External Devices in non-Citrix Environment?

Barkmull asks: "We have been running a Windows 2000 Terminal Services-based network for some time. We are currently using RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) and CDS (Citrix Device Services) for local COM and printer port usage on our thin clients. My question is this: has anyone been successful in using USB port replication with Windows 2000 Terminal Services? We looked into using Metaframe XPe, but it is ridiculously expensive to implement. I would very much like to know what other solutions Slashdot users have come up with using Terminal Services and local port replication."

You -might- be able to simulate this

[Sheetrock]

There are apparently serial and joystick port USB emulators out there -- my Gravis XTerminator came with one. We don't run a Citrix environment so I don't know how proprietary these things are and I'm fairly certain that if you're using the USB for anything high speed this approach can't work, but you might be able to kludge low-speed USB devices (keyboards, point-of-scale scanners, mice?) in this way.

Non-Citrix Solution

[Neck_of_the_Woods]

The reason citrix is expensive is because it is the best and really has the market cornered. That out of the way the only other one worth it's salt is Canaveral iQ.

They focus on companies in the size range of around 30 to 1000 users or so. What I can tell you is that it has a universal printer driver that takes the sting out of printer setups in a share network.

To quote and artical I have on my desk " The driver runs at the server where it creates a standard Enhanced Metafile(EMF) that's delivered back to the client for processing and printing. The approach avoids multiple printer drivers and overloading of the spool engine at the terminal server, a common cause of problems." Arthor Bill Boswell

So I am not sure if that helps but at least it is better than no other solution at all. Citrix when you break it all down comes to about $320 a desktop where CanIQ checks in at about $175.

Good luck.

A simple solution

[fm6]

I realize this is a radical solution, but just give it some thought. It's possible to execute software on a local processor. Systems that do this are widely available! And it eliminates all issues of making local hardware available to the application.

Try the RDP5 client from WinXP/.NET Server

[briantf]

This is an updated client that has a much improved user interface (session bar at the top, annoying reminder you haven't logged off) and the ability to redirect USB printers (or old serial printers, I haven't one to try). The correctly named drivers must exist on the host server, but they map fine. This is a big deal for telecommuting as most/many consumer oriented printers are USB only at this point.

For .NET, the local drives of the client (including mapped network drives) map over to the server session (probably works with WinXP Pro as well, haven't fiddled with that aspect).

Other USB/serial devices (e.g. old DB-9 hotsync cradles) may or may not work depending on client and server version. Wouldn't cross my fingers on anything other than printers.

Regards,
Brian in CA