Running SolidWorks using VNC

We are currently investigating the best strategy to work offsite on
SolidWorks documents.

Affordable internet connections here in AU are typically too slow to
move large amounts of data down and up the pipe.

Has anyone used VNC (or similar PCAnywhere etc) to run SolidWorks over
the internet or can offer other methods to work productively with
512/512Mb or 1500/256MB connections.

Thanks
DS

 

Satellite modem, such as for Iridium?

Not too good tor rapid bidirectional data but might be fine
for large uploads/downloads.
Any recent data?

 

I would think that running SW across any kind of slow connection would be
painful. I know I am not giving you any kind of answer, but I have been
doing conversions from Catia and am really fed up with everything else
moving at a snail's pace because of the conversion process taking all the
CPU time. I would think that running SW remotely would be like that.

WT

 

To clear things up you could first try it over your local network.
I recall of a slight response time. IMHO usable for a few minutes, not much
more. The other thing is the number of colors that decrease to 256 (?). Not
sure if there is a setting for that.

HIH
JM

 

TightVNC (www.tightvnc.com) works fine with SolidWorks (2004 & 2005)
over my local network (100base). Haven't tried remotely over the
internet but documentation says it can do it.

Good luck,

Kent

 

Set them up to run at night, over weekends, on other
people's machines in the background <G>.
You can probably gain a bit as well by running about
three conversion processes at the same time (per CPU)
(IF you can on your OS & software). Lots can be done to one
file while another swaps/pages to disk so you might be able to
process three that way in the time it would take to proces two
in sequence.
Your milage may vary.

After conversion you can probably also automate much
of the (presumed) cleanup process and use a few custom
API tools to aid where manual intervention & checking is
needed.

 

Ultr@VNC should be faster than TightVNC...

 

When I was giving SW training I used it in the classroom. It worked
well there on a 100baseT setup. Using it over the internet requires a
secure hook up.

 

We are currently investigating the best strategy to work offsite on

VNC is not the answer.

Just install SolidWorks on the offsite system and use a VPN to get the
license and files.

 

I think he has a bandwidth problem. Broadband is roughly equivalent to
10bT. SW will easily max a 100bT network for short periods. He has
considerably less bandwidth than Broadband would afford. So yes, he
might be able to use VPN, but no, it wouldn't be practical from a speed
standpoint. VNC uses little bandwidth and keeps the license at one
place, local.

 

Thanks fuys for the info...

The bandwidth is the problem. We would be running at either 512x512K or
1500x256K, and of course through a vpn.

I have tried running VNC over the LAN and it ran fine at 100bt. I think
that running local and getting the files over the WAN would be painful.

I am trying to test it here at home over a wireless LAN (802.11g), but
my router seems to be blocking vnc somehow and I haven't got around that
yet, but will soon. That will give me an idea of how it will run at
about half speed to a 100bt.

Persistence.....

DS

 

Thanks fuys for the info...

The bandwidth is the problem. We would be running at either 512x512K or
1500x256K, and of course through a vpn.

I have tried running VNC over the LAN and it ran fine at 100bt. I think
that running local and getting the files over the WAN would be painful.

I am trying to test it here at home over a wireless LAN (802.11g), but
my router seems to be blocking vnc somehow and I haven't got around that
yet, but will soon. That will give me an idea of how it will run at
about half speed to a 100bt.

Persistence.....

DS

 

Well, if this all works how I am hoping, we would be using VNC (or
ultr@vnc, or tightvnc, or pcanywhere or something.something) through a
secure VPN tunnel.

It works almost perfectly over our 100Bt lan....

I have yet to be able to test what type of lag/response time we will
experience with a 512x512 or 1500x256 dsl connection. That is main issue
we are facing.

Regards
DS

 

You don't need a VPN to run securely either. VNC can be run through
puTTY with a secure shell (SSH).

 

I've used it through normal VNC. It's ok to do some basic stuff, but it
stinks to do any "real work" with it. Unless you are on a 100/mg lan, you
can't follow your normal cursor - you have to go by the VNC cursor (which
isn't too bad)..
Rotating parts can stink, as the redraw can be slow on the screen.. If the
pipe is too slow to simply transfer a solidworks part file, then I think it
will definitely be too slow to use VNC in real-time.

I have also done this through my 10meg wireless broadband service (10meg
up/down, low latency), and I can review and show off 3d models, but I
wouldn't want to do any real work over it.