Penri,
Thanks for the info about the Router that you sent to me by email. I'll post it here for completeness:
Technicolor
TG582n
SN: CP1536VFNTN
GW: DSLWBC583ULE2
MAC: C4RA1D58E2AC
I have done a search on the Internet for this device and found a few things. First. It is now obsolete and appears to have first been used by UK ISPs (such as Plusnet and Zen) around 2012. I have been unable to get hold of a User Manual for it, but if we have the admin password, then the info I have obtained should allow us to set it up to do port forwarding, Unfortunately, that will need to be done by someone on site.
Here are links to some of the useful stuff that I've found:
Port Forwarding:
https://support.aa.net.uk/Router_-_TG58 ... warding_UI
CLI Guide:
https://support.aa.net.uk/images/3/33/T ... public.pdf
Penri wrote: ↑15/05/2020, 14:05I'm preparing myself to paint a bleak future for our projects if remote access is not available and will outline three potential ways forward: VPN, new land line and 3/4G data connection. I have to finalise some ballpark costs for the last two options, are there any costs involved with VPN in the way you currently envisage it, we should allow for something?
Having secured the board's approval we can them get on with finding the router's paperwork or quizzing the ISP (or potentially changing the ISP if we get no cooperation).
There should be no cost associated with the preferred solution. Over the phone Paul has assured me that the Webserver Pi in the Railway Room Store has adequate performance to run the VPN Server in addition to the Webserver, Firewall and Audio Guide that it currently supports.
If we can't open up the Router (for whatever reason) then the minimal additional costs would be the those associated with switching ISP and / or putting a new Router in. The maximum are likely to be the 4G Dongle / Router solution as outlined earlier.
Penri wrote: ↑15/05/2020, 14:05When the subject was first raised I was told that we were some weeks away from needing the facility, so have been operating on those timescales. I don't want to pressure the board if the facility is not going to be used.
It would still take som time to assemble a test rig and test it before deployment.
Penri wrote: ↑15/05/2020, 14:05By the way, Terry if there are any other arguments I can bring to bear to raise the pressure on the board they would be welcome, ie is the web server going to be functional if you can't access it, have you been asked to make any changes to its content?
Apart from the current Requirement, the big argument for Remote Access is that we would be able to modify the files on the Webserver , eg quizzes and audio guides, without having to go on site.
Going forward, we would be able to download results from the River System instead of having to be on site.
I can't think of any other advantages at the moment. Anyone else got any thoughts?