karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (09/14/89)
Hello! We are considering integrating several PCs together to share files and the like. We would like to stay AWAY from Novell products if possible; in addition to being very expensive and having limited capability for the money (ELS in particular), their support policies are unacceptable. What other solutions have worked for you? Is anyone running the "Coconet" setup? Does it work well? Our needs are simple, we need: o To share data files among multiple PCs. This is mainly in the area of word processing, so record-level sharing is not necessary. File locking IS required to prevent corruption. o Minimal memory usage on the client systems is desired. o The implementation should permit virtual drive mapping (ie: Map drive "M" to a directory on the server) and virtual printer support (ie: redirect LPT1 and LPT2 to printers on the server if desired). o Some security, such as login/password level, is desired. o The system needs to be able to support 4-6 PCs at the outset, with perhaps as many as 20 in the future. o The company has to have a reasonable support policy. $200/hour to fix bugs is NOT reasonable. We aren't terribly interested in "support" per-se, we are a knowledgable group and can resolve problems providing the documentation is adaquate and the trouble lies with our installation or procedures. Above all, the product has to WORK. Crashing servers and workstations are not acceptable. This is going into an office full of secretaries that know how to work with MSDOS and nothing more, and has to be usable in that environment. o The product(s) should be willing to co-exist with high performance hardware, such as 386's (including cache), RLL or ESDI disk drives, etc. Novell fails here with their ELS systems which require an exact match in the BIOS for your drive on the server (that is a rediculous requirement in this day and age!). Suggestions? I am interested in people who have USED the products, not sales-hype. Please forward suggestions to me, and I will summarize if there is interest expressed. Firms, phone numbers, and reviews are most helpful. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"