Terminal Services, no VPN

[Andy74]

Hello,

I am running a database with Access front end and SQL backend, totally about 50 users. Some users are working overseas (US, China) and normally they connect to a terminal server through a VPN, while most of the users are within the LAN and working with local front ends. Back end is in the same LAN.
From terminal server it works fine but is there a way to simplify the log in to the terminal server without a VPN using some RDP application on mobile devices? I tried once Splashtop for single user, but I would need something for different user accounts entering the same terminal server. Using VPN is very frustrating for some users, and from China is seldom working....

Any suggestion would be appreciated!

Andy

 

[Minty]

You can get RDP on Android - but it still would rely on VPN, for you to connect to your network, unless you open up a static IP route into your network,(Pretty dodgy without a secure tunnel e.g. back to VPN)

The other option might be something like teamviewer but we've found that this is just as prone to poor connectivity as VPN. A web app might be the best way to go long term, but even that probably won't work from China, if the domain isn't held in the correct IP range.

 

[John.Woody]

RD client from Microsoft on IOS should do what you want.

 

[Andy74]

Thanks for the quick reply, I will have a look. I hope it will work on Windows server 2008...

 

[Andy74]

Hello, I thought it was solved but in fact according to our IT manager anything that will not use VPN will not be safe. So in any case I am still stuck at this point.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

If you are looking at security issues, a VPN (whether fixed or dynamic) is the only way to go. And that VPN will always require SOME type of credentials.

You might try a web search for "dynamically created VPN" or "dynamic VPN" or terms to that effect. We use one here but I don't know whether it is home-grown or a formal commercial product. Let me also ask, Andy - is your application military or commercial?

 

[Andy74]

The Application is purely commercial, basically it's a database to collect sales activities like offers, visit reports, projects, etc and it's also linked to our internal

 

[Andy74]

(I sent incomplete msg by mistake) internal system which includes delivery notes, production orders and so on.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

With commercial VPNs, you can get by with self-generated certificates as the basis for your encryption that is the embodiment of a VPN. Cheaper and less regulatory headaches. Trust me, not a bad thing. For me it is worse because I have a military site. In our case, it is not recommened, it is absolutely REQUIRED that we use a VPN if we are communicating off-site even if the destination site is also military.

My advice stands. If your IT person is recommending use of a VPN, why don't you ping him/her one more time for a suggested source of VPN software - if you don't have one already on site in the first place.