RE: VPN --Hardware/software confusion

Since they're talking about static IPs and VPNs in the router I'd say
they're talking about allowing you to VPN _into_ each of these
locations. It's probably a simple VPN server, and it probably accepts
requests from the VPN client built into Windows so "off you go."

Of course, that probably isn't what you want to do. I assume (Bad idea,
I know. <G>) that what you're talking about is having each of these
remote locations establish a tunnel _from_ the remote location _to_ your
central location. If so, the telco guy has it backward.

You want a router at each remote location that can establish a VPN
tunnel into your location. At it's simplest, the router starts the
tunnel and then looks at each packet and decides if this request go out
to the net (www.cnn.com) or be forwarded to corporate over the VPN
tunnel (5250 to i5). Of course, then you add in security concerns about
split-tunnel VPNs and you might decide to route everything to corporate
and then out to the internet from there. 

In either case, you need a VPN server setup in your central location. Do
you have one now? If so, the remote routers will have to talk to it
which might limit your options on the remote end. If you have nothing
you can buy to match on both ends.

I'm not aware of any good books on the issue since most deal with
setting up VPNs with single remote users, not remote groups of users.

-Walden