User Support Forum

We have one user who must work from home which doesn't merit going to PC Online. Does anyone have a VPN suggestion to make this work via mapped network Drive?

davidtaylorjr wrote:We have one user who must work from home which doesn't merit going to PC Online. Does anyone have a VPN suggestion to make this work via mapped network Drive?

Any good VPN will work as long as you can setup the mapped drive, and set the server to not use a write cache.

Here's what Tracy said to someone else:

1. The Version 11 NetSetup will install a starter application that will automatically download the latest executable from the network install you keep updated. Version 10 can determine when running a local copy, if the network copy is not the same. The local user is informed of the condition, yet allowed to continue to work with the program. Prior versions do not have any warning in place.

2. File locking is managed by the program. Security inside PowerChurch and via the network administration is useful. PowerChurch needs write access to the PCPLUS?? folder and all folders under it.
Write Cache will most likely cause data corruption. This is a policy on the disk of the server system.

Tracy

Ok, do you know of any VPN software that allows mapped drives?

davidtaylorjr wrote:Ok, do you know of any VPN software that allows mapped drives?

Logmein Hamachi - its a hosted VPN - but you can probably use it for free with one computer:
https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/

A quick setup guide:
http://www.howtogeek.com/77164/beginner ... -anywhere/

You would connect up, map the networked drive on the client computer, then use the netsetup115.exe in the x:\POWERCHURCH\PCPLUS115\INSTALL directory to install on the client computer.

The client user would have to connect to the VPN prior to starting up PCPlus but that's an easy thing

There are other packages, but this one is very easy and cheap to use.

Ok, and if we wanted this functionality for all staff and board members we would need to upgrade Hamachi. I'm assuming Comodo Unite works the same way only free? Are you familiar with that?

NeilZ wrote:

davidtaylorjr wrote:Ok, do you know of any VPN software that allows mapped drives?

Logmein Hamachi - its a hosted VPN - but you can probably use it for free with one computer:
https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/

A quick setup guide:
http://www.howtogeek.com/77164/beginner ... -anywhere/

You would connect up, map the networked drive on the client computer, then use the netsetup115.exe in the x:\POWERCHURCH\PCPLUS115\INSTALL directory to install on the client computer.

The client user would have to connect to the VPN prior to starting up PCPlus but that's an easy thing

There are other packages, but this one is very easy and cheap to use.

davidtaylorjr wrote:Ok, and if we wanted this functionality for all staff and board members we would need to upgrade Hamachi. I'm assuming Comodo Unite works the same way only free? Are you familiar with that?

Not familiar with Comodo .. from what I can see its not a 'VPN', but more like a 'GoToMyPC' type of system where the user has access to a computer

From the documentation:

Comodo Unite's application sharing feature allows you to quickly push any application on your computer to the desktop of one of your contacts. Sharing an application means your contact will be able to view and interact with any software running on your machine. Because your contact is essentially viewing the application that is running on your computer, it even allows them to view and use software that they do not have installed.

Whereas a normal VPN user will just connect, and then find that the mapped network drive is then accessable, and would then start PCPlus as normal from their desktop.

Based on the fact that you're a church/non-profit I suspect you could use the free version of Hamachi for as many users as the free version allows.

From what I can tell Hamachi creates a network, and from what I can tell that is also what Unite Does. Unite was formerlly called "Easy VPN" but it became Unite when they added new functionality. I'll give it a shot, can't hurt right?

NeilZ wrote:

davidtaylorjr wrote:Ok, and if we wanted this functionality for all staff and board members we would need to upgrade Hamachi. I'm assuming Comodo Unite works the same way only free? Are you familiar with that?

Not familiar with Comodo .. from what I can see its not a 'VPN', but more like a 'GoToMyPC' type of system where the user has access to a computer

From the documentation:

Comodo Unite's application sharing feature allows you to quickly push any application on your computer to the desktop of one of your contacts. Sharing an application means your contact will be able to view and interact with any software running on your machine. Because your contact is essentially viewing the application that is running on your computer, it even allows them to view and use software that they do not have installed.

Whereas a normal VPN user will just connect, and then find that the mapped network drive is then accessable, and would then start PCPlus as normal from their desktop.

Based on the fact that you're a church/non-profit I suspect you could use the free version of Hamachi for as many users as the free version allows.

davidtaylorjr wrote:From what I can tell Hamachi creates a network, and from what I can tell that is also what Unite Does. Unite was formerlly called "Easy VPN" but it became Unite when they added new functionality. I'll give it a shot, can't hurt right?

Not exactly true ... Hammachi creates a proper VPN, where the user just connects and works across the internet on their own computer.

Unite only 'shares applications' where the user is actually running the application on the remote computer. This appears to mean that you will have to have a dedicated computer where the user can access a desktop.

I didn't see anything in the Unite documentation that talked about actual 'shared network drives', just that the files are accessible. Not the same thing.

I'd try the free Hammachi first.

But it sounds like you want to try to offer this type of work-at-home access to all the staff. I'd just go with Powerchurch Online ... less hassle and security issues.

NeilZ wrote:

davidtaylorjr wrote:From what I can tell Hamachi creates a network, and from what I can tell that is also what Unite Does. Unite was formerlly called "Easy VPN" but it became Unite when they added new functionality. I'll give it a shot, can't hurt right?

Not exactly true ... Hammachi creates a proper VPN, where the user just connects and works across the internet on their own computer.

Unite only 'shares applications' where the user is actually running the application on the remote computer. This appears to mean that you will have to have a dedicated computer where the user can access a desktop.

I didn't see anything in the Unite documentation that talked about actual 'shared network drives', just that the files are accessible. Not the same thing.

I'd try the free Hammachi first.

But it sounds like you want to try to offer this type of work-at-home access to all the staff. I'd just go with Powerchurch Online ... less hassle and security issues.

It also costs a lot more when we already own Power Church Plus. We are trying to decrease our budget. I'll give Hamachi a look.