Citrix solutions

[a*user]

Here we go basically I am trying to figure out a good solution for my small company. Basically I have 6 machines on an internal network and I have an approx 15-20 person sales team who will need to login to the system remotely. I will need them to be able to have moderate to good speed on the external machines. I expect the sales team to be working on there machines almost as often as if they were in the office. But here is the basic run down of my network:

- It is a small network so I have one server running MS ADVANCED Server 2000.
- I am running a Netgear Routing FVS318 with some other software security.
- I have a static DSL line with good upload and download speed.**
- All machines will be running on either XP Pro or 2000 Pro.
- Every machine will have at least 256mb of ram.

** all extranet machines will have access to highspeed lines

So basically I am trying to figure out a way to do this with security and ultimate end-user speed also keeping the cost down is always good. I have thought about Terminal Service but I am wondering what my other options are.

[nihil]

Hi there a*user , and a slightly belated welcome to AO.

OK, I like Citrix, but what I think you are looking at is more along the lines of VPN..............like how to get a fast and secure connection to the network from outside?

I am probably totally unimaginative and incorrect, but I have always used Citrix to get the Apps to the People?

[a*user]

Hey Nihil,

I have been here before uder adiz and militanteidolon so I have been around these boards since about 2002.

Yeah I have been looking into Citrix but I think it may be a bit of overkill. I don't really want vpn because I am not sure how secure the sales people will keep their computers and I know you can apply permissions to different users but I was just trying to get all the information I can collected to make the most educated decision.

I am also just thinking of making a online portal where they log into a website and get the apps via my web. I have figured out away to do that but then I am posting it on the website and tempting people to mess with it. Not to mention my bandwidth increase on the server (seeing as the server is not hosted internally in the company). So like I said I am looking at all aspects of this.

And the system I am using is a custom program written in C requiring ASNA licensing on the machines to run it. So in this case that is why I am thinking about the web-portal idea let me know what you guys think.

[nihil]

Hey a*user

I don't think that Citrix is what you want. It is brilliant for delivering Apps to the desktop over a LAN or WAN, but it is not as secure as I might want.

I have used RSA keyfob devices and a VPN...............this is more security orientated............it is your call mate, what are your essential parameters?

If you have 15-20 outside sales people, then I would look at VPN. I would also have a server for them, not on your LAN. There are a number of ways of going at this IMHO.

Just a few thoughts,

Johnno

[Tedob1]

i like critrix myself although i use watchguard vpn hardware.

i've recently been made aware of a p2p vpn (free to very cheap) called hamachi

http://www.hamachi.cc/

im just now looking into it. it seems an interesting solution for a server in the DMZ so far.

anybody know anything about it?

[a*user]

When I was working for a large corp I also used watchguard and I like it. It is basically (not 100%) a Cisco router without the expense and better integration (at least that is what I felt). But again I am not at the point I can necessarily use heavy hardware but I am going to have to look into more software oriented security. I have an older server that I am currently updating (both hardware and software) so I can integrate it into my system. I am not sure what OS I will be running on it so there are alot of variables and lot of information still up in the air and I just want to get opinions before I decided exactly what I am going to want to do.

[ams2d]

I agree that RSA keyfob devices and VPN may be the best option given the size of your company. At my company they use Cisco VPN Client on the user’s pc to connect to a VPN server for authentication prior to allowing them to access to the internal network. Just check with the provider to make sure their VPN portal will work with the VPN program you chosen as some providers haven't worked well with the setup within my company.

I think the cost of the software and hardware needed for Citrix is a factor against it at this point but as your company grows may become an option. Just asn an FYI, Metaframe XP/ nFuse can allow one to log in using RSA so if you go this route later the keyfobs could still be used.