Over the years we have used a variety of software
products to communicate with our clients, diagnose problems and send changes electronically
as needed. From Carbon Copy to PC Anywhere, the first of these products
employed modems and conventional phone lines to transmit data and program
changes.The main problems with these products were speed and connection
reliability and long distance connections were often nearly impossible.
With the advent of the Internet most companies
directed their efforts toward communications that were Internet based. PC
Anywhere made the transition but was not particularly good at navigating
complex routers and firewalls. To transmit data and program changes simple
e-mail has become the norm, but other software solutions are required for more
complex tasks.
Several companies, most notably Citrix with “GoTo My
PC”, introduced products that could more easily navigate the Internet’s hurdles
and connect one PC to another. This was useful for users that needed to connect
from their home computer to their computer at the office. These products went
the route of a monthly or yearly fee as apposed to one time purchased product
like PC Anywhere. Typical fees are $15 a month for the first computer and $5
per additional computer on the same plan. These systems are good for remote
support and file transfer.
With the advent of Windows Based Servers other
companies including Citrix and Microsoft introduced server based remote access
software. Citrix produces some excellent products in this market, but they tend
to be rather expensive. Microsoft has built in a quite viable solution called
Terminal Services into their Windows 2003 Servers. Like Citrix this allows a
remote user to connect to the file server at the office and access a variety of
programs and files as dictated by the user’s security profile. The cost is a
more reasonable $100 per user making the solution a more cost effective
solution than the equivalent Citrix product. Citrix products on the other hand
may be a little faster in a similar role, so cost versus performance becomes
the main issue.
ROUTERS AND VPN’S
Connecting to Citrix or Terminal Services requires a
security device known as a VPN or Virtual Private Network. This provides a
secure connection between a computer on the outside of the office and the file
server on the inside.
While Windows Server can provide the VPN access
directly, the recommended approach is to allow a good router to provide the
actual VPN connection. This provides additional layers of security to separate
your important data from the outside world. The router then manages a specific
list of VPN user names and passwords to provide access to the VPN. Additional
user names and passwords are required to access the file server providing the
VPN can be established.
For most companies this is excellent security. Beyond
this you can spend thousands of dollars for high-end router/firewall
combinations but these are generally overkill for most companies.
Once you have navigated the VPN and logged into the
server you are presented with a personalized Windows Desktop that can contain
Libra Accounting or other software options. Your access to the data is similar
to being at the remote site since you are functioning within a user window on
the Terminal Services Server.
You use the Remote Desktop program in the case of
Terminal Services to access the remote server and it provides options to permit
access to local resources as well. The most common of these would be local
printers. So you can enter data directly to the remote server and print proof
listings and posting journals to your local printer. The only limitation on
this is that the Windows 2003 server must have a compatible printer driver for
the printer you are using. Many small personal printer manufacturers do not
write drivers for Windows Server products, which means that a lot of printers
cannot be used.
For Dot-Matrix printers you can get around this by
employing a Generic Text Driver. Smaller laser and inkjet models may not be
usable however. Most larger HP Laserjet Printers are compatible.