Fortunately, not only is configuring and using dial-up networking in Windows 95/98 simple, but
it also provides a broad base of services for remote users. These services include the following:
Automatic connection to websites
Once configured, the operating system automatically
establishes a dial-up connection to connect with a remote web server. If a user simply types a
URL into Microsoft Internet Explorer, the modem will dial the Internet service provider (ISP)
and request the web page.
E-mail
Mobile clients can connect to Microsoft Exchange or another e-mail service in the office.
This provides an efficient way to communicate with colleagues.
File synchronization
Remote users can obtain file updates and post their files on a server in the
office for local users. Although Microsoft provides the My Briefcase application for this purpose,
Symantec’s pcAnywhere and other such programs might be desired by more demanding users.
Remote control
One alternative to high-bandwidth applications is remote control. Remote
control software does exactly what it sounds like it does: keystrokes and mouse movements are
sent to the host, and the host returns the image to the remote user, enabling the user to control
the host. This solution enables only the screen images to be transferred, which can greatly
reduce the required bandwidth for supporting the application.
Consider the following: A remote user on a dial-up connection needs to access a database, and
this access results in 10MB of data being transferred. When using remote control, only the
screen data will be sent for the session; with compression, this means that possibly less than
2MB of data will be sent. Clearly, this bandwidth savings can be substantial. Note that remote
control solutions must be connected to access data—unlike remote node solutions, which use
the remote user’s processor for local applications and data and use the modem as a slower network
link. Also, the bandwidth savings can differ significantly depending on the data demands
of the application. In this context, remote control utilizes remote node solutions for transport,
but the connection must be maintained for the duration of the remote control session. Windows XP
includes a terminal server option.
NOTE:Effectively, anything that a user can accomplish in the office is possible to
accomplish remotely with dial-up networking. Unfortunately, the significantly
lower bandwidth of dial-up connections can make this impractical, depending
on the application.