How often do you use a free WIFI service from a coffee company or restaurant and do you think it is secure?  I was asked this question recently.
The truth is not very safe at all.  If someone wanted to and you were not protecting yourself then they could quite easily by using programs available on the internet.  To see this in action goto the BBC watchdog website and see for yourself.

The solution is to use a VPN.

You have a few options here

1. Buy VPN access, you can buy this which has a lot of security and one company I looked at had servers in Livingstone
2. Configure your server for VPN access and this will give you access to all your resources on your network
3. Configure your Windows operating system to act like a VPN server but this will only allow you access to this computer only

If you use public WIFI a lot and want the best performance then the best option is to buy your VPN access, while this will not give you access to your resources on your computer or network it is the easiest to do and again has the best performance.
If you want to have your own VPN access but do not have it yet then I will show, you links on how setup your own PC or laptop to act like a VPN server.  However if you want your server setup as a VPN server then I would get this done by your IT support provider (or me) as you can force better security which I would recommend.  While I advise you use VPN for better security I cannot guarantee you will be 100% safe.
Please remember that after you have setup Windows to act like a VPN server you will need to configure your router and firewall to allow these connections otherwise it will not work.  Due the large amount of routers and different firewalls available, I cannot go into detail on how to set these up but if your router does not support PPTN or VPN then you will need to create a port forward for port 1723.

VPN incoming connections

Windows XP VPN setup (not my page as I don’t have XP)

Windows Vista incoming VPN setup

Windows 7 incoming VPN setup
Depending on your firewall, you will need to allow access for port 1723.
Now that you have setup your connections, you need a way of finding your computer on the internet.  If you have bought a broadband package with a static IP address then you can use this but if not then you have a few options.  Download and setup a program called NO-IP, which is free for personal use and instructions can be found on their website or if your router supports it you can setup DDNS again instructions are on their website.

Now all you need to do is setup the VPN outgoing connection

XP out going VPN connection was shown above

Vista outgoing VPN connections follow these steps

1. Go to Start -> Connect To
2. Click the Set up a new connection or network Option.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and select Connect to a workplace, then click Next.
4. Select the Use my Internet Connection option.
5. Type in your VPN internet address.
6. Enter a User name and password that has been granted access to the host computer.
7. You can use the Connect To option in the Start menu.

Windows 7 outgoing VPN connections follow these steps

1. First, go to Control Panel and open Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click on Set up a new connection or network.
3. Select Connect to a workplace then click on Next.
4. Select Use my internet connection (VPN).
5. Type the IP address or computer name where you wish to connect and your connection name under the Destination name field.
6. Enter a User name and password that has been granted access to the host computer.
7. For connecting your VPN connection, you can either right-click on the Network icon in the system tray and select Network and Sharing Center or go to Control Panel and open Network and Sharing Center, and click on Connect to a network.
8. Now connect VPN Connection windows will appears.

iPhone and iPod touch: Setting up VPN

Configure VPN<

Choose Settings > General > Network > VPN and then choose Add VPN Configuration. Ask your network administrator which settings to use. In most cases, if you have set up a similar VPN on your computer, you can use the same VPN settings for your device.
Turn VPN on or off

Once you’ve created a VPN configuration, the option to turn VPN on or off appears in the main Settings screen. When you are connected using VPN, the VPN icon appears in the status bar.

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