Software for running a VPN within Windows 10

atxcyclist · January 14, 2020

I have a file server at my office that I'm looking to upgrade, but I also want to add VPN functionality for occasional offsite work and file availability. I'm looking for software that runs natively in Windows 10, no virtualization or anything like that, and dumbed-down enough that an average Joe like myself can manage it. I'm aware I'll need a static IP from our ISP, and that I'll need to fiddle around in the router for port forwarding. Running this internally is the goal here, I don't need region-unlocking or anything specific that a VPN service (PIA or similar) offers.

The server side is easy; we're currently running a C2D 2.93 ghz, 2gb DDR3, pleb 7200rpm 1TB boot and data drive. We do Revit/AutoCAD work and this setup is pretty good for the 2-3 people in our office at any given time. However, I don't want to task that pile with anything else, thus the upgrade. I've got a Phenom X6, motherboard, and 16gb of ram sitting in an otherwise empty case at home, just itching for deployment; I'm sure whatever software I ended up with would not put a huge hurt on that hardware.

So, what software will allow this? I don't really know where to look, as any search for VPN seems to direct me to a service where we'd pay and someone else would manage it. I know Windows does offer some baked-in VPN service, but an Apple computer would be used from time to time to access this stuff offsite, so as far as I'm aware that will not work. I need to be able to pass those mapped drives through the VPN, and that's key, to be able to use Revit. I'm looking to be able to pick up the drives on an offsite computer and use them just like it would be at the office, with a drive designation and the same type of read/write access.