Background
A non-profit with about twenty office users came to Dataforge after years with a single vendor for network and desktop support. Many of the staff work remotely or hybrid, home a few days each week, so remote access was supposed to be a solved problem.
When the VPN failed, it failed at random. Usually it was one person at a time, and that person could not work until someone fixed the client.
Business Challenge
A broken VPN did not stop everything. Microsoft 365 still worked. What broke was access to the internal data: the Donor Management software and the other in-house apps staff need to do their jobs from home.
The routine was always the same. Open a ticket, then wait, often around two days. Get a call, get handed off to another support team while they tried to figure it out. The troubleshooting depended on who picked up. End users and the vendor's own techs were both visibly frustrated. Eventually someone would reinstall the VPN client, it would work again, and then it would fail again a few weeks later.
The VPN hardware was ancient and completely discontinued, and it was missing several security patches. One vendor handled all of it, but support felt like a queue rather than a team that knew the account.
Solution
Dataforge started with a general cleanup of the site, then replaced the discontinued VPN equipment with MikroTik CCR routers running always-on WireGuard tunnels. There is no per-seat VPN licensing on the new solution.
Remote machines connect on their own. The WireGuard client runs always-on in the background with no login prompt and nothing for staff to manage day to day.
Support is one Dataforge team. Every tech has full knowledge of the account, and any of our staff can request direct assistance from our team. We do not over-subscribe our customers or our techs.
Implementation
Site cleanup and cutover took about a month. We replaced the old VPN equipment with ours and moved every user over to WireGuard.
Before, a remote morning meant checking whether the VPN would connect before the Donor Management software would load. Now it is just laptop on. Hybrid staff on their home days use the same internal systems they have at the desk.
When something does need attention, they phone us and we work on it right away. There are no tier transfers. If there is a delay at all, it is usually no more than fifteen or twenty minutes.
Project Considerations
Discontinued VPN equipment missing patches was a security problem as much as a reliability one. The box had to be replaced for remote access to be trustworthy again.
The old vendor's reinstall process kept treating the VPN client on the laptop. The real issue was the discontinued VPN hardware. Always-on WireGuard connects without a daily login step, and we manage the client for them.
For a non-profit, the relationship matters as much as the equipment. They wanted someone there when they call and a tech who owns the issue through to a fix.
Environment Comparison
| Previous Environment | Current Environment |
|---|---|
| VPN failure blocked internal apps and the Donor Management software, though Microsoft 365 still worked | Always-on WireGuard; internal data and the Donor Management software reachable like the office LAN |
| Roughly two-day tickets, team transfers, and a VPN client reinstall depending on who answered | One Dataforge team on the phone, usually same-day and within 15 to 20 minutes |
| Discontinued VPN hardware missing multiple security patches | MikroTik CCR, supported and monitored with backed-up configs under managed care |
| Per-seat VPN client software that failed at random | Always-on WireGuard client, no login step, and no VPN licensing fees |
Key Outcomes
- Support measured in minutes — one team on the phone, usually within 15 to 20 minutes instead of waiting roughly two days
- Laptop on and they are working — the Donor Management software and in-house apps run from home with no VPN step in front of them
- Discontinued VPN equipment replaced — a patched, supported CCR in place of hardware that was missing security updates
- A team that owns the issue — each tech sees it through, and colleagues join the call when it needs more hands
Long-Term Track Record
The clearest win after go-live was the support. Reasonable timelines, no bouncing between teams: staff phone Dataforge and the issue gets fixed. Each tech is responsible for solving the customer's problem, and if it turns out to be larger, they bring the team together on the same call.
VPN client repairs and two-day waits have stopped completely. Staff working remote or hybrid open their laptop and get to work. The internal systems, including the Donor Management software, behave the same way they do at the office.