In reply to a post by mking90031:

Hi,

I have a VPN and use a standard Virgin Media broadband account (max 200MB/sec). In order to have the appearance of a static IP address I use a program call DUC (Dynamic DNS Update Client) from noip.com . If you go for the free option then you can have up to three hostnames that would be dynamically updated from the program that sits on the tray (in Windows) and there is nothing you need to do other than install it. It also automatically checks your external IP address every 5 seconds so if your IP changes the hosts are updated also. Since I have my own domains (and being an IT Consultant...) I decided to create a vpn. sub-domain and point it to the hostname so that I only have to remember the vpn.mydomain.co.uk address to create my vpn connection.

HTH,

I have used DYN (dynamic DNS) in the past which does the same job. In fact it is still running but I rarely use it now because the two places I most access my NAS from (both work places) have a block on any addresses from the DYN domain. I can, however, get access to my NAS if I use my "raw" external IP address. It works fine (for the three ports that the firewalls in these locations actually leave open!). The NAS is a Synology and they run their own system to bypass firewalls, but that only works for their own apps (photos, music, files) but not for third party apps running on the NAS.

The problem with noip free accounts is that they expire every month and you have to follow the link in the email they send you to renew the domain. This is really unacceptable so I do not recommend them.

In reply to a post by andy88:

We have identified an unconnected issue whereby using the VPN via a Powerline network WiFi access point sometimes drops, so I am looking at solutions to fix that. Not so easy without running ethernet cable around the outside of the house!

What you may want to look at is
getting a 2nd router and put the VPN on that.
Then share the VPN output to Wifi or powerline (as preferred)

that way, the VPN is not running over the wifi...
(and interrupted by interference wifi/powerline or any other restarting/ resetting of the wifi link)

You could even have 2 Wifi outputs
one the direct connection (1st router)
second the VPN output (2nd router - connected to the 1st)
Which you put on the powerline... your choice.

The VPN is an NHS system running on her laptop, which is heavily "locked down" and encrypted. No way I could run it on anything else! She now only uses it 3ft from the router - about as close to being directly wired into the internet as it is possible to be. No drop outs now, so we have a workaround, but she would prefer to sit in the kitchen where she can keep an eye on the kids, so I will still be looking at running ethernet round the outside of the house if I can.

Ideally that will include PoE and a ceiling mounted access point, but not sure how wise it is to run power over an external ethernet cable - wot with all that rain...