A Remote Possibility
The introduction of
Microsoft's Remote Access Service (RAS) created significant confusion in the
remote control software market. After all, why do you need remote control
software, such as Symantec's pcANYWHERE and pcANYWHERE32? You can use RAS on any
client system to easily dial in to an NT server and access files and printers on
the network. Oh, sure, it's not the same as taking complete control of another
system, but RAS is an effective solution for a variety of remote access
problems.
Symantec recognized the challenge of RAS and responded by introducing new
capabilities to the company's line of remote control products. As a result,
Symantec's latest release, pcANYWHERE32, provides impressive features that you
can use with--or instead of--RAS (pcANYWHERE32 can outright replace RAS; you can
configure it to dial a call on the controlling system and to answer the call on
the host system).
Symantec's pcANYWHERE32 is for both the Windows 95 and Windows NT
environments (Symantec does not, however, endorse pcANYWHERE32 with the beta
version of the Windows NT Explorer user interface). The product bears the Win95
logo, so its appearance is decidedly Win95-like. Appearance notwithstanding,
pcANYWHERE32 offers features that will interest any NT administrator,
troubleshooter, or power user.
You can run pcANYWHERE32 in host mode on one system, and Win95, Windows NT,
Windows 3.X, and even DOS clients can direct connect or dial in to the host and
assume control of it. For example, a DOS PC can run the DOS-based pcANYWHERE
client, dial in to an NT Server running the pcANYWHERE32 host service, and
access native NT programs (everything that appears on the server's screen
appears on the client's screen).
Besides being able to establish a dial-in connection, pcANYWHERE32 can
operate over a LAN link or a RAS link. For example, you can initiate a LAN
connection to take control of a pcANYWHERE32 host equipped for Internet dial-out
and start cruising the Web. Or, you can establish a RAS link to an NT Server and
use directory sharing to access server-based files, but use remote control to
access server-based applications.
Finally, pcANYWHERE32 includes some rudimentary gateway capabilities that
let you share a modem over the network for both dial-out and dial-in
connections. These capabilities also let you use two pcANYWHERE32 gateways to
establish links between networks. The useful applications for these gateway
capabilities are limited, however.
Mainstream pcANYWHERE32 Applications
One classic application for this product is in a Help desk environment. If
both a support technician and all the users have pcANYWHERE or pcANYWHERE32, the
technician can establish a live link to a user system and watch that user
interact with the system and applications. Also, the technician can use the
connection to show the user certain operations or to troubleshoot problems on
the user's system.
Another popular use for pcANYWHERE32 is remote administration. For example,
you can use most kinds of PC to dial in and assume control of an NT Server
running pcANYWHERE32. While connected, you can do anything to the server that
doesn't require physical action (such as pressing the reset button or inserting
a CD). You can run the Performance Monitor (Perfmon), change settings through
the Control Panel, and look at the Event Log. With the exception of physical
proximity, it's just like being there. Also note that because this capability is
available over a LAN, a server administrator can use pcANYWHERE32 to take
control of any server on the LAN.
Another typical use for pcANYWHERE32 is for power users to dial in to their
desktop system. In this case, pcANYWHERE32 can provide access to applications
that aren't resident on the home (or mobile) system and can facilitate fast file
transfers between the systems. This access can extend beyond the host system to
the LAN; once you assume control of a host, you have access to all the resources
of the LAN the host is connected to.
Both pcANYWHERE and pcANYWHERE32 offer powerful features. Of course, access
to such power demands strong security. You do not, for example, want to let just
any bozo with a modem dial in to your NT server and take it over. To address the
security issue, pcANYWHERE32 lets you configure usernames and passwords for
incoming connections. This logon information is specific to pcANYWHERE32 and is
not tied to any domain-based or workgroup user structures you have in place.
Also, note that in the NT environment, pcANYWHERE32 can run as a startup
service, which forces you to go through the usual NT logon procedure after you
establish your pcANYWHERE32 connection.
In the Lab with pcANYWHERE32
Symantec provides pcANYWHERE32 on four high-density disks. The package
includes a direct-connect parallel port cable (ours was a lovely, bright yellow)
and two manuals, a user's guide and a manual for creating scripts. As you
probably expect, pcANYWHERE32 is an Intel-only product.
For testing, we installed pcANYWHERE32 on a 50-MHz 80486 laptop (8MB of
RAM) running Windows 95 and on a 60-MHz Pentium tower (24MB of RAM) running
Windows NT Server. Installation is straightforward, although with both Win95 and
NT, you have to restart the system to complete the process.
All the pcANYWHERE32 components (host, client, and gateway) are loaded onto
the system during installation--no setup options let you choose which components
to install. On the one hand, this lack of options makes the installation process
simple and gives you the flexibility of running any system as a client or a
host. On the other hand, who knows what average desktop users will think (and
try) when they stare at the available options, which you can see in screen 1.
They look confusing.