VPN for Windows Powershell

[Canto666Hades]

On my home PC I do a lot of work with python scripts in Windows PowerShell and I need a way to remotely access my PC. I simply need to be able to run scripts and move files around. I've never set up a VPN before, for myself, and would assume this is what I'd need.

 

How do I start? What tools? What tutorials to teach me how to set it up?

[Eigenvektor]

Check if your router supports VPN, i.e. see if it can work as a VPN server. Otherwise you'd have to install a VPN server on a machine that is running and make sure that port is reachable from the outside (Internet). If your external IP address isn't static, you probably want a service like no-ip, so you don't have to keep track of a changing IP all the time (even if you don't, a host name is probably easier to remember than an IP).

 

When you're connected to your home network through VPN you're basically on your home network. That means you can then simply use Remote Desktop to access your PC.

[mariushm]

Look into a VNC server... tightvnc is freeware, realvnc has a free version as well.

You set it up as a remote desktop server, and configure a port forward rule in your router/modem so that you can access your computer from outside.

Optionally, configure a free domain using something like https://freedns.afraid.org/

 - you signup and tie your home IP to a domain like canto.us.to  and you can then use vnc viewer (like remote desktop connection) to connect to your home pc

[Eigenvektor]

2 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Look into a VNC server... tightvnc is freeware, realvnc has a free version as well.

I would recommend against that for security reasons. https://www.tightvnc.com/faq.php#howsecure

 

You can certainly use VNC (but why, if you have RDP), but do it over a VPN or through an SSH tunnel, please.

[manikyath]

if it's only your own stuff, only to reach your own computer from your own other computer, try teamviewer, it has an optional point-to-point VPN that works just about everywhere.

[dalekphalm]

31 minutes ago, Canto666Hades said:

On my home PC I do a lot of work with python scripts in Windows PowerShell and I need a way to remotely access my PC. I simply need to be able to run scripts and move files around. I've never set up a VPN before, for myself, and would assume this is what I'd need.

 

How do I start? What tools? What tutorials to teach me how to set it up?

You've got a couple of choices. Depends on how much security you want, how much control you want, and how easy you want it to be.

 

1. You could setup your own VPN server, and then RDP or even using Remote Powershell protocol, etc. You could also use VNC applications here.

2. You could use a cloud based remote desktop service like Teamviewer - these are stupid easy to setup, and are also fairly secure.

 

There are other, less desirable methods as well.

[mariushm]

1 hour ago, Eigenvektor said:

I would recommend against that for security reasons. https://www.tightvnc.com/faq.php#howsecure

 

You can certainly use VNC (but why, if you have RDP), but do it over a VPN or through an SSH tunnel, please.

Remote desktop service is not available in some versions of windows (ex windows home edition)

 

RealVNC has 256 bit encryption for everything (not just authentication) but not available in the "free" mode (for the pre- realvnc Connect versions).

 

There's a free version for home users of RealVNC Connect which is limited to 128bit AES encryption ... requires to set up a free Cloud account on their system : https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/home/

 

 

Even so, yes, the DES encryption for login is weak, but after you login, you still have to enter your windows username and password and that's a 2nd protection.

Also, even if the DES encryption is weak and someone could brute force it, you can still configure VNC to refuse connections from an IP once several failed attempts are made. So... someone would have to be really motivated to try a few passwords at a time from loads of IPs just to guess your VNC password, and then they'd have to also guess your Windows password.

If you set the VNC server port to something that's not default so that automated proxy scanners (and other bots) don't pick it directly, usually you're fine.

 

But whatever.. if you want set up a VPN or whatever, complicate your life.

[Eigenvektor]

20 minutes ago, mariushm said:

Even so, yes, the DES encryption for login is weak, but after you login, you still have to enter your windows username and password and that's a 2nd protection.

Yep, and that part of the transaction, meaning your keypresses, is no longer encrypted. At least in TightVNC: "Although TightVNC encrypts VNC passwords sent over the net, the rest of the traffic is sent as is, unencrypted". So yes, you'd have to brute force the VNC password, but your input is sent in the clear, so if someone can see your network traffic, they can "see you" enter your username and password.

 

Quote

But whatever.. if you want set up a VPN or whatever, complicate your life.

Eh, personally I'd just use a Linux box and use SSH as a tunnel, very easy to set up.