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Remote Access
#1 Wed, 06/25/2008 - 13:57
Remote Access

Has anyone come up with a reliable method to access NetMRI remotely over dialup or wireless?

I'm going to be using NetMRI for network assessments. Occasionally I will need to ship the unit to the customer to plug in on their network. Since the network is setup differently at every location, I need a way to connect to the NetMRI to make sure it has the data I need before the customer returns it to me.

 I'm aware that a remote service such as WebEx or GoToMeeting would work, but I'd prefer a method that doesn't require a PC or the customer's intervention.

 Please send me your thoughts and ideas.

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Re: Remote Access
Wed, 06/25/2008 - 23:02
Re: Remote Access

The first option that comes to mind is to install VNC on the NetMRI platform.  A shell (or GUI) option would instruct it to connect to the IP address of your VNC client.  Since it would originate the connection outbound, it would be more likely to make it through NAT and a firewall (the TCP port is configurable), and would also prevent any other clients from trying to connect to it (it uses only a password for authentication).  The session can be encrypted.  Of course this would require development effort from Netcordia but it might also benefit their tech support folks as well.

 HTH,

- Marty

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #2) Mon, 06/30/2008 - 08:53
Re: Remote Access

That would be cool, but I've talked with a few at Netcordia, that's not really a demanded feature, so integration in a software update are not in the plans for now. I may have found another solution however. Check this out:

 

http://store.kyocera-wireless.com/product_detail.aspx?productID=5251

 

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #3) Mon, 06/30/2008 - 09:34
Re: Remote Access

Another solution would be an "Ethernet MODEM" i.e. a MODEM I could dial into with an ethernet port that I could connect to the NetMRI and connect via HTTP.

 

Like this:

----------------------["Device"]============[NetMRI]

-------/POTS

===/Ethernet

 

Anyone know of such a device?

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #4) Mon, 06/30/2008 - 11:35
Re: Remote Access

If I understand you correctly, that's typically called a comm-server -- dial-up PPP over POTS.  But HTTP would be at a crawl.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #5) Tue, 07/01/2008 - 03:50
Re: Remote Access

Yeah, problem is they are hard to find. #COM used to make a Office Connect LAN MODEM that's discontinued. Looks like Best Data has one; http://www.bestdata.com/index.php?file=c-allproddesc&iProductId=16156

 It will be slow, but reliable and inexpensive. I just need it to make sure I have the data on the NetMRI before I have the customer ship it back to me.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #6) Tue, 07/01/2008 - 04:03
Re: Remote Access

 Get any old cheap Cisco router on eBay, as long as it has an aux port (async with modem control leads), and you have a one-port Comm-server.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #7) Tue, 07/01/2008 - 05:15
Re: Remote Access

Any Cisco 2500 will be able to connect to a Dial Up modem and you can configure it as a RAS server. I have this setup at work for emergencies. But I have remote access through Citrix, therefore I am undeploying my RAS setup.

 Let me know if you need help configuring the router if you ever go that path.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #8) Tue, 07/01/2008 - 23:41
Re: Remote Access

too bad that the CLI (ssh) did not have more use. I guess you could always have 2 or them, and 'backup' the db across the internet and then restore it to the one in your office. Granted that if the db was too large it might take quite sometime....

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #9) Wed, 07/02/2008 - 00:26
Re: Remote Access


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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #10) Wed, 07/02/2008 - 00:31
Re: Remote Access

Could a text based browser be installed within the netMRI and run form the CLI?

It might be slow and hard to navigate without intimate knowledge of the menu layout but, for those times when you don't have http/s connectivity, it could be invaluable to get information from the MRI. It could also be scripted to download information.

Bob Munson (Eqalis)

 Reposted for clarity. I don't know where that microsoft garbage came from on the last one.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #8) Wed, 07/02/2008 - 08:56
Re: Remote Access

Do you have another use for the 2500? I may have a spare router I could use, but if not how much would you want for yours?

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #12) Fri, 07/04/2008 - 11:07
Re: Remote Access

Disreguard that last post. A friend of mine gave me an old 2611 he's not using.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #13) Wed, 07/23/2008 - 23:33
Re: Remote Access

another option, if it were created, would be X forwarding of a web browser through SSH. It is way over kill to have a x-windows implementation on the NetMRI box, but it would allow the remote access option. Maybe it could be a service that could be turned on/off if not needed.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #14) Tue, 08/05/2008 - 13:00
Re: Remote Access

I think that I may have found/given (all credit to a co-worker of mine) a great solution to this issue. You can 'proxy' your web browser over  ssh.. this would allow you to say VPN 1st, ssh to a 'trusted' box on thier inside network, and then https into NetMRI.

 I have not tested how to get it to work on/with putty, but in OS X, and I am sure any other *nix-ish OS, all you need to do is: ssh user@<<hostname.domain.com>> -D localhost:<<somerandomport>>  from the terminal to create an SSH tunnel. Then set your browser to connect to a proxy: localhost @ <<somerandomport>> and as long as that machine has a route/access to NetMRI you are all set.

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Re: Remote Access
(Reply to #15) Wed, 08/06/2008 - 12:45
Re: Remote Access

Assuming this would work on the NetMRI as is, it would still require a public IP. I'm looking for a method to connect assuming the NetMRI is on a private network at a customer's location and I do not want to bother them by having them setup a online meeting rendering one of their PCs useless to them while I'm using it. I guess I could ship a laptop with the NetMRI, but that would be expensive and adds another point of failure.

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