In the IP Address tab of the TCPIP Properties dialog box, select the Obtain an IP

Appendix C ✦ Telecommuting Distinguishing the remote access user Remote users may be telecommuters, home office users, or employees traveling on the road or otherwise away from the office. Remote users may be home users who dial up home from col- lege, the office, a hotel room, or another location. There are as many reasons to access a net- work from a remote location as there are types of users who must access a remote computer. Users might want to check e-mail, copy a file, or print a document at home or at the office for others to see. Other reasons to access a network remotely might be for research, for techni- cal support, or for an online meeting or conference. Remote access enables you to communi- cate with others over the network without being in the same room or office. Other advantages of telecommuting and remote access are tremendous. Besides easing high- way congestion, lowering fuel usage, and saving wasted commuting time, remote access users can complete a job more efficiently and set their own schedules as they do it. As a telecommuter, however, you must consider a few things. You want to make sure that you have the equipment you need and that you’re using that equipment and the situation effi- ciently and considerately. Using pcANYWHERE Symantec sells a popular remote access program called pcANYWHERE for about 100. Using pcANYWHERE, you can access another PC remotely, and through the connection, you can access a server or other remote node to transfer files or perform other network tasks. The other com- puter must also have pcANYWHERE installed and be turned on with pcANYWHERE running in host mode. pcANYWHERE uses a Windows interface. You call using the program, the program authenticates you, and then you can perform file transfers or other tasks with pcANYWHERE running in the background. You can even train a remote computer user, troubleshoot problems on a remote computer, and perform programming tasks while connected to the remote computer. In short, you can do anything on the remote computer that you could do if you were in the same room as the computer. pcANYWHERE includes many remote management tools that enable you to troubleshoot prob- lems on the remote computer. You can edit the Registry, go to the command prompt, view logs, and so on. pcANYWHERE is perfect for computer consultants and their clients and for corporate help desks. pcANYWHERE is also very secure. The program uses Public Key Infrastructure PKI and symmet- ric encryption; it can use up to 13 authentication types, mandatory passwords, and integrity checking. You’re safe when you’re online with pcANYWHERE. pcANYWHERE requires a minimum of 64MB of RAM, 35MB of free disk space, and a Pentium processor, and it works with Windows 98, NT, 2000, and XP. For more information, see www.symantec.compcanywhere. Appendixes A telecommuter’s needs You need certain equipment in your home or remote office to enable you to work efficiently. Your company might supply the equipment you need, or you might have to purchase it your- self. Generally, you need the following items: ✦ A computer and modem ✦ Communications software ✦ A fast connection to the office ✦ A printer ✦ A business phone line ✦ Technical support for problems you encounter ✦ Backup media, such as Zip disks, a tape drive, or other ✦ Virus protection ✦ Perhaps a pager, cell phone, or handheld computer, or some combination of these Keep a kit with you at all times that contains things such as an extra laptop battery, a spare phone cord, a list of support numbers, and so on. Make sure that you keep your laptop bat- tery charged. A telecommuter’s duties If you are working outside of the office, your first responsibility is to stay in touch with your coworkers to make sure that everyone is on the same page. You might need to telephone or send e-mail daily, for example, to discuss projects, procedures, or other factors affecting you and those who remain in the office. Keep a regular schedule at home so that you’re sure to get your work done. Get up in the morning and go to work by a specific time. Plan a lunchtime and a quitting time as well. Create boundaries in your home for your work area. Your office space should be separate from entertainment, kids, pets, and other distractions. Make sure that you understand how your company defines telecommuting and any guidelines they set for use of the equipment. Also, ask about insurance for the equipment, inquire about how upgrades and repairs are to be handled, and so on. Using Terminal Services Terminal Services TS is a feature offered by Windows 2000 Server that enables you to con- nect to your office computer or network. You must know the name and IP address of the server, the domain, your username, and of course, your password. In addition, the adminis- trator of your network must set up permissions for you on the server and create client instal- lation diskettes usually two 1.44MB floppies for you to install on your home computer. You use a dial-up connection that you create with the TS client, and when you attach to the computer, you have control over applications, files, and printers for which you’ve been given permissions. If your company uses Windows 2000 Server and you think you would want to work from home, ask your network administrator about Terminal Services. Tip Appendix C ✦ Telecommuting Exploring Virtual Private Networks Virtual private networks VPNs are extremely popular with large and small businesses. You might find yourself using your company’s VPN if you’re working from home or on the road. A virtual private network is a network between remote users and a company’s private local area network; the connection between the two, however, is through a public network system, such as the Internet. A VPN provides safe and secure paths for the company and the user, even though the connection is public. VPNs also save the company money by applying exist- ing technology; the company doesn’t have to support or maintain the remote network. You use Windows dial-up networking to connect to a virtual private network. As with any form of networking, you also must use a protocol to connect to the VPN. Remote protocols differ somewhat from other networking protocols. Probably, however, your company will use TCPIP as the VPN protocol. For more information about TCPIP, see Appendix B. The Internet also uses the TCPIP protocol. If you install dial-up networking in Windows to use with your Internet connection, you will configure the TCPIP protocol. Other possible protocols you can use with VPNs include the following: ✦ Serial Line Internet Protocol SLIP is an older protocol that isn’t used much anymore; however, you still might run into servers using SLIP. ✦ Point-to-Point Protocol PPP is often used with remote access because it enables com- puters to load other protocols — such as TCPIP, NetBEUI, and so on — in addition to the PPP. ✦ Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol PPTP enables you to have secure access to a vir- tual private network. VPNs use encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that the data cannot be inter- cepted. Secure VPNs should protect the network from Internet threats, be easy to manage, use appropriate logging, and perform well for those calling into the VPN. There are software and hardware solutions you can use for VPNs. For more information, talk to your system administrator at work. Defining Modem Technologies Modems you might use for remote access include analog and digital modems. Analog modems are devices designed to work on a telephone line, which transmits voice signals. Digital modems transmit in binary digits, so the speed greatly exceeds analog speeds. A digital modem could be your cable modem or DSL modem. This type of technology gener- ally works only one way; for example, you can use your cable modem to access the Internet, send and receive e-mail, and so on, but you cannot use your cable modem to dial up work and access files. For now, until technologies improve, you’re stuck with analog modems. You use Windows dial-up networking with analog modems and ISDN devices. ISDN devices are slower than cable modems and DSL, but they do carry voice and data, which means you could use an ISDN device to contact a work computer, if that computer also has an ISDN. ISDN is an older technology, however, and is falling out of use. Note Appendixes Identifying analog modems Analog modems come in 28.8, 33.6, and 56 Kbps, but most likely, your modem is a 56 Kbps modem. Although you can use any of these for remote access, the slower the modem is, the slower your connection to the remote computer. If you’re planning to access a small file and then disconnect, slower modems might work fine. If you want to work for very long on a remote computer, however, you’ll that find the faster modems are best. Most newer modems use data compression, so the throughput can be faster. Modems that run at 56 Kbps are very affordable and offer fast downloading and uploading speeds. All data communications devices upload and download at different speeds. Down- loading speeds are always faster. More people download than upload, so most servers, lines, modems, and other technologies make sure that downloading speeds are fast. For a 56 Kbps modem, download speeds range as high as 53 Kbps and uploading speeds are usually around 33 Kbps. The actual speeds depend on the telephone lines and the connection. The FCC’s regulations prevent us from using 56 Kbps in the United States, so you won’t see any speeds above 53 Kbps or so. Recognizing digital modems Digital modems are becoming more common in small businesses and corporate offices because they’re not as expensive as they have been in the past. One of the problems with dig- ital lines is the fact they’re not available in many rural areas. Prices and availability vary greatly from area to area. You might expect to pay a 100 for the modem, around 30 to 60 a month for the line, and perhaps 2 to 5 cents a minute for connection time. If, however, you work at home a lot, your company may want to install a digital line for you to use. If you have a digital line, you can work via a VPN to connect to your company. Integrated Services Digital Network ISDN is a digital modem and data transmission line that supplies voice, video, audio, and data transmissions at high speeds. ISDN offers low noise and interference, security, and consistent service. Again, ISDN is not used as much as it once was. The ISDN modem is actually a terminal adapter TA, but using the term modem is common and accepted. One TA is located on your end of the ISDN line, and another TA is located on the other end at the phone company. With ISDN, your data should transfer with speeds of up to 128 Kbps with uncompressed data. Generally, an ISDN line can be no longer than 18,000 feet, although you can install special equipment to extend the distance. Note Understanding V Standards V standards are a way of rating modems and other data communications. These standards apply to facsimile transmissions, modems, and local area networks. Manufacturers meet these stan- dards to make their products compatible with other manufacturers’ products. The V.90 standard for a 56 Kbps modem is mature and stable. Often, when a standard needs an upgrade or has problems, a manufacturer upgrades the firmware in order to make the changes. Firmware is any software stored in the form of read-only memory ROM and is part of the modem’s design. When a standard is well established, like V.90, manufacturers don’t have to upgrade it very often.