We used 60 Dell OptiPlex PCs with 166-MHz Pentium processors and 32M bytes of RAM to transfer five 32K-byte test files conforming to the Electronic Industries Association's TSB-38 standard for evaluating modems. Our test server was an AST Research Manhattan D with a 200-MHz Pentium Pro processor and 320M bytes of RAM running Windows NT Server 4.0 with Service Pack 4 and Internet Information Server 4.0. The servers had a 100M bit/sec Ethernet connection (where supported) to a Bay Networks 350T Ethernet switch.
We connected each PC to a 33.6K bit/sec modem housed in a 3Com MP/16 V.34 Total Control modem pool. Each PC used Windows 95's dial-up networking utility and PPP to dial in to our onsite Lucent Definity G3I PBX. The PBX connected to the remote access server over three ISDN Primary Rate Interface lines. During testing, all remote access servers were configured to authenticate users using Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol and to auto-assign IP addresses. All clients used the same user name and password, except when we tested Cabletron's CyberSwitch CSX7010, a remote access server that required each connection to have an individual user name. We tested throughput using scripts that performed simultaneous File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transfers. We created an automated test script that opened a DOS window on each client, loaded the FTP program supplied with Windows 95 and typed the commands needed to upload and download the files. Throughput was measured at each client using the statistics provided in the FTP program, which ignored transmission of FTP commands in its calculations. We started with a group of 10 dial-up connections and increased the size of the group in 10-client increments until we reached a total of 60 clients. We ran each test three times and averaged the results. If calls were dropped, we reran the test until we completed three successful passes. Download throughput was lower than upload because the remote access server took on the extra burden of performing file compression. During uploads, files were compressed by the client. RELATED LINKS Review: Remote access serversAscend's Max 6000 wins our Blue Ribbon award, although it isn't perfect. Network World, 3/29/99.
Interactive buyer's guide
Find the server that best matches your criteria, or compare two or more in several categories. Network World Fusion, 3/29/99.
Remote access: Have it your way
A look at remote-access trends. Network World, 3/29/99.
RFP Central: Remote access
With the help of the Tolly Group, we solicited vendors for detailed remote-access proposals for a large enterprise. See the RFP and the responses we got. Network World Fusion, 3/29/99.
