Windows 2000 has VPN support

Microsoft's Windows 2000 support for virtual private networks was greeted with both joy and disappointment at the recent VPNCon conference.

Joy because Microsoft's clout and ubiquity mean VPN capability will come standard with the new operating system.

Disappointment because some potential customers misunderstood what the VPN capabilities were all about and were hoping for something more.

The VPN support includes both point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP) and Layer 2 tunneling protocol (L2TP) to establish secure connections over the Internet. Users get to decide which one they will use.

Many users at the conference thought Microsoft would use an all-IP Security VPN implementation. But Microsoft says the IPSec standard is still too much in flux to include in Win 2000. PPTP and L2TP are well-established standards, the company says.

But even competitors to Microsoft say its Win 2000 VPN client/server package is good for all VPN users and vendors. It gives customers who are upgrading to Win 2000 the option to try VPNs.

VPN gear vendors say Win 2000 VPNs will educate customers about the practical problems and benefits of the technology. In turn, these vendors hope such awareness will make their more sophisticated gear more attractive.

Depending on your security needs, Win 2000 VPNs may be the way to go for your enterprise. Or it may be useful for only certain applications within your enterprise. Either way, if you buy into Win 2000, be sure to check it out and weigh the potential benefits.

Win 2000 VPN technology causes stir
Network World, 01/10/00.

Microsoft struts Windows 2000 VPN features
Network World, 09/13/99.

Windows 2000 research page

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