Networking question

[bunchi]

Guys and gals... I have a question.. what are my options if I want to do the following..

I have a IP-based credit card terminal that we connect to our LAN, all it needs is an internet connection and I can go do my transactions. Apparently this terminal can only be used in Canada. If it's used in the states, either it's not going to work, or it will work but we'll be charged some penalties. Question, what can I do if I bring this to the states and use it and somehow use our IP address here in Canada to make it look like I'm doing the transaction here? All the user is going to bring with him to the states is the card terminal, and a laptop. He will be connecting via wifi in the place where he's going. Thoughts?

[optiklenz13]

which company are you processing with?

edit: also, do you know the device terminal model?

[ElegantGremlin]

Doubt it's possible. If you're connecting to a wifi hotspot, you're probably getting a local address (something like 192.168.XX.XX) and then the gateway will have it's own public IP (which is shown to the public and you can get from sites like http://www.whatsmyip.org/) which can be used to determine where you are based on which DHCP server of the ISP assigned the address to the gateway.

Either way, they'll know whether you were in Canada or the States.

[bunchi]

ooooh Ash! you're the expert on these things!!! sending you PM right now. Thanks!

[optiklenz13]

the device also only connects to an actual router, it cannot connect through a wifi.

[optiklenz13]

ooooh Ash! you're working for one of those companies... i totally forgot! sending you PM right now. Thanks!

ssssshhh.. quiet!!! LOL.

[bunchi]

Doubt it's possible. If you're connecting to a wifi hotspot, you're probably getting a local address (something like 192.168.XX.XX) and then the gateway will have it's own public IP (which is shown to the public and you can get from sites like http://www.whatsmyip.org/) which can be used to determine where you are based on which DHCP server of the ISP assigned the address to the gateway.

Either way, they'll know whether you were in Canada or the States.

can't help but think there should be a way :chuckle i'm thinking VPN, connect the laptop to the VPN, make the laptop the "modem", conect a router to it and share the connection... not sure if this will work lol

[bunchi]

ssssshhh.. quiet!!! LOL.

was that secret? lol ok i'll edit it now lol

[optiklenz13]

pm'd back.

[-cj-]

Get a router with VPN capabilities and setup a VPN server at home. Get the remote office to VPN into your server. Just make sure it only allows that terminal to talk via the VPN otherwise whenever the VPN is down, it'll use your regular Internet connection....

[PCLoadLetter]

Tether using a cell phone. Then you'll get mad data fees lol.

[bunchi]

^^^ yah I did that earlier with the iphone lol

[ElegantGremlin]

Other solution might be to set up a proxy server at home and connect through there... that way technically the proxy server is doing the stuff.

[-cj-]

Can't tether, because you'll still have a US IP address. Can't use a proxy server either unless your terminal allows you to enter custom settings such as a proxy. You essentially need something at a lower layer. VPN is probably the only real solution. You could use dial up, but that's essentially the same idea as a VPN except over phone line. You could just get an unlimited calling plan to Canada and get an older POS terminal that lets you dlal in...

[bunchi]

Can't tether, because you'll still have a US IP address. Can't use a proxy server either unless your terminal allows you to enter custom settings such as a proxy. You essentially need something at a lower layer. VPN is probably the only real solution. You could use dial up, but that's essentially the same idea as a VPN except over phone line. You could just get an unlimited calling plan to Canada and get an older POS terminal that lets you dlal in...

yup ur right... when i go to US, it becomes roaming and the ip address is of course going to be that of a US provider... if i get tired doing this... screw them lol

[TheMAN]

VPN is the ONLY secure way to go.... and I'd forget about wifi unless you're seriously stupid.... wifi is completely insecure, especially when you're doing something so sensitive like credit card transactions!
if the hotel/whatever place doesn't have ethernet based connectivity, then use dialup to get online and VPN back to your canadian network... even then, if you want to be safe, you'd use dialup over someone's network which have unknown security or insecurities ;)

[Gizzmo_jr]

Take a peek at http://openvpn.net/
We use it for now at work (works great), but soon moving onto Cisco hardware.