Sometimes it can be useful to have a VPN connection into your home network, luckily setting up a VPN service on Windows Home Server is childs play…

Create the VPN Network Connection on your WHS

1. Get the access of your server using a remote desktop connection or via the Advanced Admin Console addin. Move to “Control Panel” – “Network Connections” and select “Create a new connection”. Select “Set up an advanced connection”.
2. Select “Accept incoming connections”, and then “Allow virtual private connections”. At the “User Permissions” screen, select the user to whom you want to get the VPN access. Select “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)”. Choose “Properties” and specify IP addresses in a range outside of the ones that are normally used by your DHCP. Confirm by selecting OK, then Next. Click Finish.
3. Now set up an exception in your firewall. You may need to forward port 1723 in your router to the Home Server IP address.

Setup the VPN Connection on your Laptop

1. On your laptop, run “New Connection Wizard” by going to “Control Panel” – “Network Connections”. Now select “Connect to the network at my workplace”. Then select “Virtual Private Network” connection and give a unique name to this connection.
2. Then enter the website name for your home server eg. xxx.homeserver.com. Then select “Do not use my smart card”, “Next” and “My Use Only”. After clicking “Next”, select the check “Add a shortcut to this connection to my desktop” and click “Finish”.
3. Test the connection by clicking on the shortcut created on your desktop. Enter the username and password. If the connection is setted up properly, test it to make sure everything was done correctly.
4. Make sure that VPN connection is active and the laptop is connected to the server.
5. Then install the connector software which will be found in the Software shared folder on the server.

It is also possible to use the Big Iron version within Windows 2003 Server (which forms the basis of Windows Home Server), if you disable the firewall service, enable the Routing and Remote Access service.

That said it’s not the obvious to setup this service, so I would recommend avoiding this route unless you know what you’re doing.

Instructions via Techarena

Remote Alert is a Windows Home Server add-in that provides remote access notification, additional security layers and remote access activity logging. Remote Alert permits WHS Administrators to monitor remote access attempts to their Windows Home Server.  Any attempt to log on to the WHS via a web browser is reported in real-time using the WHS Network Health task tray icon.

And it gets even better if combined with WHSTweet, as this will alert you though a tweet or direct mail message.

via Home Server Land .

I’ve installed this addon and am very impressed with the integration if you do build your own Windows Home Server

Information on a genuinely interesting little utility was posted in the WGS forums on Tuesday.  Normally, your computer will recognize your WHS as a computer on your network.  If you would like it to show up a drive under “My Computer”, try out this automated version of Jesse Torres’ instructions on how to do just that.

via We Got Served