Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Atlántida, Canelones, Uruguay (MVD) and rarely GNV
Programs: AV LifeMiles, CM ConnectMiles, BA Exec Club. Former:ex-ASGold, ex-UA1K, ex-COPlat, ex-NWGold.
Posts: 2,673
Depending on your VPN connection software there may be other options. Certain versions of the Nortel Extranet VPN client have an option for using an SSL tunnel. Your company has to set up a externally-available website that you browse to, start a Java port redirector applet from, and then the VPN client points at an IP address right on your own laptop which is actually going thru the Java applet from the website. The internet connection "thinks" it's just browsing to an https secure website but it's really creating a full tunnel to your VPN server, and then your VPN client connects through that.
Yeah, I know, technobabble. But if your company IT supports that SSL connection type as well as the usual IPSec, it works great when inside hotel and client site firewalls, when going through routers that don't handle VPN thru NAT properly, that block the usual IPSec port 500, etc. Check with your IT guys to see if you have this option.
But I heartily recommend a Sprint EV-DO mobile broadband card as an excellent solution instead of depending on hotel WiFi free or otherwise for business travel connectivity.