In truth, I'd like a public key/private key system, but I figure I can get by if I set up a one of those "home-made" 128-bit encryption certificates through a CA server.... That was experimentation to come once I got it working in the first place, though. ;>

Will this change the VPN setup link?

[ChromWolf]

Okay, change in plans. I've switched to the Windows Server 2003-native VPN server service, and will just be using MS-CHAP/MS-CHAP v2, PPTP, and forcing 128-bit encryption. I believe I'll also use the native Firewall service as well. I may include CHAP as well, but at this point, all potential clients will be Windows-based, and possibly even all WinXP Pro.

In any case, thanks VERY much, macko72, for the links! However, I think I've come to the point where they're a little too general for my needs, and I actually have questions specific to the setup I want.

1. I'm not using Active Directory (so, the 2003 server is in a workgroup environment), but want different usernames/passwords for each person I allow to connect to the VPN server. How can I go about doing that? ...I've configured a couple network interfaces for the two buddies I've gotten to help me test the VPN, and the interfaces allow a username and password, but don't seem to work, and I get the distinct feeling that's not where one configures different usernames/passwords for getting on. One buddy and I got a successful logon, but that's only because I trusted him enough to give him the Administrator account password for Windows itself.... (I suspect I'll still change it slightly even so) So yeah, how's this work?

2. In a quasi-related question, are the username and password transmission also under 128-bit encryption through PPTP, or does the encryption not happen until the connection itself is established?

3. How do I alter what IP address is handed out by the VPN server? Is that tied into the DHCP server function, and if so, how closely? (I do have the DHCP server function enabled, but it's not set up to handle handing out addresses to VPN clients (yet)). Should I add another scope in the DHCP server for this, or is it within the Routing and Remote Access util?

4. When someone is successfully connected to my server, will I be able to see their network shares, or will it only be that they will be able to see mine? Is a VPN connection to their computer required for me to see theirs? I like the idea of filesharing between my buddies back home in Wisconsin right over the internet, but I'd like it to be both ways.

...I'm sure I'll have other questions, but these are the big ones for right now. It seems to work more or less, I just need to work the bugs out. Thanks in advance for any help offered!