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Comm
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Small Office, Home Office: Away from the Office by John Woody |
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Comm
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Small Office, Home Office: Away from the Office by John Woody |
| In our continuing series on Small Office, Home Office basics,
we need to address the "away from the office" issues in some detail. The
"away" issues center around how to access the data at the office or home
when you are physically at another location. This is actually the old direct
modem/computer to modem/computer problem we have used with our old TELEX
communication applications. We are describing that set of functions in
the latest Windows/Internet environment.
The first "away" issue is to make our small office or home office network connect to the outside world. The second "away" issue concerns gaining access to the office or home when we are away. Both issues have hardware and software implementations. Keeping in mind the fact that a small office and a home with multiple computers which are connected have nearly the same issues to overcome when attempting to gain office or home access from remote locations. Remote access is defined as the ability to access a computer from a location outside where it is housed. Remote access requires communications hardware, software, and actual physical links such as telco phone lines. The computer magazines are touting about four roles for the use of remote access. These include the office help desk where the help desk or technical service personnel can easily trouble-shoot problems fro a remote location. A second role concerns the ability of a network system administrator to be able to assist network users from a remote location. The third role is that of the customer service technician where the remote control access can easily access a product for service. The fourth role concerns the telecommuter who is away from the office and needs access back to the office data. It is this fourth role which comes the closest to our definition of the small office, home office use. The telecommuter role fits both the small office in which one user may be away from his office computer as well as the home user who may need data from his home computer. We will concentrate on the telecommuter.
Connect to the Outside WorldThe first "away" hardware issue to address in the connection to the outside world is to have some level of communications hardware installed in one or more of the office or home computers. We have addressed analog modems, ISDN routers and terminal adapters, ASDL terminal adapters, and other direct access devices. At the minimum, we need an analog modem, preferably a 56 Kbps capable device. At the upper end, we might use an analog ganged or ISDN router. The analog modem will assure one of the office, home computers as having connectivity. In the case of a network, a router will assure all of the computers on the LAN as be potentially able to have connectivity.We have also reviewed the communications software needed to make the office or home connectable to the outside world. This, of course, means that we have Windows 95/98 as the operating system. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 will do the job, but is not as easy to install and setup. Additionally we may use one of the communications application programs such as pcANYWHERE or LAPLINK. HyperTerminal, built into Windows 95/98 will work as well. The Internet client applications such as TELNET and FTP may be of benefit as well. These HOST/GUEST programs provide direct computer-to- computer connections. This is a good solution when there is a POTS phone connection. Additionally, the Internet connection through the Internet Service Provider (ISP) or National Service Provider (NAP) may keep the cost of connection to a minimum when connecting back to the office or home. The Internet access from long distance or that next state hotel can provide local access type costs for remote communicating (access).
Hardware and Software RequirementsThe computer hardware for the remote part of the equation can be another PC or a laptop. The most likely route to the remote computer is the laptop. It will require every hardware thing we have discussed so far. The communication application software, the modem, and the media connection. The software and the media connection are the same as that used at the office or home. It is the modem that changes in physical shape that is different. Laptop modems are usually PC Card technology. PC Cards are hardware devices which look like thick credit cards. PC Cards are every as capable as regular modems. PC Cards are used as Ethernet NICs and terminal adapters as well as analog modems.The office or home computer must be booted up with the HOST portion of the communications application running or able to be run remotely. The remote computer is booted with the GUEST portion of the communications application running. This HOST/GUEST relationship is important in that the current generation of communication applications nearly all function as remote control software for Windows NT/Windows 95/98. This class of software includes:
All of these communications applications perform remote control and file transfer. In the case of remote control, once the guest has connected to the host , the guest computer is able to preform any function on the host that it can locally. This might include searching for data files, printing, or other manipulation functions. The file transfer function is handled similarly in that the guest manipulates the host and selects the file or group of files to transfer and requests that the files be transferred to the guest. There are security issues. User names, groups, passwords and public/private encryption keys may be included such as pcAnywhere32 8.0. The NT version of pcANYWHERE 32 8.0 has the ability to authenticate users with the Windows NT user manager and domains. Other security features include drive access control, user connection time, and automatic reboot the host on disconnect (for NT). These software applications assume the host is running. There are third party boot devices which can be installed in the power line, which, when dialed will turn the host computer on and boot it. These devices have security functions built in as well. Direct dial connections can be made. This is accomplished by dialing the host computer POTS or ISDN number. The long distance charges and dialing instructions must be utilized in for the long distance situation. An alternative may be to utilize an Internet connection, if available, at the guest end so that the Internet costs prevail.
Uses for Remote AccessThe business uses for remote access are pretty obvious. The insurance agent who needs a letter or spreadsheet document from the home office could be a telecommuter. A sales representative needing a new product specification sheet which was not on the laptop can use remote access.The home user remote access needs are less obvious. One which comes to mind might be someone who is on vacation or is traveling who needs to gain the latest information on his stock portfolio which is automatically being accumulated in the home computer. Another user which comes to mind is someone who assists other users in setting their computers up. This idea means that all of the group have HOST/GUEST communication application software installed.
ConclusionOnce we start communicating with the outside world, it is a forgone conclusion that we will want data we have stored in one location for use in another. We have come a long way in our computer communicating with the communications software applications, our computer hardware, and methods of communicating, i.e., the Internet. We are now able to exploit all of these techniques in a very cost effective manner, meaning that those of us who do not work for the very large sophisticated corporations can have communication between our own computers from remote locations.JOHN WOODY IS A TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT SPECIALIZING IN SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS, NETWORKS, AND INTERNET BUSINESS TRAINING. |