Keith Schultz

Wireless networks aren't just a convenience anymore; they've become an essential part of business culture. It's nearly impossible to walk into a workplace that doesn't use Wi-Fi in some fashion. For the millions of portable wireless devices--from traditional laptops to smartphones and tablets (including Apple's iDevices and the ever-expanding menagerie of Android-based gear)--that people carry with them today, Wi-Fi is the great connector, providing an industry-standard communication layer for untethered devices.

Making your organization Wi-Fi-friendly is good business. Wireless support can foster goodwill among visitors, enable the workforce to stay connected to the company while on the road, and provide network access in areas that are either too expensive or too inconvenient to reach easily with traditional network cabling. But pulling off a successful Wi-Fi deployment can be tricky. For instance, it may seem like a good idea to buy the lowest-cost access point (AP) and stick it in a corner, but such a minimalist approach is unlikely to yield the results you're looking for.

Although Riverbed is best known for its site-to-site WAN acceleration appliances, it hasn't forgotten teleworkers, road warriors, and small branch offices. Steelhead Mobile is Riverbed's software client for accelerating individual remote connections to the data center over the WAN or Internet. Instead of having to deploy a Steelhead appliance for even the smallest branch office, IT can simply push the Steelhead Mobile client to users' desktops and laptops, and they can take advantage of Riverbed's best-of-class acceleration and optimization wherever they might be -- or roam.

The newly released Riverbed Steelhead Mobile 3.1 fills in a number of features that were missing in previous versions. The ability to accelerate HTTPS, Exchange 2010 (encrypted MAPI), and Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop traffic streams, and support for Server Message Block (SMB) signing for secure Windows file sharing are now built in. Best of all, in addition to 32-bit Windows editions, Steelhead Mobile now runs on Windows 7 64-bit and Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) and Snow Leopard (10.6). Overall, performance on Windows and Mac OS X proved on a par with the physical appliance, with FTP traffic lagging ever so slightly behind all other traffic types.

Windows Small Business Server 2010 is a cost-effective combination of Microsoft's best server technologies, bundled up in a single package that features consolidated management and a price tag most new networks can afford. Built with Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange 2010, and SharePoint Foundation 2010, SBS 2011 provides all of the features users expect in an enterprise network, but without the enterprise cost.

SBS 2011 is even better than the sum of the parts. Microsoft has done an impressive job of integrating the various core services into a single package, and thanks to the integrated console, the bundle is a snap to manage. The new services are all the latest and greatest releases, but by far one of the most important upgrades is the ability to use any browser, and not just Internet Explorer, to access Outlook Web App and the Remote Web Access portal. All in all, SBS 2011 is a terrific package for any small network wanting enterprise-grade tools.

For anyone whose work follows them wherever they go (and whose doesn't?), a remote-access solution is an easy sell. With a remote-access tool, your office computer can be reached from home, your home computer can be reached from the office, and both can be reached from your hotel in Omaha or Maui or wherever you happen to be. Remote access means nothing ever gets left behind--except maybe your laptop.

Best of all, a good remote-access tool doesn't have to cost you a dime. There are plenty of good free tools available, and some of them are downright excellent. In this review, I examine seven of the most popular free remote-access tools available for Windows and, in four cases, Mac users. Many of the free tools listed here also have paid versions that offer additional features (such as support for remote printing) or licensing (extra host computers or clients). For some users, the paid version will be the only true option.

One of the most versatile tools I came across is Gbridge 2.0. This free utility allows users not only to remotely control a Windows host, but also transfer files, share folders, and automatically synchronize files between PCs. Gbridge is firewall friendly and does not require any modifications to the network firewall. It does require a Gmail account (also free), but that shouldn't stop anyone from deploying it.

Gbridge is available for all versions of Windows from Windows 2000 to Windows 7, and it installs relatively simply on both host and client. The software creates a soft VPN between host and remote PCs using the gbridge.com Website and a Gmail account as the login authority. This VPN is fully meshed so that multiple clients can see one another and participate in file transfers, remote control, and shared file locations. Thus, Gbridge provides many-to-many connectivity instead of a one-to-one link as with most remote control utilities.

TeamViewer 5 allows remote users to control both Windows and Mac computers behind a firewall by way of a small client application. It provides good all-around access to your remote PC, but the free version is limited to noncommercial users only. Remote printing isn't readily available in TeamViewer, but VoIP, video, and conference call support are included.

Like LogMeIn Free, TeamViewer 5 is firewall-friendly and uses the standard HTTP port (port 80) to connect a remote client to a host computer. Unlike LogMeIn, TeamViewer does not use a browser or intermediate Web site. Each side must run a small agent--either an installed client application or a no-install, memory resident client--to make the connection. I tried TeamViewer both ways with success. During remote sessions, the installed agent used only 13MB of RAM, while the memory resident agent used just 7MB. TeamViewer 5 works with all versions of Windows from Windows 98 to present, and with Mac OS X 10.4 and up.

WinRemotePC 2009 Lite by WinSoftMagic is a utility that stuffs a lot into a little package. WinRemotePC Lite is another Windows-only program that requires an open port in your firewall. But unlike DESKTRA, it includes the ability to transfer files between host and remote client. WinRemotePC Lite does not provide remote printing capabilities, but does include a couple of unique features.

WinRemotePC is a simple 3MB download for both host and client. It installed without a hitch on my Windows XP Pro systems. As with DESKTRA, Remote Desktop, and VNC, I had to open up a port in to my host. Once the system is running and a client connects, the WinRemotePC Lite host uses only 40MB of RAM and very little CPU time during sessions. The client side also used very few system resources: 40MB when connected.

For anyone whose work follows them wherever they go (and whose doesn't?), a remote access solution is an easy sell. With a remote access tool, your office computer can be reached from home, your home computer can be reached from the office, and both can be reached from your hotel in Omaha or Maui or wherever you happen to be. Remote access means nothing ever gets left behind -- except maybe your laptop.

Best of all, a good remote access tool doesn't have to cost you a dime. There are plenty of good free tools available, and some of them are downright excellent. In this review, I examine seven of the most popular free remote access tools available for Windows and, in four cases, Mac users. Many of the free tools listed here also have paid versions that offer additional features (such as support for remote printing) or licensing (extra host computers or clients). For some users, the paid version will be the only true option.

Inevitably, just when you're miles from the office, someone needs a piece of information that only you can provide, and it is locked away on your office PC. With a remote access solution, you can easily access your PC and get the data you need, all while sipping a drink with your toes in the sand.

Artwork: Chip TaylorSound too good to be true? Well, it isn't. A number of different solutions are available to help make this a reality. In this Remote Access Buyer's Guide, I will cover the different types of remote access solutions, their advantages and disadvantages, their ease of use and technical requirements, and also what you can expect as far as usability.

DirectAccess, Microsoft's pairing of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 for connect-anywhere access, is possibly the best thing Redmond has produced in a long time. Unfortunately for many, it just may be about five years too early.

For those just getting up to speed on some of Windows 7's new features, DirectAccess is a way for Windows 7 clients to securely connect to the corporate network from any location without any type of traditional VPN. It provides an encrypted bidirectional connection between the enterprise domain and the client device prior to the user logging on to the system, allowing admins to manage the remote machine via Group Policy and the like, just as if it were physically connected to the network. The connection is always on, so users don't have to remember to manually launch a VPN client, and their applications, such as Microsoft Outlook and instant messaging, are always in communication with the corporate network.

With the economy slowing down and IT budgets getting tighter, trying to sell your boss on some new network equipment might defy conventional wisdom. But if the equipment helps reduce time wasted when working over a WAN, or better yet, improves overall WAN usage and user productivity, it might not be as difficult a sale as you thought.

Now in its fifth release, Riverbed Technologies RiOS WAN acceleration operating system adds some new features to an already impressive list of services and also includes better centralized management through the Central Management Console (CMC). New to RiOS 5 is native Exchange 2007 support, easier HTTPS configuration, and a better QoS engine. Overall WAN performance is on par or better than in previous releases, with CIFS (common Internet file system) traffic showing a modest increase and FTP cold pass improving significantly.