is critix our answer ?

[jcck2003]

Hi All:

We have about 10-15 remote users, at the beginning we have them use the modem connect via RAS in Windows NT, because when we start out the company, we didn't even have internet connect through LAN, the modem was painful because our company facility has bad phone line quality, usually it would knock people down to below 20kbps, sometimes below,

after we have a dedicated IP address and internet connect thrhoug LAN, we setup VPN provided in Windows NT (PPTPM) for people who have brandband access at home, hotel and other places
which works fine ... for a while

people using heavy file browsing, Outlook emailing and some other desktop applications like ACT! and office product, they get slow and they complained, I have tried to connect and tried to stress the system, it works for me, but for some user their expectation is much higher or they just simply doesn't know how to access certain things when they are connected, they also complain the frequent drops, I kind of worried about the security, and also they laptops may not always get the latest updated patches or virus protection or firewalled.

especially with people using Outlook, which they pretty much build all their work around it, try to send out big attachments, create complex folder structure, also added to their misery

we have now purchase a cisco VPN concentrator, and some certralized firewall software that will check people's desktop and anti virus setting, however, the problem with basic connection issue still continues

I wonder if Citrix is our answer for the remote access nightmare ?

Thanks
JDK

 

[JohnTcolo]

You are going to need about 25kb of bandwidth for each user if you go with Citrix. For 10 users, count on needing 256kb total up/down the line. If you are in the testing phase, get a 3rd party product like systrack from Lakeside software to assist you in your testing. It will help determine exactly how much bandwidth, cpu, Etc. each application is using. It will also tell you what each user is using, how often, etc.

Good luck. Bottom, line is that I think Citrix is your answer, but not until you get a firm handle on the things outlined above.

Good Luck.

 

[joedavis]

Have a look at using a netilla appliance which only requires RDP vanialla MS terminal server to provide a home working facility.

The solution comes out of the box and is a sinch to configure. We have chosen an option to use RSA encrytion and authentication which has put the price up but the added security is worth it.

It also integrates well into nt domains and LDAP so users and see their drives at home.

see

http://www.netilla.com

 

[Philly44]

Before you go headlong into an RDP type environment you may be interested to knwo that you are limited to 256 colors in any RDP session prior to Windows 2003. This may seem like something minor but can have major consequences depending on the software or even the data uses are in need of. I work in a very widespread Citrix environment(From the west coast to the East coast in size) and we have verying levels of connectivity throughout from a site dialing in to sites with 10mbit links and I can honestly say that Citrix is the best approach.

 

[frkb]

Windows 2000 with Metaframe 1.8 Feature Release 1 will do true color. (And I suspect Metaframe XP on W2K will do the same, probably with a Feature Release.) I've been using Citrix (starting with Winframe) for five or six years. I highly recommend the product for just the sort of applications you describe. For bandwidth, you should be concerned with concurrent users, not total users.

Good luck.

 

[Philly44]

frkb: I wasn't saying that Citrix can't handle the colors, it most certainly does, I was referring to the RDP clent itself(Windows native TS solution).

 

[jcck2003]

Hello:

how much work and cost is to implement Citrix ? we already spent some money on the Cisco VPN, it would be hard to dive into Citrix without some research and demo, what is the best way to start this ? will we need a bigger pipe to the Internet if everybody come off broadband ?

we are still using NT, thinking about going to 2000, would that help if we go up to 2003 ? or it does not matter with Critix ?

I think color is less of the concern since we are not in the multimedia business, maybe down the line, but people now are piss off they can't get their email / file to work right, and I am pissed off they don't know how to use the system no matter how many training I did and detailed procedure I wrote and bosses are always unforgiven on the IT department.

Thanks for everyone's input
merry XmaS
JD