[CS-FSLUG] A couple things

[Tim Young]

Hi there,
I do think that getting a larger HD would be a good thing.  HDs are 
extremely cheap these days.  I recently got an external 1.5TB HD for $130.

As has already been said, VNC over the Internet without any encryption 
is a very bad security thing.  It sends the password in plaintext, and 
leaves your computer open for virtually anyone to log into it.  The ssh 
port-forwarding thing is a very good option, but it can be a bit 
difficult for non-techies to grasp (especially if there are multiple 
computers you are trying to VNC to.)  If you do not need to connect to 
the windows 95 computer, I would recommend using Hamachi as the VPN.  It 
is very easy to work with.  You would simply install it on the computers 
you are connecting to, and connecting from, and install vnc on those 
computers.  You will not need to mess with dynamic DNS at all.  But 
hamachi is not a free tool when used in a commercial setting.  So it is 
a trade-off between ease of use and finances...

Either way, Make sure you encrypt the VNC traffic.

    - Tim Young

Chad Fluegge wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have been commissioned by my boss at work to find a good backup 
> solution for the computers that make our business run. We have a laser 
> machine that cuts parts from nests that are sent out to it by a 
> computer up in the office. The laser machine itself is run by a laptop 
> running windows95. There is another computer that receives the nests 
> from the computer up in the office and serves them up to the laser to 
> be bent: this computer is running windowsXP. All computers up in the 
> office are running windowsXP. Have a look at our business 
> here: http://lasernorth-up.com <http://lasernorth-up.com/>
>
> Anyways, the question that I have is this: what would be an 
> inexpensive backup solution for the computers at our shop? There are 
> really only three - maybe four - that would need to be backed up. 
> Right now, all we have is an external HD and all the computers back up 
> their important folders to it periodically. It is working except for 
> the fact that it is now full. The size of the external hard drive is 
> 80GB; which, in my mind, is wholly unacceptable. My feeling is that if 
> we get an HD that is 500GB+ external HD it would be fine. Also, all 
> nests/part_files/etc would be backed up to a DVD and stored away.
>
> Also, I have question regarding VNC... The first thing that happens in 
> our shop when someone wants something burnt, is they send the file to 
> our email address. Then we download the file to our computer. Then 
> using various applications - Solidworks, alibre, cuttingshop, Ncell, 
> iRemote, iReport - we prep the file to be burnt and then send it off 
> to the laser to be burnt. All our computers are behind a 
> Router/Firewall. Is using VNC a feasible way to do all this work 
> remotely? The reason I ask is because some of the programs are 
> somewhat graphics intensive at times, depending on how intricate the 
> part is. If it is a feasible way, how do I set it up? I have used VNC 
> before, but only in a local setting - eg from one local computer to 
> another. Do I have to setup port forwarding in the router in order to 
> set this up?
>
> This would be awesome if I can set it up to be able to work remotely, 
> because sometimes my boss is at the shop for hours on end when he 
> could/should be at home with his family. This would enable him - or 
> myself for that matter - to do some of this stuff remotely. It would 
> also allow me to help them troubleshoot things while I am out of the 
> office... And if I understand it right, I could do this from within my 
> linux machine... :)
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated,
> -- 
> Chad, Jess & Lil' Sam Fluegge
> Psalms 61:5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me 
> the heritage of those that fear thy name.
> Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, 
> and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> ChristianSource FSLUG mailing list
> Christiansource at ofb.biz
> http://cs.uninetsolutions.com