gregpf@momenta (Greg Presedo-Floyd) (12/22/90)
I have questions concerning
(1) remote communications with our LAN and
(2) establishing a FAX server for our LAN.
Please EMAIL ME DIRECTLY with any/all comments/opinions you have on
the following 2 topics. I will summarize in a later post .
0) OUR SYSTEM:
Novell 386 3.0 (moving to 3.1) . Ethernet NE2000 and WD8003 coax and
10BaseT cards. Currently have CCmail and a PC as a CCmail gateway for
the MACs. The PC is also a printserver for a Sun net.
(1) REMOTE COMMUNICATIONS:
I am looking for a comprehensive IN *AND* OUT going modem solution
that will not take months to bring up ! Anybody know one ? Read on ....
1.1) IN-coming remote:
We would like people with Blazer T1000's to connect to the LAN.
I don't know the details of the s/w I'm looking for, so here's
what I'll guess ...
The incoming call is answered by a modem in a modem bank on our
LAN. This LAN-modem is controlled by a PC running "login" or
"getty"-like software that asks for your password. The modem
might actually dial you back. Once you get past this, you
somehow get a choice to ....
a) CASE 1: The destination office PC is logged into the net ....
Run a PC (your own possibly) remotely, as if you were there
at the keyboard. VGA video and all. The only requirement is
that the destination PC be logged into the LAN that is serviced by
the modem bank receiving the call.
b) CASE 2: Your office PC is NOT powered on. You have a totally
remote session ... (I like this better )
You map server volumes to local drive letters and have a completely
remote session. That is, just as when you are in your office,
the file server "serves you files" and your local CPU executes them.
I imagine the LAN software would have to absorb network packages,
shove them out your LAN-modem and your local modem would receive them
and your local software would emulate the IPX driver for you.
This assumes that you have modified your DOS shell with NETx.com so
that DOS file-accesses are re-vectored to/from a file server. In this
case the file server would be at the other end of a modem link.
I am currently aware of Triton's Co-session Lan s/w. It uses INT_##,
the official net modem service call.
-- Comments on Co-session or Carbon Copy in this application ?
( I don't think that having a PC on the LAN *dedicated to* and *always
running* a piece of software just so you can talk to *that particular*
PC is a good solution. I'm not sure that's what these do. )
-- Do you have info on "Defender"/dialback modems ?
1.2) OUT-going remote :
GOAL: We need LAN users to share a modem/modem bank.
We are currently aware of "Network Products Corp.", Pasadena, 800-638-7765.
They offer a $195 TSR comm. program (2400 baud limit, 2modem limit, XMODEM)
and a $1800 4-port board with s/w . Both are ways that you can login
at work and get what appears to be an "ACS" or "Asynch Comm Server"
that uses the "NCSI" standard interface for ACSs.
You share this ACS and make out-going calls via their comm program.
I don't like this TSR solution's 2400Baud/2 modem limit.
Also, there is Procomm Net Package. I like/am familiar with their
interface, and they WILL be supporting ZMODEM.
Both also use INT_## network modem service.
-- If I am forced into an OUT-going and an IN-coming solution, will they
both fight over this INT_## net modem service and not work ?
-- Does anyone have anything like this actually working ? All details
welcome ?!
Again, A COMPREHENSIVE solution is sought !
(2) FAX server
a) I have had no luck finding out how PCs and MACs and compose, send,
and receive FAXs from the server they are logged into.
-- Does anyone have a FAX server (of course :-) ) ?
-- Would you give me massive details on prices, how hard to use,
how hard to setup ?
Novell, are you listening ?
LAN product vendors, do you have these products ?
Thanks !
--
Greg Presedo-Floyd "Representing myself, only"
Momenta Corporation
295 North Bernardo Ave
Mountian View, CA 94043 uunet: {apple,leadsv,hpdtc}!momenta!gregpf