Home Office Network Management Software

I have several PCs here in the workshop (of course, don't we all?) and used the standard but tedious method of managing them, via Windows & Linux system software. However there is at least one home/office network management application available which will cut all the hassle of configuration & constant diagnostics. PURE NETWORKS have a product called NETWORK MAGIC which elegantly does all the stuff for you. Available on a 30-day trial and also cheap to buy ( $39 USD or about £19 UKP ), once installed on your PCs it will scan and detect other devices, share files and printers simply, protect from wireless intruders, repair wireless connections, monitor your network activity, and also allow remote access. I've used all of these facilities apart from remote access succesfully. To be honest I didn't have the time to configure the remote access feature and don't think that I need it as I use Google Docs as my "bridge" between office and onsite work. Other users state that they have been able to access folders on their home PCs and also use a webcam as a monitoring device. My personal experience is that it saves me loads of time diagnosing what could be amiss with the network configuration.

In my small enterprise I have to set up small networks pretty frequently. Not big ones, just a couple of users, sometimes 4 or 5, with a couple of shared printers, and a shared hard drive, and accessing the net via a router, wired & wireless. No hassle, it's easy for those who have done it numerous times. However, I appreciate any software which makes the process easier for me to setup, maintain & troubleshoot. Human nature being what it is I often find that the network I carefully setup has been modified by Joe User, and now it doesn't work correctly at all. In situations like this I use NETWORK MAGIC to let me view the setup and fix the issues. It has a good interface and clearly shows the linked devices in the workgroup. It also shows any network faults and suggests how to fix them. It's a time-saver, and as such is invaluable. This software has been so stable & useful that I now install it on the office networks I install. If the system manager (a.k.a. the p.a.) doesn't save time configuring the network then they're not using it properly/haven't RTFM. An alternative product is Homenet Manager from SingleClick Systems and it seems to do pretty much the same thing, apart from remote access. NETWORK MAGIC is also Apple MAC compatible, and of course allows MACs and PCs to be shared on the same network.
Websites : www.networkmagic.com and www.homenetmanager.com