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Mobile user, remote access

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by paul

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Our new operations manager is away from the office alot, and wants to have access to documents on our file server, and email synchronization between her Handspring Visor, office workstation, and laptop. We have a website and server, but I've never set up an FTP site before. Currently we have an ISA modem, a second analog line, and Timbuktu purchased (but not installed yet) so she can dial-in to her office workstation and connect to our server that way.

Am I making things too complex? Is an FTP site easier, more secure? (Our web server, sadly, is a Pentium-166 workstation running IIS 4.0 - still working on getting funds for a real server :} )

Any suggestions in any of the above-mentioned areas are appreciated.

3 replies

by afonger

The easiest thing to do for email sync and file access is to configure a RAS connection for her and use NT Authentication. You don't mention if you use Exchange Server or use the Outlook client. If you do, setup the client to download the email to a local PST file or an OST. She should be able to sync to her PDA and browse the network.

A more robust solution would be to install VPN access. We're currently use this and find it very secure and allows the user access to the internet as well as their files on our server.

Good luck!

by paul

RAS connection - does that involve a modem on the server? We don't use Exchange Server - just Outlook.

For now, she downloads her webmail to her laptop with Outlook installed, and syncs with her palm from the laptop. That seems to work fine. But when it comes to accessing our file server remotely, I have Timbuktu Pro 2000 installed on her laptop and her office desktop so she can dial in and access the network through the phone lines. The connection is shaky at best, however, and EXCRUCIATINGLY slow. What I would rather be able to do is set up an FTP site with password protection so she can access the file server via the Internet and her cable modem at home. Is secure FTP difficult to setup? Also, the file server itself does not have IIS on it, so I would have to copy or sync the file server files with our web server. Space on both are limited, and I need to get a working solution soon - she's getting frustrated and so am I! Do you or anyone you know have any suggections? They will be much appreciated...

by jjarmel

Though it may sound like an ad, I've used GoToMyPC very successfully for a small handful of remote users. Security is great and no technical configs necessary. Uses web access from out of office to running workstation or server connected to whatever resources are needed internally. No footprint, no conflicts with other software (as in Timbuktu or pcAnywhere) and easy to configure as well as manage.

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