Safe to use Windows 98 as a Windows 2000 Terminal Server client?

[John R. Bennett]

I have 10 Windows 98 machines that are only used to launch a Remote Desktop
connection to a Windows 2000 Terminal Server. They aren't used to
authenticate to the domain, run applications, access the Internet, email,
etc. They used to be used in that fashion but now we use the Terminal Server
exclusively for everything. They are monitored and scanned routinely for
viruses by Symantec Corp anti virus and we also have an enterprise-class
firewall in place.

I am faced with a situation of either upgrading the OS to Windows XP Pro
(along with a hardware upgrade) on all the machines just to continue running
the Remote Desktop software which connects to the Terminal Server or
purchasing Thin-client units to replace the existing workstations.

I am aware that support for Windows 98 from Microsoft has expired but does
anyone have any recommendations on the cost effectiveness and risks of
staying with the current setup when it works? I have looked at a product
called "DOSRDP" which can connect to a Terminal Server via a DOS floppy boot
disk but my evaluations of this product have not been very positive and
Windows 2000 Terminal Server doesn't have a DOS client. My other option
would be to upgrade our Terminal Server with Citrix but there again, is a
significant cost increase for something that currently works.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

John Bennett

 

[Jimmy]

does
anyone have any recommendations on the cost effectiveness and risks of
staying with the current setup when it works?

[don't crosspost excessively]

First, don't fix things that ain't broken. I've noticed that most of
the MS supplied security alerts I get are regarding Win2k/XP. The
2K/XP features being exploited and thus the problems don't exist on
'98. So, that leaves '98 conceptually safer. As long as you don't run
email or web browsers on these systems (the target area of most MS
attacks) you are relatively safe. The bad news is that MS will stop
producing security updates for '98 at some point. Also, '98 is not
a secure OS... so if someone does want to exploit it, it is
relatively easy to do. They can easily be invaded by other systems
on the internal network. If someone were to bring in a virus via
a floppy, CD, or email, these systems are often open to attack.

 

[Haggis]

my two cents? ... don't upgrade just for the sake of upgrading...if it
doesn't make it faster/better
stay with what works...