Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Administrators Companion (IT-Administrators Companion)

Chapter 31

Routing and remote access services have been around in one form or another—under the names Remote Access Service (RAS), Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS), and Dial-Up Networking—in every version of Microsoft Windows NT. In Microsoft Windows 2000, this service is called Routing and Remote Access, though you may still see the acronym RRAS used.

A computer running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Routing and Remote Access acts as a remote access server. This server authenticates users and enables the use of services typically available to a LAN-connected user (file and print sharing, applications, messaging, and so forth). The remote access server can connect remote users to the network using both virtual private network (VPN) and dial-up technology. Windows 2000 also supports Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS), the well-known authentication method used by many Internet service providers (ISPs). The user signs in with a name and password, which is then passed on to a server that authenticates the user and authorizes access.

Routing and Remote Access is a very large subject. This chapter focuses on new models and functionalities in Windows 2000. As in many areas of network administration, the complexities of Routing and Remote Access are more apparent than real. However, it is possible to plunge in and create an amazing amount of confusion if you don't first understand the concepts underlying the options.