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By Art Brieva
Two well-known remote-access products, Shiva's LANRover/Plus 4.0 and 3Com's AccessBuilder 4000, have introduced ISDN capabilities to their product line.
The Shiva LANRover/Plus 4.0 supports eight ports. The test unit came equipped with four high-speed serial interfaces and four ISDN BRI S/T interfaces. The LANRover port configuration is flexible. You can configure with any combination of Shiva's own V.34 modems, high speed asynchronous serial interfaces or ISDN BRI ports.
Like the LANRover, 3Com's AccessBuilder 4000 is modular in design, but its port configuration isn't as flexible. The 3Com comes in either Ethernet or Token Ring versions and has two expansion slots for WAN modules. The options for the WAN modules are analog or ISDN.
Both remote-access units have easy-to-use administrative and configuration software. With Shiva Net Manager (SNM), you can configure the LANRover from a PC or Mac client running IP, IPX or AppleTalk protocols. SNM defaulted to the IPX protocol and located the LANRover unit flawlessly. 3Com's administration utility, Transcend AccessBuilder Manager (TABM), works similarly, but doesn't offer Mac support. During the installation, TABM will ask if you want to use IP or IPX as the administration protocol; I chose IP and it worked without a hitch.
Configuring the LAN-Rover options is straightforward, but if you get stuck, pressing F1 displays relevant help. 3Com's TABM software is simple to use, too. When you first launch TABM, it searches the network for an unconfigured Access Builder. When it finds one, it requests an IP address for the server. The View Access Builder under the System menu will display a "live" graphic representation of the Access Builder, with LEDs that change color when a user is connected.
TABM provides report logs, and its real-time monitor shows connected users, their connection speed and the number of channels in use. It also supports autosensing of 56Kb or 64Kb connections. On-the-fly configuration modifications are easier with TABM, as options that require rebooting are flagged with the "@" symbol. Shiva's SNM requires rebooting for most configuration changes.
The LANRover and AccessBuilder support IP, IPX and AppleTalk network protocols over Token Ring or Ethernet. The LANRover also supports the NetBEUI protocol, but Access-Builder doesn't.
The LANRover can authenticate user IDs by using either its own User List or NetWare's Bindery. The AccessBuilder authenticates with its own list or those supplied by Windows NT and NetWare's Bindery or NDS. Unlike a LANRover, an Access Builder user list can't be shared among multiple units.
Shiva's manuals are on a CD-ROM, but the documentation was difficult to use. 3Com's documentation for Access Builder is thin, but complete.
Either product will do the job. But 3Com gets the nod by dint of its administrative software, easier troubleshooting, and its ability to autosense and exploit the available bandwidth.
Info File
Shiva LANRover/Plus 4.0
Price: From $2,929
Pros: Hardware flexibility
Cons: Lacks U interface; management software
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.0, 3.1x, NT
Shiva Corp.
800-977-4482, 617-270-8300
WinMag Box Score: 4.0
3Com AccessBuilder 4000
Price: From $3,495
Pros: Installation; management software
Cons: Erratic connectivity
Platforms: Windows 95, 3.0, 3.1x, NT
3Com Corp.
800-638-3266, 408-764-5000
WinMag Box Score: 4.0
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