I use a vpn tunnel to communicate with the network at work. It won't change your vfp client (I don't think your customer understands the difference). Your vfp software will work the same as it does now. Before you launch your vfp app though, a vpn will be established by clicking on a shortcut to that software and it configures a secure 'tunnel' for communications between your machine and the main site or network. It basically makes your machine 'appear' to be on the same network although it is not. That is typically done using hardware and software at the main site and just software (a different type of client software) on the client. Is your software at your client's site not sitting on a workstation that is physically located on the same network as the data? A vpn tunnel is normally used to connect a workstation with a remote site over the internet.

This may help you:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n100858.asp
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/security/2004/09/23/vpns_and_pki.html

We use Cisco but there are many less expensive options out there. I'm assuming the network manager already has one in place and just wants to install the client on the workstation. If that is the case, the user would click on that icon first to intiate the vpn tunnel and then he/she will launch your app. It doesn't make sense though unless the customer is not in the same network...


>I customer wants me to connect to their server using what he refers to as VPN tunnel instead of VFP client.
>
>He explained to me that VPN tunnel is when "the network administrators would swap IP addresses (or ranges) of the machines which will need access and set up a permanent tunnel." I don't want to sound too ignorant and ask him too many questions, so I wanted to ask the experts here first.
>
>Since he was talking about swapping IP addressed, I am not sure this would work for me. I believe that my ISP assigns an IP dynamically, that is I don't have a static IP. Would this make it impossible for me to use the VPN tunnel?
>
>Thank you in advance for any suggestion or input.