There is a lot of duff information in this thread.
It is quite easy to set up a windows 95 network to provide email to the desktop and web browsing from the desktop over the PSTN using a single modem and with good security to stop anyone from outside your practice being able to access resources on the practice network. You don't need NT, you don't need MS Exchange, you don't need smart card authentication. It's certainly nicer to have ISDN and a router or even a faster connection if you can afford it but on a small network with no more than 3 or 4 people browsing at the same time performance is pretty acceptable with a 56k modem (as long as you don't have lots of downloads running). You need a simple firewall configured not to let anyone in from outside (this can be software or hardware based) and you should use non-routable IP addresses on your workstations.
You need a single account with an ISP who provides unlimited email addresses, some software to sort incoming mail and a PROXY or SOCKS server to allow web browser to share one line and a single external IP address.
On my network at home (about the same size as a small practice) I use VPOP3 as a mail server/proxy this deals with all mail to @woodcote.demon.co.uk passing it on to the appropriate local mailbox, provides locally routed email between workstations on the network, and handles outgoing mail to the Internet. It works well with any email client that can support SMTP or POP3 I have Outlook 97, Outlook 98 and Outlook Express I have also used it with Turnpike. This software also support mailing lists, distribution list, ldap, auto responders, automated email collection and delivery and numerous features I've not explored which seem to provide everything you could possible want to manage an email gateway. 5 users 40 quid runs on 95 and NT, getting a basic configuration working is child's play (or should I say adults can do it) maintenance is minimal (I've been running it for nearly a year without any problems).
I also use a simple SOCKS server VSOCKS free for the suppliers of VPOP3 which allows all my user to browse the web and bars external connections. Works fine with IE3/4 and Netscape. I can get out and do FTP etc. I have had some problems with push services (proves the firewall works) but nothing that irritates me enough to try and fix them.
See www.pscs.co.uk for details
There are lots of other products. VPOP3 takes a lot of beating but I can well imagine many of you would want a more sophisticated web proxy than VSOCKS look at www.davecentral.com for a extensive listing of alternative products.
Total cost ( I already had win95 on all workstations) £40 for the software, 1 dedicated telephone line, £10 a month to Demon. (Using a single dial-up account to provide multiple connections for all member of one family falls within Demon's acceptable use policy doing the same in a commercial setting i.e. a GP practice may not so you may have to pay a bit more to have a clear conscience)
Of course GPnet is coming soon and this will provide all of the above and more free. It won't need NT and MS Exchange either.
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Ewan Davis - Personal email address [log in to unmask] Also at [log in to unmask]
PGP key available from ldap://certserver.pgp.com
Work Phone numbers - Voice +44 (1) 527 579414 Fax +44(1)527 833188
Affiliations:
Chairman AAH Meditel (www.meditel.co.uk) supplier of primary care information systems.
Chairman Peak Systems (www.peaksystems.co.uk) supplier of community care information systems
Chairman PharMed (www.PharMed.org.uk) Promoting GP-Pharmacy links
Chairman CSSA Primary Care Group (www.cssa.co.uk) the trade association of GP System suppliers.
-----Original Message-----
From: Trefor Roscoe [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 1998 8:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Cost of linking practices to the Internet
It does work, I agree. ISDN on such a network might work, but it is apparently very difficult to get set up and unstable. NT allows
you to have a seamless network access from any desktop and allows the security to be built in. Dial up networking with win 95 and
pstn would mean everyone in the building ewould have to ahve a modem (cant share simultaneously) and a smartID card for security.
ISDN + router + NT is easie4r, and allows better access for all at once.
Trefor
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Chris Pearson
> Sent: 23 November 1998 22:31
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Cost of linking practices to the Internet
>
>
> Trefor Roscoe writes
> >One needs to have an ISDN line with a router, Windows NT is required to get
> >browsing on every desktop and you need Microsoft
> >Exchange server. Terminals need to be high end Pentium and need a minimum of
> >64Mb Ram to get NT running correctly. Network has to
> >be Cat5 ethernet with 100MBPs network cards. Server ideally should be Pentium II
> >with preferably 128Mb RAM. Anyone like to add
> >anything?
>
> We have a peer-to-peer Windows95 network, with a modem off one of the
> PC's. We use ModemShare, and Turnpike, with Turnpike Assistant.
> Admittedly the PC's are new, but only 64K RAM. We use a 36k Modem, over
> a simple old phone line... It works.
>
> I can go online from my desk to the remote modem, through a switchboard
> too. (although we are planning to go to Server/client network soon to
> get System5 running a bit faster. The server has 256Mb RAM)
> --
> Chris Pearson
>
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