Dumb terminals how to?

[paperfist]

I want to be able to run a main PC and have 2 dumb terminals running off the main using aps like MS Office & QuickBooks. Is it possible to set this up under Win2k Pro? And if so what kind of hardware will I need to pull this off? Oh and do you need to run a special version for the software? I don?t understand how everyone using the terminals would be able to save data without corrupting it. Thanks for any information you can help me with

 

[dszd0g]

This should get you started:

Windows 2000 Terminal Services

You need a client that recognizes the Windows terminal protocol (forget what it's called). There are a few Windows CE clients out there (never used one personally) or you need some sort of network computer. I've set up NCDs before and they are pretty easy to work with.

I like some of the NCD Exploras with no moving parts. They are very quiet and extremely reliable. Network bandwidth is extremely important when deploying these and the server(s) need to be able to handle the load.

I really don't recommend this for home use unless you are a total geek with dozens of computers running at your house (In a geek house I lived in at one point we had some NCDs hooked up to a Linux server, but we had 16+ computers in that house and you really wouldn't have wanted to see our electric bill (we had to redo a lot of the electrical too). My main roommate at that house and I had worked together at a company setting up NCDs (under both Windows and Unix) so were already familiar with them.

 

[dszd0g]

Originally posted by: paperfist
I don?t understand how everyone using the terminals would be able to save data without corrupting it.

Each person logs into their own account under Windows and has their own files. You can share files between users, but in general only one person can be editing a file at a time (file locking), anyone else trying to edit the file will get an error message. There are obviously applications that are designed to work with multiple users simultaneously and do their own locking (database products are a good example).

 

[paperfist]

Thanks dszd0g that was very informative I spent hours on google and oddly didn't bump into that site.

One more question though, I can't purchase some kind of device that takes the output from a monitor and keyboard and outputs it over a network cable to the Terminal Services machine? I was looking for a cost effective way to have multiple users running off of one machine but I think with the cost of the NCDs it may be better to build 3 smaller PCs to accomplish this.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[DaveSimmons]

One more question though, I...

No, and legally you still have to pay for extra licenses for Word etc.

So yes, it can actually be easier and cheaper to just buy a couple of "Hot Deals" Dell PCs or closeout / refurb, or eMachines.

 

[dszd0g]

Yeah, the Explora's aren't cheap. One of the reasons I wouldn't recommend them for home use. At the places I've seen them used it really was to minimize system admin costs. Adding another machine was at most adding a couple lines to a config file: I could unpack one from the boxes and have it running in under 10 minutes.

For the cheaper Windows only version, there are the thinclients:
NCD TSS232-US

For your use, you are probably much better off finding a few cheap PCs.

And as DaveSimmons points out, you still need to license the software. Microsoft has some special licensing for Terminal Services.

 

[TonyB]

the library at my university has about 40 of those dumb terminals that are the size of a small cereal box hooked up to really nice 17" LCD's and USB mouse/keyboards. I think they run totally off a server, not sure.. but theyre quiet, no moving parts inside. they're all running windows and you couldnt tell if they're terminals without looking at the terminals hidden behind the lcd's.

Is it possible to build one of these things from parts off newegg or do you have to buy these terminals direct from a vendor? and if theyres no hard drives inside, how does it load up the clients everytime you reboot them?

 

[dszd0g]

Originally posted by: TonyB
the library at my university has about 40 of those dumb terminals that are the size of a small cereal box hooked up to really nice 17" LCD's and USB mouse/keyboards. I think they run totally off a server, not sure.. but theyre quiet, no moving parts inside. they're all running windows and you couldnt tell if they're terminals without looking at the terminals hidden behind the lcd's.

Good example of where they are useful.

Is it possible to build one of these things from parts off newegg or do you have to buy these terminals direct from a vendor? and if theyres no hard drives inside, how does it load up the clients everytime you reboot them?

I have not seen a way to build them for one's self. They have flash firmware which has the basic functionality to boot off the network. The NCD Exploras have the option of booting over tftp, nfs, and I think some more that I forget (those are the only two I've used). One can purchase a special "security keyboard" that can lock out their configuration to only work with that keyboard where one sets the boot configuration options (DHCP, tftp, etc). When it boots it grabs its current configuration settings off the network in whatever way was configured. The amount it loads off the network is really minimal unless one is using all the Java stuff (they can use a Java Web browser and stuff that runs locally, but I wasn't impressed by any of it).

 

[paperfist]

I was thinking on running MS Office/QuickBooks off of a main PC and then just networking 2 smaller PC's to it (as opposed to the NCDs). I'd still need 3 copies of Office for that?!? I know I would need Window's licenses for each PC, but I didn't think running 1 copy w/multi access was illegal. Hmm seems like it?s going to cost about the same then, NCD?s have the hardware costs and a LAN has the software costs?Linux here I come

 

[dszd0g]

Originally posted by: paperfist
NCD?s have the hardware costs and a LAN has the software costs

The NCDs have the software cost too. Most software will require a license for each NCD and the server.

Have you looked into OpenOffice?

 

[paperfist]

Yes I did and that might be an option too, OpenOffice I mean.

I found over at Belkin a reverse KVM switch that I might be able to use to setup a dumb terminal with. They just don't have a lot of info on how it works...