Mac OS X Lion Server For Dummies®

Using Virtual Private Networks

A virtual private network (VPN) is a secure encrypted connection to a local network from outside it, typically made over the Internet. Remote users connected through a VPN see the local network, including servers and printers, as though they're connected directly to it. You can also connect two remote local networks through a virtual private network.

If you set up Lion Server as a private server (with a .private domain name), not serving to the Internet, a VPN is one way for users outside the building to privately connect to your hosted websites, wikis, and other services.

In Lion Server, you create virtual private network connections with the Server app. Veteran Mac administrators, take note that you can no longer set up VPN with Server Admin, as in previous versions of Mac OS X Server. You also have fewer options than in the past unless you go to the command line.

If you're setting up NAT on your server Mac and you're using the Mac server as an Internet gateway, the Gateway Setup Assistant is another choice for setting up VPN service. I describe how to use the Gateway Setup Assistant in the section “Hosting NAT on Lion Server,” earlier in this chapter.

VPN protocols: L2TP/IPSec and PPTP

Lion Server supports two alternative protocols for transporting encrypted data. The one you see in the Server app is Layer Two Tunneling Protocol/Secure Internet ...