I am having issues with our VPN being to slow for development from a remote site, that is a big problem for myself and one other guys here as we work from home a lot. VSS has a "web access" mode I am going to try but I am not too optomistic about it.



Eventually I will ask a question directly related to Strataframe, I promise. For now I am still trying to set up our development environment for .NET.



Right now I have moved all our projects to a central server and added them to SourceSafe, it works just fine on the LAN, any ideas how to make this work better via remote. Ideally I would like to work locally, then just check in files I have changed to the server. Last night I tried to open project from a drive mapped to my development server via the VPN , it was horribly slow. My ISP says I can move up a little but not much, they SAY we have a 8MB/760k line, well on my cable modem it took 20 minutes to download the SF install file (29.4mb) over the VPN.



I know you guys mentioned you used VPN's from home, is mine just too slow or am I doing something fundamentally wrong?



I know Team Server may be the best answer since Trent told be it does the local workplace and synchronization thing, but right now it isnt in the cards.



I am trying to give my team what we need to start developing with .NET and Strataframe so that we can focus on projects and code, not the development environment.



I have three customer project ready to roll so I need to "git er done". Your help apppreciated.


Keith Chisarik

Also is it possible that you can give us as forum posters permissions to edit our own posts?

Keith Chisarik

We'll discuss giving you the option to edit your own posts.

As for the SourceSafe issue... SourceSafe is going to be slow over a VPN... it just is.  If you put a packet sniffer on the network, you'll see what I mean.  Just to check out a single file, it opens an inordinate amount of file handles on the database (which is file based).  The web option is slightly faster, but not on the same level as a decent source control solution that uses web services and a SQL based database.

If Team Foundation isn't feasable right now, then there are other, 3rd party source control solutions that might be possible.  I've heard of SourceGear: Vault (www.sourcegear.com), and it should be much cheaper than TFS.

I got around the VPN issue by scrapping it. I am now using an RDP client that supports dual monitors and tying directly into my office PC from home, I might as well be sitting there. So far it works great and simplifies the environment so all I really have to worry about is LAN access. Simple yet productive works for me.



Just another option that worked for me so I thought I would mention it here as an alternative to a VPN.



I am looking into those source solutions you suggested as well, thanks. For now I do have VSS up and running.

Keith Chisarik

That's a very good point, Keith, you can RDP into your work computer and avoid the SourceSafe issue over the VPN.  That's what we did until we switched to TFS.

Just an FYI... Make sure you are using the latest VSS 2005. It has a new program that runs as a service on the server that is supposed to speed up WAN access.