RE: Long-Distance IP Communication Options

If both locations have full time internet access you can setup Point to
Point VPN using most router and / or fire walls.  You do have a fire wall at
each location with internet access?  If the smaller remote site only has
dial up internet access you can use TELNET-SSL.  Takes some software, free,
on your AS400 and some configuration on the server but there are many low
cost emulators that can provide this function.  Scott Klement has and open
source TN5250e emulator that not only provides SSL but client and server
digital certificates as well.  (More secure that SSL and keeps any one from
downloading a free or trial version of a SSL-TN5250 emulator and connecting
to your AS400 from the web.)  If you want more detail you my contact me off
list.  If you have never worked with digital certificates and SSL on an
AS400 I would recommend getting professional help.

Christopher K. Bipes            mailto:Chris.Bipes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Operations & Network Mgr        mailto:Chris_Bipes@xxxxxxxxx
CrossCheck, Inc.                        http://www.cross-check.com
6119 State Farm Drive           Phone: 707 586-0551 x 1102
Rohnert Park CA  94928          Fax: 707 586-1884

NOTICE--This e-mail may contain confidential and privileged material for the
sole use of the intended recipient. Any review or distribution by others is
strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient please contact
the sender and delete all copies.



-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Naughton

We're about to have a situation where we'll have an iSeries in one
location and a handful of users doing data entry and printing at another
location several thousand miles away (all within continental US). I
believe that all the remote devices can be set up with IP (that's being
confirmed), and so I think the only communication protocol we'll need will
be IP. (If it turns out that SNA is necessary, I know that will add a
wrinkle to this.) I think it's possible that we'll also  have some sort of
PC network connection between the two sites (NetWare), but I'm not sure
about that.

We're not going into this blind, but given that things seem to change all
the time I thought it might be helpful to find out how others are handling
similar situations. As I understand it, we have three basic options:
private phone line between the two locations (probably a fractional T1);
public connection over the internet (no, we don't want to do that :-); or
VPN. I'm ruling out frame relay because we don't expect a lot of traffic,
and of course my boss wants to go for a low-cost solution.

Are there any other options that we might want to look at? Does anyone
have any comments about good/bad ways to go? I'd appreciate any advice
anyone wants to share -- either on the list or privately.