The next screen will ask you how you want to go about adding computers to your network.Because I sometimes need the flexibility of sharing files directly from my home computer (as opposed to only via the server), I will use the “Mesh” setup. With the “Mesh”, all members of the network act as servers (when configured correctly), while the “Hub-and-Spoke” setup only allows designated servers to share, and does not allow standard workstations to connect to one-another. While LogMeIn Hamachi offers three network types (Mesh, Hub-and-Spoke, and Gateway), most people will want to use either the “Mesh” or the “Hub-and-Spoke”.This will allow you to establish the name and description of the network, as well as choose the infrastructure type of your network. On the screen that follows, you will want to select the “Start Creating Networks” button.It’s a pretty simple form, and should only take a few seconds to fill out.

The next screen you will be presented with will ask for a bit of information to establish your account.To begin the process, click the “Create Account” button below the “Managed” product. This tutorial will cover the managed edition, as this version gives you more control over your VPN. The managed version has a bit more features, including an online control-panel.

LogMeIn offers two versions of Hamachi a managed version, and an unmanaged version.Once you are logged into your server, navigate your web browser to, and select the “Get Started” button.The first step in configuring Hamachi is to access your server either physically or via Remote Desktop or VNC.However, with a zero-configuration VPN service such as LogMeIn’s Hamachi product, setting up a VPN and accessing your server’s contents from afar becomes a trivial task that can be completed within a matter of minutes. Traditionally, VPN’s take a great deal of time, effort, and resources to set up, and are not typically conceived as being reasonable for a home user to set up. The concept of VPN’s is not a new one in the least the concept has been around since the hay-day of dial-up internet, and is the basis for the technology that allows employees to “telecommute”.

In basic, a VPN allows you to link multiple machines via the internet, and thus access all of your data and information from the server. This is where the concept of VPN’s, or Virtual Private Networks, comes into play. A home server can help you to make all of your data accessible from within your local network, but what about when you want to access your data from afar? As I’ve covered in my previous article about setting up a home server, a centralized location for your data can prove to be a huge benefit to yourself and the overall productivity and collaboration of your family.

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