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For a project I'm working on I need to be part-time based at our design consultant's office. We have set up a VPN on my PC at the consultant's office so that I could access our server.

Our department is using some quite expensive software so it doesn't make sense to purchase two licences for essentially one user so we are opting to install a network license which permits me to use the software at either location. The network license is hosted on the server and accessed when the software starts.

The person assisting me from our IT department is telling me that I need to bring in my PC to head office because they need to pull the license from the server, which does not make sense because I have full access to the server through VPN.

Other people in my office with laptops use the same software the way I intend, through VPN with a network license, without issues, but apparently when it gets installed I should have physical access.

I don't understand why there should be any difference between being connected to the VPN or physically. My experience on both computers are the same regarding access to the network, even the restrictions to my internet browsing applies when I'm on the VPN, as if I'm connected directly to the server.

Is there a difference to how my PC "reacts" to the server whether I'm connected through VPN or physically, or maybe how the server "reacts" to my PC?

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  • Only Idea I would think would be the IT either needs your MacAdress to License the software appropriately or Maybe when you connect each time though the VPN it gives you a different IP Address. Either way it seems you could have that done where you are. But to connect Sites Together they usually do a Site to Site VPN anyways to connect all the sites together. Did you ask the IT Department why you would need to bring your pc to HeadQuarters? Maybe an update?
    – NetworkKingPin
    Commented Apr 21, 2016 at 10:16
  • There are licenses for expensive software that you can activate only by plugging in a USB stick. This can be another reason.
    – Divin3
    Commented Apr 21, 2016 at 10:20
  • @NetworkKingPin That might be the case, but the person assisting me couldn't give my a more specific reason that just "because, that's how we do it". I'm not a network expert so I won't question it if there is a good reason provided. We've agreed to try it over VPN, so I'll see the result next week.
    – ChP
    Commented Apr 21, 2016 at 10:43
  • @CharlPretorius If you find anything else out dont be afraid to add it to your post. And yes I know what you mean by "because, thats how we do it" top secret stuff for sure ;)
    – NetworkKingPin
    Commented Apr 21, 2016 at 10:47

1 Answer 1

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VPN Access: You can control the operating system without any issues but cannot perform any physical operations or you cannot make it join the physical network as you cannot connect the Ethernet cable. You can restart but not shutdown --> power on.

Physical Access: You can connect any cable to the laptop and access the resource as you are physical to the device. More easy to manage.

But to check any settings / install software both Physical machine and VPN machine will not make much difference.

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