Why is Terminal Services more effective for remote access than a VPN?

Answer 1

It isn't, actually. You're comparing apples and oranges here, though.

Terminal Services allows the application to run on a server and display the desktop on your computer. Only the video stream updates, keyboard inputs and mouse movements go across the network. The advantages to terminal services are low bandwidth requirements and low client side processing load.

A VPN allows you to access a secure private network across the insecure internet. Common connections include site-to-site where two networks are connected across the internet and road-warrior where a VPN client is installed on your machine and you use that to connect to the private network. The primary advantage to VPNs is the lower cost of connectivity compared to a dedicated circuit while providing the same level of security as a dedicated circuit.

While it is technically possible to put up a Terminal Server on the internet for users to access it is not a wise idea. You get some security by limiting access to users with user IDs and passwords on the system but the system itself is still vulnerable to attack. Using a VPN with a Terminal Server is the way to go if you wish to allow users to connect remotely across the internet. That way you get the security of a VPN and the low bandwidth and low client processing load of Terminal Services.

Answer 2

I use vpn in my daily life for work, I swear by a free one called Hamachi. It is a p2p system, so you dont need a client server type thing, if you needed to get from one machine to another securely and remotely this is the way to go. It gives you a static IP address, NAT and Firewall traversal are not an issue, as it does nat traversal, ie a router/firewall on each end. If you set a god password, no one will be able to get in. I use it all the time and it has never given me any problems whatsoever. My 3 issues with it were price, functionality, and security. I'm happy to say, Price:FREE! Functionality: Excellent Security:Depends on your password, just pick a good one. This will protect you from "fumble-fingered kids and inquisitive teenagers" But you will need a firewall, or a good antivirus for the rest. I reccomend Nod32, lightweight, and catches all viruses, trojans, and worms(for the past 5 years anyway). It updates several times a day, instead of once a week like some other antiviruses -cough- norton -cough-

Answer 3

You are mixing up two things here.

Terminal Services is used to get the display of another networked PC onto the PC you are using.

VPN is used to connect your machine onto a different network, thus enabeling you to "see" the other machines on the network.

So you usually have to first connect using VPN to the Network and can then connect to a specific PC in that network using Terminal Services (now called Remote Desktop)