Remote Access Service (RAS): Not many of the services require the coming together of software and hardware but when they are combined, it is for some special services and features. Remote Access Service is one of them. It is a means to provide services for the users who are remotely connected to a Local Area Network (LAN).
The most common use of RAS is to access the corporate network by the employees when they’re not in the office. They can use remote access services to resume their work even when they’re on holiday or traveling somewhere far.
To connect to the corporate network, a user (also called a client) needs either a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or a dial-up network.
For the connectivity, a Point to Point Protocol client software or server software is installed on the organization’s corporate network and connected users are allowed access to their own data on the computer assigned to them in the office as well as the resources because they are connected to the organization’s internal network.
In the absence of Point to Point Protocol client software, which is designed especially for this purpose, the RAS client program can be used.
Also, read…
Logging into the LAN requires one from the three from the following:
- A modem
- 25 Connection
- Wide Area Network (WAN) link
Another major use of RAS is for troubleshooting for the clients in need and what makes it convenient is that it works with almost every remote control program. That is why it is becoming more and more popular and widely used network solution tool.
The Network protocols compatible with it are Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Internet Packet Exchange or Sequenced Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX), NetBIOS Extended User Interface (NetBEUI) and Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet. Before point to point Internet Protocol, Serial Line Internet Protocol was used for the RAS but it may be outdated for it now since PPP is new and the scale of services needed and provided keep expanding.
To work together, there needs to be compatibility between Internet Protocols and Network Protocols and Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) supported only the TCP/IP. As communication protocols, PPP is always preferred over SLIP.
Remote Access Services (RAS) applications can also perform tasks like providing information about existing RAS connections and capable devices. It notifies when a RAS connection is established and when it gets terminated. Microsoft Computers did not provide RAS services from the start, they were introduced only after the 1995 version.
To connect to the corporate network, a user (also called a client) needs either a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or a dial-up network. Currently, you can find both paid and free VPN options.