VPN Appliance

ZDnet had a good article on this:

http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/toolkit/networking/vpn/0,39023898,20265433,00.htm

Are you running Border Manager? That should give them the rights/network folder views needed.

I have also set up a NW5.1 server VPN with a cheap ($100) Linksys VPN router and all folders were visible, it worked great but not the BEST router.

Have you thought about getting your NW version up to date? The new NW and especially GroupWise are much more "VPN friendly" than 4.11 not to mention FAR more robust and offering a great feature set.

I assume you have the latest NWClients installed for the remote workers?

Are your clients connecting via IP,as if my memory serves me correctly IPX is default in 4.10.

The number of concurrent VPN sessions required will be a factor in you decision.

Take a look at IPCop http://www.ipcop.org for a possible open source solution. Linksys market some low end VPN endpoint routers and symantec also have a range of SOHO appliances.

Most people I know are moving from Novell Netware/NDS to Microsoft/AD.

There are some - hardcore Netware shops - that are looking at migrating to Novell Linux - but it's just still too new. I think too many are a little worried about long term. I can see why and agree with them.

A big CLM ("career limiting move") is steering your company into a long term IT solution into uncharted waters. Novell & Linux are uncharted waters - IMO. I do not want to be in your shoes if Novell casually decide to drop linux for whatever reason.

We have 50 users but I would like to have the ability to allow up to ten users have VPN access into our network. The VPN we currently have only allows them to obtain a local address from our DHCP server and retrieve their e-mail through their Outlook program rather then going through a third party program to retrieve. As for Netware I agree it's more secure and is easier to maintain but the fact is most of the software we need in our company is more Microsoft friendly and my users and this company comes before my beliefs.

I wouldn't move into the original Netware versions either, although, I've heard nothing but good things about the new NOS that combines NW and Linux. Depending on the company in question, it might be all they need. Novell products are easier to "set it and forget it". It will also save them time and money, so long as they aren't planning on integrating too much with MS (servers).

On another note, Linux, Unix, Solaris, blah, blah, is not for a weak, or even average, IT structure at all. There is more information and support in the Microsoft world, but that doesn't make it a superior product. I would prefer to suggest and impliment *nix networks, but my strength lies with MS. I am on the road to correcting this personal flaw of mine. Everyone else should too, if they want to stay competitive in the IT world.

PS - Most people I know are moving to MS AD as well. That doesn't mean that it is the best choice, though, perhaps on the support front, it is the easiest choice.

i pilot tested NW Linux ver 1.0 about 8 months ago or so. it wasn't bad. it had some sh script issues and their documentation was a little iffy. you had to know linux to figure out which packages from the unitd linux distro at the time you had to add to make it work properly. i am sure they are past that by now.

Documentation? There is not much for documentation at all anymore. MS products have a pretty well rounded help system for general reference, but for the most part, nobody includes documentation to the extent that they used to many years ago. If I didn't quite understand the MS server products and configurations, I would have a very hard time setting up and designing a functional network.

Novell has since went live with the CLP and CLE exams, so I imagine that there is more reference to the NOS now than there was when you gave it the dry run.

Well I don't thionk I have a feakin problem at all. My comments were taken from recent investor reports, as well as Novell for simplicity of not researching for a post.

The stats I have seen are from Price Waterhouse Cooper, an unbiased and unaffiliated party used for most market reports in the area. They have built a very strong reputation of being unbiased as they have a separate and unaffiliated identity.

In contrast, you have provided alternative stats from a report that doesn't even include 2001 stats TWO full years before Novell took over Ximian in 2003! And lpong before their market made a U-turn toward success again. How can such outdated information be seen as relevant? YOu realize that Novell has ALWAYS had a more stable and secure platform, it is able to handle a greater user load with less resources and processing power needed. Resulting in lower hardware costs and longer life withou upgrading. Novell has always made a better NOS, no matter who markets and sells more product. Not so many Ferraris on the street either but they kick the snot out of a Neon, even though everyone and their dog owns a Neon.

Lastly, the poster said he didn't want to go Linux, that's why I suggested Novell, NOT Linux.

Yes it is running the Linux kernel, butI don't think too any users would have an issue with SUSE or XD2 as they don't rexemble a linux desktop in anyway. They both use the same GUI styled point-and-click Windoze style interface that MS uses.

Now id we are looking at an enterprise solution, MS is not for owners. There is no logical business case than can be put together when comparing licencing costs and stability, maintenance and roll out costs.

MS does hold a greater market share overall, Novell doesn't make games, joysticks etc.

In the NOS market they are actually a LOT closer than most believe. Again, the rest of the world counts too, just because the US is force fed MS and nearly 1 in 2 Americans is an MCSE, doesn't mean it is the rest of the world's first choice.

In order to make a qualified decision, the poster must take all aspects of the market into account, not just what MS has to say.

Oz said, "Yes it is running the Linux kernel, butI don't think too any users would have an issue with SUSE or XD2 as they don't rexemble a linux desktop in anyway. They both use the same GUI styled point-and-click Windoze style interface that MS uses."

you have never worked in IT - have you? If you did - you would know that users freak out and pull spaz attacks whenever the slightest thing changes on their screen. Every time you do an app update which has a GUI change - count on your level 1 support calls to go up by 200-400% - so you have to make sure you staff the level 1's accordingly.

next time when 100 users call you at the same time asking you why things changed and they can't do their jobs anymore - you go ahead and tell them, "They both use the same GUI styled point-and-click Windoze style interface that MS uses". good luck keeping your job budsky.

YOu have such a narrow and single minded approach to TEXTBOOK IT.

Yes, I have converted SEVERAL shops to SUSE from MS. Before the change EVERYONE was scared to enter Linux because "Windows is what we all have at home and our job will be harder without it."

After the boss made the decision to cut his costs and increase his security bu swapping out MS for Suse, I had a FEW suport calls with general how do I questions, but for the most part got rave reviews as everyone found it SO easy to adapt to.

You need to remember, employees that won't adapt to software changes or a change in their routine are not valued as flexible employees. Bosses make decisions not the employees.

When users find Open Office to be mostly compaitble woth former MSOffice docs thay can't complain, the only thing that really changes is the employers cost. If people bitch and whine, the boss looks at $$$ and says goodbye and hires someone who doesn't bitch and whine.

YOu prove yourself so clueless all the time with your absurd comments, why would someone possibly discount their own credibility this way? It is truly self destructive.

Now if I was kept in a MS box from birth and simply fed textbook versions of reality all my life, I would see some of the same narrow opinions you do.

Whereas I am a hard hitting tech/consultant/sales rep, or whatever you want to classify me as this week, that focuses on company efficiency and operational improvements at the C level, not just appeasing office employees, I don't see such problems and have never had these experiences where employees tell me what their desktops are supposed to look like.

Let them quit if they don't like it, I just saved the boss anough to pay their salary four times to the right person, and the boss knows it.

from my experience -

#1 - bosses care that the job gets done. done by someone - they don't care who. as long as it gets DONE!

#2 - bosses care that things run smooth. they don't want to cause themselves more aggrivation and more work by having to deal with staffing and HR issues. they only want to deal with this when they have to hire someone. they don't want to deal with complaints, or inter-employee arguing and in fighting.

what does that mean in context of IT. it means you got to make sure staff don't bitch and complain about things like long login times, slow network performace, and application issues. use your experience, knowledge and tech savvy to make sure these things don't happen - or if they do - they happen rarely!

when you deploy a new OS, APP, or even change so much as the locatrion of the "PRINT" button in MS Word - you will deal with support/complaints.

they usually will always ALWAYS blame - by default - "the system", the IT people or the program. they will never want to put the blame on lack of computer related education by the employee doing the complainting. it's a fact of life. in all matters IT support - at least the ones that i have dealt with - the complaing employee always wins the argument.

switching a whole bunch of people from WinXP to SuSE is a big fuggin' deal!! i have no problem doing it - but i don't want to be the "sucker" that has to educate them on how to use SuSE.

and no - you can't just fire people cause they don't know how to find their way around a linux/unix based OS because they have been using a MS OS all their computer related work lives. it doesn't work that way.

First you said that my comments, based on actual expeience, are complete rubbish.

Are you running one of those Voyeur websites and have a camera on me or something? How the hell do you get off making such a ridiculous comment?

Then you start saying;
[i]"in my experience"[/i] and [i]"it's a fact of life. in all matters IT support - at least the ones that i have dealt with [/i]

So you are either speaking based on YOUR personal experience or it is a fact in all matters of IT support, make up your mind.

You also say,
[i]"when you deploy a new OS, APP, or even change so much as the locatrion of the "PRINT" button in MS Word - you will deal with support/complaints."[/i]

No. When [b]YOU[/b] deploy....not me.

This one just slays me though;
[i]"they usually will always ALWAYS blame [/i]

Which is it, usually or always? LOL :D

In YOUR experience, and solely based on what YOU have said YOUR experience shows, you have very little credibility in your organization and let the desktop users dictate how YOU perform your job, I think this is sad and you did get my sympathy. Either that or you are too scared or unable to defend your changes with enough evidence as to convince the boss you are making the right moves.

[i]"and no - you can't just fire people cause they don't know how to find their way around a linux/unix based OS because they have been using a MS OS all their computer related work lives. it doesn't work that way.[/i]

Yes you can, of course you can. In fact you can legally fire someone for not breathing properly, as long as you don't state it as the reason for termination. Again you are looking at morals and ethics here, not business.

An employee who is unable to adapt to corporate changes is easily let go under the premise that they do not possess the skills needed to perform their duties, no way out of that one for any employee and it happens all the time here.

The company isn't hiring people based on the company's ability to appease them. The company hires people who can benefit the company.

The boss shouldn't give a damn who bitches and whines, company's are in business to make money and save money, operate as efficiently as they can and when possible, keep the employees happy. If someone doesn't like change an employer only needs to look here to see just how many people want those jobs.

Employers in BC look for FIT more than ability or certs. They don't care what you know about a given product if you are the right fit for the company, if you can't grow and progress WITH the company, you definitely aren't the right fit.

I think too many people have been 'pussified' and stroked by employers in the past, I see more and more companies saying goodbye to employees who figured they were indespensible only to find ten more lining up for that same position. At one time, you needed to keep your IT personelle whereas now it seems they are a dime a dozen.

So while YOU show you had a sad experience as an 'IT peon' it seems (again based solely on your own comments compared to my experiences), the rest of the world doesn't need to adhere to YOUR ideals of how employees react in order to be correct.

You especially have no place implying that you are correct and I have no idea, even after explaining it is YOUR experience from which you speak and therefore are not qualified to counter my own comments.

Sit down and have a nice day.

There was another peer MUCH like you here a while back, nobody was capable of doing anything he hadn't done himself, nobody could form an opinion unless it echoed his own and nobody understood business the way he did.

EVERY post was started with a flame that was completely irrelevant to the post just to gain attention of peers, clever!