Teamviewer/VPN/WIFI box

[ssjwizard]

So a little bit of background on this project. I recently accepted a position as senior manager over an inbound sales call line of business. To do my job effectively I need to be able to track the teams AUX states, and call times ETC in realtime. While I do have this ability at my desk through our local VNC server the reality is that I do not spend most of my day at my desk, so I want to go with a portable setup. Challenge #2 the VNC server is of course only available on the internal network, and we do not have WIFI in the building for security reasons(kinda) and our phones run on POE so the cabling is already in place.

Goal #2 I need to be able to access my real time reporting software when I am not on site. Again this software is only available through the local network. Our IT team does not have a VPN setup for us to use(that and most of the other managers are not as tech savvy so yeah...).

My boss suggested I have IT install team viewer on my local machine which does sort of solve goal #2 except that I also need to be able to monitor calls when I am not on site and doing this through my PC using TeamViewer would result in the recordings being played through the speakers at my desk and that presents a major privacy/security issue.

So my thoughts bring me to this idea. I want to setup a small headless box which I can access remotely and double up as a secure WIFI AP for my personal use. MY thoughts are to get a tablet something along the lines of a surface pro(dont really like these, but it seems to be suitable for my purposes) that I can install outlook, VNC viewer, and google chrome onto so as I move around the call floor I will have all my tools with me.

As for the box I was thinking something along the lines of this with maybe 4GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD in it. The plan is to chain the ethernet cable from my phones output into this box on one port, and use the box as a bridge to then connect my PC to the other port thereby removing the need to purchase a hub or switch. Use the box built in wifi to create an ad-hoc network that I can connect the tablet to. And last but not least either set it up as a VPN server OR simply install TeamViewer and MS office onto the thing and control it remotely.

So a quick couple of questions come into mind. First is a machine like this fast enough for what I want to do considering I have to manipulate Excel files that range in the 500+MB range? Also can TeamViewer be setup on a headless box?

Any input on this topic is greatly appreciated.

 

[ssjwizard]

So I am thinking if I go this route this is approximately what I would setup.

 

[ssjwizard]

So ya a bit of searching and I discovered that TV can definitely be setup headless, but I may need a dummy plug depending on how it reacts, so I will probably just order one to be on the safe side.

I would still like some input on this overall setup. Is there a better way to accomplish what I am trying to do? Do I need beefier hardware?

I also found THESE tablets, which seem like it would be suitable for what I am trying to do, so good on that as it will save me some $$.

 

[knoober]

Im gonna reply here, but I stopped in because I saw your other thread. As to teamviewer running headless, its way possible. I do use a dummy plug because i cant get boot without it, but FWIW Ive heard some folks be surprised that the plug is necessary. I use a home made solution like this one. What OS are you running? I can pass sound from Windows to Windows but Linux to Windows is a no go, so I dont know if that makes any difference for you. I can administrate my home network from my phone with teamviewer as well. I cant quite remember if sound passes from the linux box through the phone and I cant test it now, but I think it did work....all that is to say that a tablet may be able to do what you like.

I need to be able to access my real time reporting software when I am not on site.

once again Im not sure of your OS ( looking at you tablet seems like Windows? ) , but ssh (Linux) should be able to show you a few things. Im not even sure what the Windows version of ssh is, but I know there is something.

 

[ssjwizard]

The box is going to run on Win 7 pro. My realtime reporting is in the form of an ASP site so google chrome. Sadly its an all windows environment, but as a result it does make for predictable results. The tablet will basically just run TightVNC, Outlook, and Chrome. The box though will be used for alot of different stuff.

Not sure if passing the ethernet through the box or going with a hub/switch is the better solution, but I am aiming for the most minimal setup to make this happen. I also wonder what the range on the wifi for this is. My desk is centrally located in an area about 150' wide by about 50' deep, so I think it will be sufficient for what I am trying to do.

I think that this system should be powerful enough for what Im trying to do. My actual desktop give me fits with some of what I try to do, but its an I5 650 @3.2Ghz with 4Gb of RAM and it looks like I have about 3.8Gb of crap in my pagefile right now. I think even though its a low power box, the 4 true cores of a newer architecture and the additional 4Gb of RAM should prevent there from being issues.

My specialty is high end PCs so when I get into the realm of these pseudo IT type decisions I just don't trust my gut.

 

[knoober]

I can't speak for Outlook, but tightVNC and Chrome run fine on most tablets. I didn't look real hard at the specs but at that price I would expect a quad core (average for low/mid range quad tablet is 1.2ghz) and a reasonable amount t of on board storage and memory (3-5gb internal is usual - don't forget an SD card for extra storage needs)

WiFi depends on the router, and I've had some that could live up to 802.11 spec and some that don't. I guess I would see if you can connect from a smart phone at that range to see if it's even a possibility. Keep in mind though that phones have nice WiFi relievers so you may not see that performance from other devices, but you can establish a baseline at least.

I'm not a hardware guru by any means but I can't imagine 3+ghz quad not being enough for an a reasonable workload. I always err to the side of "too much" rather than not enough for ram though. Think of it this way, you could get an 8gb kit and have enough to set up a caching proxy and dns server in a virtual machine (wagex has a guide in the Alt. OS section, even though it is for gaming it should be adaptable to your network and help clear any bottle necks)

Edit: I took a closer look at the specs and you should have most of what you need without getting an extra SD card for storage. 1gb of system memory will not leave you room to do a whole lot beyond what you already stated though, so if you intend to expand you use of the tablet you should a) get one with more ram b) learn how to optimize. I know you can enable swap space (page file in Windows) on Android, but have no idea if windows offers a similar solution. Also swap is turned off by default in Android because of excessive read/write will kill your SD card prematurely. This may not be a big deal for you personally, but I thought I would mention it.