Not sure why everyone thinks a VPN is the way to go. A VPN connects a remote computer/router to a local network making the network appear local. That right there opens a can of worms. As an administrator, you then have to worry if the remote computer has proper antivirus, the kids aren't playing with the computer, not stealing all the bandwidth by accessing large files etc. etc. etc. You didn't give any details of the environments connecting to and from. Without that information it's hard to say what the best solution is but in most cases it won't involve a VPN unless you are syncrhonizing files or doing remote backups. Also, why are you underwhelmed with VNC? Are you trying to do something it doesn't support or provides poor performance? That type of information may be helpful in providing a recommendation.
