Virtual Private Networking (VPN) is normally used for large corporate networks, but home routers manufactured by Linksys give home users a way to connect to their network remotely. Linksys routers come with a user interface that is accessible through a web browser navigating to the IP of the router. Configuring VPN on a Linksys takes only a few steps.
Step
Open your browser and type the IP of the Linksys router in the address bar. The software prompts you for a username and password.
Step
Click the "Security" tab and select "VPN."
Step
Select "IPSec VPN Tunnel" from the "Tunnel Entry" listbox.
Step
Enter the tunnel name in the textbox. This can be any name you wish that is recognizable to you.
Step
Select "Subnet" from the listbox in the "Local Secure Group" section. Enter the internal IP address. Typical internal, small home networks are 192.168.0.1 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.
Step
Select "Subnet" from the listbox in the "Remote Secure Group" section. Enter the IP address of the gateway. Typical internal, small home networks use192.168.2.0 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.
Step
Select "IP Address" in the section labeled "Remote Secure Gateway." This is the remote gateway of the host provider for your DSL.
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Select "Auto (IKE)" under the "Key Management" section.
Step
Select "3DES" in the section labeled "Encryption" and "SHA1" for "Authentication."
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Ensure that "PFS (Perfect Forward Secrecy)" is enabled and enter the pre-shared key password. This is any password you prefer to use. Enter a lifetime value in milliseconds.
Step
Click "Save Settings" and close the browser.
