>Well, I understand what you are saying about port forwarding. I know that your LinkSys
>can do this. I'm saying that technically speaking, there are protocols in place
>that do not work properly, in my experience, sitting behind a linksys router.
>
>Yes, you can do port forwarding with RAS through server 2003. It is much more capable
>than what your Linksys router is. I don't feel comfortable about having a PC hooked
>directly to the internet either. But, this is a server operating system, and RAS
>is designed to be hooked up that way. There is a firewall built in, and if all is
>configured properly it is, in my opinion, secure. I have multiple servers set up
>like this, where I use the server as a proxy server, firewall, etc... I haven't
>had any problems. Always keep your software patched ofcourse, but, in my opinion,
>the windows firewall is a very simple piece of software and when configured properly
>there is little chance of finding any vulnerabilities in it.
>
>When it comes to VPN, I really think this is how it is supposed to be designed, and
>I could not get it to work any other way behind a linksys router like you are trying
>to do it. It has been a while since I setup a VPN, or I could tell you better, technically,
>why it doesn't work properly, but I can't remember off hand now.
>
>As far as a static IP address goes - if you are not paying for a static IP address
>(usually a few dollars more a month), then you are never guaranteed to have the same
>IP. Its just the way it is. When you hook up a different device you are bound to
>get a new IP.
>