Considering Outsourcing Options

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Outsourcing part or all of a remote access solution through a wholesale contract with an Internet service provider (ISP) can provide some organizations significant cost savings, minimizing both setup and operations costs. You can purchase a wholesale contract with an ISP that provides a guaranteed level of service for some or all components of your remote access solution. An ISP can provide access to an extensive network of connections across a wide geographical area for a fixed cost. Many ISPs provide a guaranteed level of service that rivals those of dial-up wide area network (WAN) connections.

If you are deploying a dial-up networking solution, consider outsourcing your deployment to avoid the long-distance charges that you are likely to accrue.

If you are deploying a VPN solution, an ISP can provide many of the components required to support VPN access, including:

  • Network access servers (NASs) for access from various geographical access points.

    If you outsource support, ensure that the NASs that the ISP provides meet your access requirements. VPN users dial first into a NAS. Unless your outsourcing agreement specifies the support required from the ISP’s NASs, including connection speeds, device support, and levels of service, the NASs can be the weak link in your VPN solution.

  • RADIUS proxy servers for routing of access requests to the enterprise.

    You can either contract with the ISP to provide authentication services or have the ISP use a RADIUS proxy and send authentication requests to a RADIUS server that you manage.

  • Phone book support for delivering the latest access numbers either to the enterprise or directly to the client.