I really enjoy working from home. It’s relaxing, comfortable, and I don’t have to commute! However, I always had to remember to bring home a laptop and any files I needed. What if I forget one of them? Worse still, what if the laptop is stolen and my data is lost or compromised? Your BC200 can help you out. It’s not a new feature, but it really is a useful one. I’m talking about a Virtual Private Network, which is a simple way to connect to the office network from anywhere with an Internet connection. It takes just a few steps to set up, too. Open Business Central Manager, and click on Remote Office Access. Follow the instructions to set up either a PPTP or IPsec VPN. I’m going to recommend the ‘Help’ files this time, rather than have you follow my instructions. Just click the ‘Learn More…’ BUTTONS if you’re not sure what is right.

Here are some creative uses for a VPN, some that you may not have heard of:

• connecting to an office file server, so you can work from home.
• sending documents to network printers at the office.
• backing up data remotely, just in case something happens to your home machine or laptop.
• using a work softphone at home – the callers will never know that you’re at home, instead of at your desk. You’re still reachable, but callers don’t ever need to know your home number.
• accessing company web servers for editing web pages or using a business instant messaging application.
• making a proxy connection for Internet traffic – one of our contractors used her BC200 to watch her favourite local TV via Slingshot while she worked overseas!
• deterring traffic snoopers – it is safer to use a VPN when you’re using a hotspot, for example.

So there you have it. It’s not much work to set up, but it really does open up a lot of connectivity possibilities. I’m going to leave it there for this week.

-Dave.

(P.S. – I’m not in my office while I write this!)

Well, now you can! If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, the SipPhone on iPhone  ($6.99) from VNetCorp allows you to make and receive office calls from any wireless hotspot, anywhere in the world, without using your regular cellular phone service. Your iPhone becomes an extra office phone that rings when your desk phone does, for free! Think of it as a cordless phone that works while you are in the office and also from any wireless hotspot.

To set up your iPhone as a wireless phone for Business Central

1. First, create a new softphone for your workspace in Business Central Manager

• be sure to write down the SIP user/account (it will look something like ‘10007’)

• also write down the LAN IP address of the your Business Central which can be found under ‘Local Area Network Settings’

**note you will need to be logged in as a Systems Administrator to do steps 1 and 2

2. Download the SipPhone iPhone application through the App Store (search for “SipPhone on iPhone”) and configure it.

1. Open SipPhone, Tap Accounts, then Tap Edit.

2. Tap ‘+’ and you should see the following:

3. Tap Domain and enter the LAN IP address that you wrote down earlier.

4. Tap Username and enter the SIP user/account name that you wrote down earlier (for example, 10007.)

5. Tap Password and enter anything as a password; Business Central does not require a password, but SipPhone requires you to enter one.

6. Tap Save, Tap Done, then Tap the on/off toggle button to turn SipPhone on.

3. Now all you have to do is connect your iPhone to your Business Central network. There are three ways to connect:

1. In the office through the Business Central wireless network. See your iPhone instructions for information about setting up the connection.

2. At home, a coffee shop, a hotel, or elsewhere through a wireless hotspot. Connect your iPhone to the wireless hotspot first, then connect to your Business Central through a VPN connection. See your iPhone instructions for information about setting up PPTP VPN connections.

3. At a remote office through an IPsec VPN router. Simply connect a wireless access point to the VPN router and then connect wirelessly from your iPhone, just like you were in the office.

That’s it! You can now make and receive your Business Central calls through your iPhone or iPod Touch.

NOTE: To use SipPhone on an iPod Touch, you will also need a microphone or a headset with a microphone.

NOTE: If you do not have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can use a Polycom SpectraLink 8002 wireless phone in the office. To receive calls outside the office, you can also forward your calls to any external phone through your workspace’s incoming call flow.