My Windows XP Pro/Windows 2000 Pro as Remote Access (VPN) Server

You can use your Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional machine to act as a Remote Access server to support a limited number of Remote Access Clients. You can configure an incoming connection to accept the following connection types: dial-up (modem, ISDN, X.25), virtual private network (VPN) (PPTP, L2TP), or direct  (serial, infrared). This configuration is useful in the following scenarios: (1) You want to connect from your main office to branch office (or vice versa) to get some data and you don't require a full blown remote access server installation. (2) You want to connect to your home computer from office etc., This feature is called "Incoming Connections". By creating a "incoming connection", a Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional computer can act as a Remote Access server.

How to configure "Incoming Connections" on XP Pro computer?

  1. Go to Control Panel->Network Connections->File->New Connection
  2. Select "Set up an advanced connection" in the New Connection Wizard and click Next
  3. Select "Accept incoming connections" and click Next
  4. Select the Device for incoming connection and click Next
  5. If you want to allow VPN based incoming connection, select so and click Next
  6. Select the users that you should be allowed a connection and complete the wizard.

You would see a "Incoming Connections" in Network Connections folder. And would also see a connected client (after connection is established) in the same folder.

For more information on this topic, check https://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/howto_conn_incoming.mspx?mfr=true

-Srivatsan Kidambi

Development Lead
Routing and Remote Access Team,

Windows Enterprise Networking

[This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.]