remote access solutions

GEZ

Hi,
I from a relatively new NSC in Canada and am interested in what other NSC's have used for remote access solutions. I understand that Citrix works great, but that is probably too expensive for some of our smaller potential clients. Anyone know the costs for Citrix and NT Terminal server?

If anyone has successfully or unsuccessfully tried other remote solutions I would appreciate hearing about them. For example, one client requires remote access just to print some reports. Would PCAnywhere be good enough for this?

Thanks in advance,
Grant Zeilstra

Philippe

We implemented Citrix (5 users) and these are the costs :
Server : approx. 4300 USD
Software incl. Citrix : 3300 USD
UPS : 475 USD
Modem : 2 x 195 USD
Hub and cables...

We use citrix for a permanent connection with our office in the UK.


Our NSC uses Laplink to provide support. Cost : approx 190 USD and it works well !

Regards,

Philippe - CFT Belgium

ohlfsen

A company like Graphon (www.graphon.com) is expected some time in the near future to release winbridges with to some extend functionallity similar to that of Winframe/Metaframe/terminal server.

They do however implement the features in quite a different way and since the product hasn't been released yet we don't know if it's good or bad.

One could however suspect their prices to be very competitive, that is if they want a chance in the market.

Anyway you could take a look at www.thinplanet.com if you want to know what moves regarding thin clients etc.

---

Best regards
Allan Ohlfsen

jp

We require our clients to have a PCAnywhere connection available for support. It's workable, but I have never tried remote printing.

-jp

db

We tried MS TSE. If screen handling was tolerable, the printing was terible. Then invoice was posted with printing database was locked up to 1 min. (~200 kb file transfer). There was about 30 users in 10 different places. Every user posting 20..100 invoices.
Now using NF server on every place & every night replicating data.

GEZ

Wow, thanks for all the responces!
I'm curious about how the last person is using replication. What kind of modifications did you have to make?

Lars_Westman

Many of our customers are using MS TSE with Citrix Metaframe and it's a very well functioning platform. I don't agree with db there.
Printing is no problem. an ordinary invoice with a logo is usually ~30kb and prints very fast.

It's perfect supporting those customers since we have direct access to thier system.

Replicating must be a much bigger problem and much more expensive for the customer. First the setup. Then the maintenance on each location, program distribution, backups and so on.

Using Citrix also put lower demands on clients and gives you a much easier envirnemt to handle when doing upgrades of functionalitety or C/SIDE-versions.

//Lars Westman

db

Printing. Our invoice with 8 lines of selling items using Epson LQ-670 takes 137Kb ? We have 64 kbps link -> transfer time = 137 / (64 / 8) = 17 s. This is theoretical min time. 10 departments issue ~30000 invoices per month -> 1500 per day -> it takes 25500 s =>425 min. => 7 h (locking of database). Take in mind that 90% of invoices are issued 9 AM to 1 PM. + We use ~20 diferent reports ? We need 256 kbps connection ????

For support we use pcAnywhere.

Updates maded using replication.

Yes setup is more expencive. But usage is N times cheaper. We use frame relay 64 kpbs with 9.6 CIR !!! This not enought for one teminal user.
The every department have about ~20 goods locatins. In TSE solution we have more than 200 goods locations !!! Issuing of reports is very complicated. In replication we transforming to 15 locations.
In departments database is 10 times smaler + accssed directly using 100LAN. Using this solution we reduced staff in departments.

That about traveling managers ? Use mobile phones phones for connection ?