Implementing a virtual private network to create a secure and direct communication link between the two sites of Faculty of Computing and Information Technology

Abstract

This project was aimed at developing and implementing a Virtual Private Network to create a secure communication link between the two sites of the Faculty of Computing and Information Technology (FCIT). A Virtual Private Network is a privately owned data network that makes use of the public communication network for data transmission and avails security procedures and privacy by use of a tunneling protocol. Most faculties at Makerere University perform their duties in a single premise contrary to the case of FCIT. According to the present set up there is no communication between the two sites. As a solution to this we decided to undertake a project to implement a VPN between the old site and the new site that can be used as a private and secure data transmission link for the faculty. We developed this VPN in experimental level using two routers, one to be a gateway at the old site and the other at the new site. These two routers were connected with the DTE/ DCE serial crossover cables to simulate the Wide Area Network connection. On both routers we configured NAT Protocol to convert the static IP addresses from either network to public IP addresses for transmission over the intranet. Using this IPSEC protocol a VPN tunnel was established between the two hosts and the encryption key for data encryption was selected and the network tested for functionality. In this report is an elaboration of how the whole project was undertaken and the details of the results. We recommend that the Faculty embraces the use of a VPN to setup a communication between the two sites as enormous benefits like reduction in operational and management costs are realized