Hey everyone! I'm really new to infrastructure stuff, so I could use some guidance. I run a small business with less than 5 employees, and we're all working from home. I'm looking to set up a server at my place where my team can log in as individual users to handle tasks using programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Gmail. I'm hoping for something that mimics Citrix VDI but isn't as pricey since that doesn't fit our budget right now.
I have some background in development but not a lot of hands-on experience with server setups. I've been considering various options, but I'm unsure how to proceed and if a one-time purchase for this kind of solution is realistic. I'd be willing to invest in a powerful PC to act as a server, but I'm not sure how to make it work for multiple users simultaneously.
Also, an important aspect for our setup is ensuring sensitive company data remains secure and isn't accessible on personal devices. I want to enable my team to work remotely but keep our data safely on my home machine without them being able to copy anything to their personal devices. Any tips or plans to get started would be super helpful!
1 Answer
If you're looking to set this up efficiently, a solid VPN solution is key. Consider getting a low-end FortiGate or another dedicated VPN device for your home network. Then, set up a VPN connection for your users so they can access virtual machines using Windows' built-in remote desktop feature. It’s a straightforward process—creating an IPsec VPN on FortiGate can be done in just a few minutes! However, I'm curious—what's driving the need for remote access when they could use Office Online instead?
Good point! The main reason is about securing sensitive company data. We want to ensure that important files stay on my machine and can't be accessed or copied to personal devices. I'm definitely looking into FortiGate as you suggested.