Answers...

to commonly asked questions.

Adding items to the dock

Scotty,

I am getting ready to purchase a mac mini server.  I will be using the server for law firm documents.  Confidentiality is key.  

What do I need to do to be able to have access to the server from the internet?  What is a VPN and what do I need to get one set up that is secure?

___________

Ok. Small question with big answers. In order to access your server reliably from the internet you need what’s called a static IP address. Generally, your ISP (internet service provider) gives your home a dynamic IP address. This means it changes all the time. It’s a number like 123.345.456. But when this number changes then it’s basically a moving target. If you purchase a static IP, that means you are purchasing one of those numbers and your IP address will not change. This is more common in business than in the home due to the cost involved. Once you have a static IP, you can always see the server online from other areas of the world.

Now, this is not the only way to remote back to your server at home or computer for that matter. There are other ways to do so. There is a service called DynamicDNS. That will allow you to do the same thing without the need of a static IP. It is basically always checking your dynamic IP and keeping a record of it.

Then there’s the fisher-price version of remoting in that is included with a MobileMe subscription. it works sometimes. But is reliant on all the routers between the two computers trying to connect to be set to UPNP (universal plug an play).

Off all these methods, I would consider having a static IP to be the most secure but most costly.

Now to answer your VPN question: A VPN is a virtual private network. That encrypts all the traffic between two computes thus making the connection secure. Perhaps the most common VPN software available is VPN tracker. I’ll be honest however, it can sometimes be a little difficult to deal with. Mac OS X also has a built in VPN service but is more of a hassle to deal with than VPN tracker.

Here are a couple vids to get your feet wet:

YouTube - How to Configure MAC OS-X VPN
YouTube - How to set up a VPN on Mac

One last thought. Many people think they need a server to serve files remotely. A server’s real core purpose is to allow multiple users to sign in from multiple terminals (or computers) in a given environment. In other words, if I work on the 5th floor of a Bank but need to log in on the 3rd floor, a server will allow me to access my user account from any computer. My files then don’t live on the computer but the server. This is a different thing completely from accessing documents outside the business. That’s where the static IP conversation above comes in. None of that is contingent on whether the computer you are trying to connect to is a server or not. It can just as easily be an iMac.
This image is a theme.plist hack