levin@world.std.com (Levin F Magruder) (01/09/91)
We want to set up a call in system that lets users call up and use the network at home. . . preferably just a remote terminal type deal. Our dealer recommended something called a W-nim board over PCanywhere-type software, since we'll want to allow two or three people to use it at once. What, if any, are the alternatives, and is a W-nim board usable with 2400 baud modems?
wsadler@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (william sadler) (01/10/91)
levin@world.std.com (Levin F Magruder) writes: >We want to set up a call in system that lets users call up and >use the network at home. . . preferably just a remote terminal >type deal. Our dealer recommended something called a W-nim >board over PCanywhere-type software, since we'll want to allow >two or three people to use it at once. What, if any, are the >alternatives, and is a W-nim board usable with 2400 baud modems? I just purchased a package called Net Remote Plus that uses co/session for remote dial-ins. The price for a LAN server was $275 at an Educational discount. I don't know what it is for retail. Rather than get a single machine with a multi-port card in it like the system you describe I opted to go with Net Remote since it allows any machine on the network to act as a host or a remote. This means that I can buy everyone who wants to use it a modem so that they can use the phone line in their office for dial in purposes. At $75 a whack for 2400 baud modems I can get quite a few before I pay for the cost of a dedicated machine and a card. Of course, a LAN with more users would probably need a different solution. I ave about 100 users, but only about 10-20 are interested in the dial-in service. Will -- ********************************************************************** *Will Sadler Indiana University Law School-Bloomington * *will@ogre.cica.indiana.edu wsadler@copper.ucs.indiana.edu * **********************************************************************
louie@cellar.bae.bellcore.com (Paul Louie) (01/11/91)
From: wsadler@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (william sadler) Subject: Re: Best remote workstation setup Message-ID: <wsadler.663438358@copper> Date: 9 Jan 91 16:25:58 GMT References: <1991Jan8.190914.8764@world.std.com> Sender: news@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (USENET News System) Organization: Indiana University Lines: 31 levin@world.std.com (Levin F Magruder) writes: >We want to set up a call in system that lets users call up and >use the network at home. . . preferably just a remote terminal >type deal. Our dealer recommended something called a W-nim >board over PCanywhere-type software, since we'll want to allow >two or three people to use it at once. What, if any, are the >alternatives, and is a W-nim board usable with 2400 baud modems? I just purchased a package called Net Remote Plus that uses co/session for remote dial-ins. The price for a LAN server was $275 at an Educational discount. I don't know what it is for retail. Rather than get a single machine with a multi-port card in it like the system you describe I opted to go with Net Remote since it allows any machine on the network to act as a host or a remote. This means that I can buy everyone who wants to use it a modem so that they can use the phone line in their office for dial in purposes. At $75 a whack for 2400 baud modems I can get quite a few before I pay for the cost of a dedicated machine and a card. Of course, a LAN with more users would probably need a different solution. I ave about 100 users, but only about 10-20 are interested in the dial-in service. **************************************** Will, I think this argument is like what is the best way to crack a boiled egg. Levin's dealer recommendation has a higher initial HW cost, but yours has a higher ongoing cost (unless your user can share their voice line with the dial-up task. Some installations have funny PBX that would cause trouble with your method. Also, co/session programs are not good for privacy. People can see exactly what you are doing. And what happen if a user forgot to invoke the comm program when he was leaving? The bottom line is both methods have merit. One just have to analyze the needs. The important one, of course, is how many concurrent dial-ups you must have (must means that a user absolutely cannot wait to get in) and how many users require this function. Paul
levin@world.std.com (Levin F Magruder) (01/15/91)
First I asked: >>We want to set up a call in system that lets users call up and >>use the network at home. . . preferably just a remote terminal >>type deal. Our dealer recommended something called a W-nim >>board over PCanywhere-type software, since we'll want to allow > William Sandler said: >I just purchased a package called Net Remote Plus that uses >co/session for remote dial-ins. >Rather than get a single machine with a >multi-port card in it like the system you describe I opted >to go with Net Remote since it allows any machine on the >network to act as a host or a remote. This means that I can buy >everyone who wants to use it a modem so that they can use >the phone line in their office for dial in purposes. And, In article <1991Jan10.231535.27254@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> louie@cellar.bae.bellcore.com (Paul Louie) writes: >Will, > >Levin's dealer recommendation has a higher initial HW cost, but yours >has a higher ongoing cost (unless your user can share their voice line >with the dial-up task. Some installations have funny PBX that would cause >trouble with your method. Also, co/session programs are not good for >privacy. People can see exactly what you are doing. And what happen if >a user forgot to invoke the comm program when he was leaving? > >The bottom line is both methods have merit. One just have to analyze the >needs. The important one, of course, is how many concurrent dial-ups you >must have (must means that a user absolutely cannot wait to get in) and >how many users require this function. > We only need a few concurrent dial-ups, and privacy isn't a big deal. Simplicity for the users, and for me, the technically-illiterate administrator, is. What I want is one phone number that anyone can call and get a "login:" prompt, and have it all work as if they were at work. We couldn't use the dialtone off our phones' wiring, because it's a meridian system, and it's digitized. If I understand W. Sandler's set-up, each office has to have it's own phone line, right? There wouldn't be any way of setting that up as a shared pool of, say, three lines. So no one has any objection to me placing an order for the w-nim board?