• Full support for Windows XP, Windows XP Sp2 and Windows 2003
• Ranger is now an Enterprise-level product - provides multi-domain, multi-server load balancing, fault tolerance and redundancy by supporting installation on two or more servers per site.
• New reports and tracking options
• Enhanced LAN Ranger - can be run from any network workstation.
• Ranger can detect and limit multiple logons using the same account
• Enhanced support for Windows 2000, 2003 and XP policies.
• Ranger Account Manager can now be used from any Windows 2000 or XP workstation.
• New Ranger Account Manager staff mode - allows staff to change user passwords without being able to access system accounts or modify other details.
• Improved security features and application support.
• Ranger Rollout - improved reliability and performance (over 400 times faster).
• Improved speed and performance

Windows NT 4 Workstation (sp3 or above) is fully supported up to Ranger for Networks Version 5.0, Version 5.5 has new functionality and the Web Tracking component will fail to install and cannot function as it requires technologies that NT4 cannot support.

RfN has been designed in response to the real problems facing network administrators. It provides working, tested and pragmatic solutions to everyday issues. RfN is written to be user friendly, intuitive to use and completely configurable to be understandable and familiar to your users.

The software has been designed to completely integrate with Windows and unlike other systems does not change the standard Windows interface. Users have full (but made safe) access to all system applications (such as Explorer, notepad etc...), letting users safely learn and utilise the full functionality and depth of the industry standard Windows environment.

RfN is designed to work on mixed platform networks and supports all PC server platforms (Windows NT4, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and Novell Netware) and workstation platforms. (Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000 and XP). RfN uses but is not tied into active directory and policies and thus is completely compatible with existing security and setups. RfN provides exactly the same level of security across all 9x and NT based workstations and can be configured from anywhere on the network using a single simple configuration interface.

The advantage RfN gives over other similar products is that RfN is fully customisable to allow different levels of control to different groups of users - seamlessly. Thus when a user logs on he/she is automatically presented with a consistent and reliable working environment with an appropriate level of access and security. RfN is flexible enough to grow and adapt to your computing environment as new software and security issues arise.

RfN's security is designed to fill the weaknesses left by Window's Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in a backward compatible easily administrable package.

Active directory is fine, but is not backward compatible with 9x machines, any security you want is reliant on the old systems policies.

Basically, active directory is very "corporate", it will protect machines from people changing wallpapers, cursory fiddling etc. If people are happy with this level of security then ok, use it. However, if you have tried policies (and GPOs) and have run up against its limitations, then that's where RfN comes in.

RfN's security is designed to complement any policy based system - not replace it. This is why we have a policy implementation built into RfN. Policies alone however, don't cater for determined hackers who edit shortcuts, rename executables use UNC paths, use web browsers, word, VB etc to exploit the numerous back doors within Windows.

RfN is also more flexible, with foolproof application banning, title checking to stop individual dialogs, path limitations to allow safe use of floppies, time limitations etc... plus everything users do is reported back to the server and logged to aid system management.

RfN is far more than just security, the network management and control features are far more extensive than Windows 2000 or other security products. Take the real time network views, remote control, status logs, graphs etc in LAN RfN...

Another example of RfN's flexibility - if you want to reset the passwords on a whole year group in one go, you can't with Windows 2000. RfN Account Manager includes simple wizards for modifying user accounts in bulk - giving you useful functionality over and above active directory. The only area where RfN could be integrated with AD but isn't (at the moment) is account management through RfN Account Manager. It creates and modifies accounts fine, but is not OU "aware". User accounts are created in the default "users" OU. If OU policies are used, then accounts can be moved via the usual Active Directory Users and Computers MMC.

In summary, Active Directory and GPOs are great and are free with Windows. (you don't even need third party applications to use GPOs). Use them, but when you find system's still being compromised or need more flexibility then look at the additional security and management tools RfN offers...

RfN allows network machines to be used more flexibly. It seamlessly and automatically allows a machine to switch roles from providing a safe and familiar working environment for novice users to the highly configurable, customised interface advanced users demand to achieve their full technical potential.

In addition to security, RfN provides unparalleled network management facilities such as real time user activity control and viewing, advanced usage logs, remote PC support and control and software application distribution.

RfN security complements traditional network permissions, profiles and machine security by securing the Windows operating system against accidental or deliberate tampering or illegal access to hard drives, applications etc.... RfN is completely compatible with existing Microsoft system policies, active directory, Group Policy Objects, and fills in the gaps left by conventional security programs.