New Question: How to use the TopSpin server?

[Gary E. Masters]

I have been working on this for several months now, and 
may be close to a solution.  But help would be appreciated.

When we started to move to Windows 95 I was told that 
there was an upgrade to Opti-Net that would work 
fine with WIN 95 and also provide access to the Internet.
This was a solution that involved hardware.

What I actually got was a server from Compact Devices that
was quite small (I had to loock inside to see if it was 
real or not.) and worked as both a NetWare server and an
Internet server.  The NetWare part works just fine.

However, since I have library applications (ERIC,
Books in Print, and others) on the CD tower, that require
resident software, I don't know how to use them on the 
Internet.  They are not HTML and don't work like 
hypertext.  I expect to test a Meridian Data product, 
but haven't received it yet.  I tried WebSPIRS, from 
Silver Platter, but our computer center person who was 
testing it had a few problems and has now moved to another 
job.  I even tried loading the resident program as a
Netscape application, but it tried to load the entire CD 
onto my hard disk.  There are several other things that I have tried.
Compact Devices says that it should be easy, but for one reason or the
other have never sent any instructions.  I loaded the new firmware 
in November, but the servers (I have three) started crashing every 45
minutes.  I have been reluctant to load the latest version when 
school was in session.  

Any ideas?  I will copy this to Compact Devices to be fair to them.
I have great sympathy with a start up company that has a million 
things to do and no time.  However, the library director wants 
us to serve our students who need resources at home.  The campus
does not have dial in access and this would be their only way 
to get help.  

By the by, we have negotiated the rights to use the CD's this way 
and expect to have a password operation to limit access.  We also 
have a HP cd write drive and hope to produce our own discs in 
a form that will work.

Right now I can see the server on the net, click on the icons and
see a directory of what is on it.  But can go no further.


thanks,


Gary E. Masters
Automated Services Librarian
Texas A&M International University
(210) 326-2137 (voice)
(210) 326-2120 (fax)