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Chapter 11: Remote Access
Foundation Topics
Remote access design is becoming more and more popular on the CCDP test. This chapter
focuses on analog and ISDN access, along with a discussion of the most popular remote access
protocol, PPP. Finally, selecting equipment to be deployed at branch offices, regional offices,
and central sites is always important.
Remote access security is discussed in Chapter 15.
Remote Access Issues
The network architect has to think about connecting remote users in a number of ways. There
are increasing numbers of remote users, whether they are end users, sales force, support staff,
or vice presidents. There are small office/home office (SOHO) connections for the employee
who needs to work from home. There are also mobile users who travel worldwide and need to
access corporate resources.
There are at least five major concerns to address when designing for remote access:
·
Bandwidth
--Users today need speed. The various methods to obtain it are discussed in
this chapter.
·
Cost
--Price drives everything!
·
Distance from the office
--Distance can be a factor when determining the solution for
SOHO with sensitive media such as ISDN and DSL.
·
Availability
--Dependability is a must with remote access.
·
Security
--With more and more e-commerce transactions being performed, security is
more important today than ever.
Accessing a corporate site over the Internet is a viable option today. With the appropriate
Internet access security features enabled, this form of access is very convenient for mobile users
who are on the move.
When you're doing remote access, you want to do it right up front. When companies rush things
and end up with something that does not scale or is ineffective, it causes a lot of headaches and
more money the second time around. Do it right the first time!
Setting realistic expectations is important also. One of the biggest costs is doing it over. In other
words, don't expect to do video over dialup links. If your users are expecting that, they will be
disappointed when they can't. If a customer wants to do multicast over a dialup link, you need
to make sure they understand the consequences or persuade them to look at another option.
CH11.fm Page 390 Wednesday, August 22, 2001 3:36 PM