Web Gurus - Looking for advice.

[Sparks]

Situation is :-  I am one of a group of maybe 15-20 independant contractors working worldwide for the same organisation.  We all travel extensively and randomly and frequently at short notice in a customer support type role.  The organisation we contract to is not particularly well organised in regards to it's contractors and so we have to be fairly inventive and self reliant to get the job done and we are often finding useful information we would like to send to others and needing information from each other.
A few of us are discussing the idea of setting up a private BBS where we could discuss problems etc and exchange documents / files.
The requirements would be:-
Prefer a BBS layout
Ability to have file storage and access to all members
Web hosted we can get to stuff no matter where in the world we are.
Secure.
Minimal administartion requirements - none of us has the time to do html coding etc.

Can anyone suggest a solution - I have browsed the web for a few weeks now and come up blank.

thanks

Sparks

[Sandman]

I use Surpass Hosting. You can create a PHP based BBS and any number of other PHP services. Secure is a relative term, but it's reasonably secure IMHO. Admin isn't all that difficult, but somebody will have to learn how. It just takes a bit of reading.

Uses a control panel called "Fantastico" to install/remove things like BBS systems. It's pretty easy.

Cost is approximately $65 per year. http://www.surpasshosting.com/hostingplans.php

[Sparks]

Thanks for the link Sandman.  I'm sure that someone who knows anythng about that stuff can understand it but it is all smoke and mirrors to me I'm afraid. .  I was hoping for something more off the shelf.

We have looked briefly at a thing http://www.box.net which has a simple sharing thing but no BBS and there are off the shelf BBS things (like Runboard which the Ogame guys use) which don't have file storage .....

Appreciate the time though  

[StSanta]

Hey Saw? Dinnae you have something like that?

Saw's Da Man with that stuff.

[Sandman]

Try this for a BBS:

http://www.ezboard.com/

[Sparks]

Yep looked at ezboard but 1. it doesn't have file storage and 2. We used it while we were doing Ogame and it was frequently unavailable or slow or you couldn't log in etc etc.  
Runboard.com is similar and has been more reliable but again has no file sharing type thingy. We don't need much space - maybe 500Mb in case we have to swap some bigger drawings  ??

[x0847Marine]

Originally posted by Sparks
Situation is :-  I am one of a group of maybe 15-20 independant contractors working worldwide for the same organisation.  We all travel extensively and randomly and frequently at short notice in a customer support type role.  The organisation we contract to is not particularly well organised in regards to it's contractors and so we have to be fairly inventive and self reliant to get the job done and we are often finding useful information we would like to send to others and needing information from each other.
A few of us are discussing the idea of setting up a private BBS where we could discuss problems etc and exchange documents / files.
The requirements would be:-
Prefer a BBS layout
Ability to have file storage and access to all members
Web hosted we can get to stuff no matter where in the world we are.
Secure.
Minimal administartion requirements - none of us has the time to do html coding etc.

Can anyone suggest a solution - I have browsed the web for a few weeks now and come up blank.

thanks

Sparks

Why not just set up a mailing list?...  or create a free private yahoo group?

http://groups.yahoo.com/

[Rolex]

This free CMS (Content Management System) could work for you: Link >>

You just need a host with php and MySQL. Both are very common.
Setup and installation is simple and it includes a BBS and file space management and uploading for participants. Optional plugins, such as calendar, photo gallery, etc. can be added.

[Vulcan]

Originally posted by Sandman
I use Surpass Hosting. You can create a PHP based BBS and any number of other PHP services. Secure is a relative term, but it's reasonably secure IMHO. Admin isn't all that difficult, but somebody will have to learn how. It just takes a bit of reading.

Uses a control panel called "Fantastico" to install/remove things like BBS systems. It's pretty easy.

Cost is approximately $65 per year. http://www.surpasshosting.com/hostingplans.php

I wouldn't touch a host PHP service with a barge pole if you want secure. Most of the PHP attacks/worm spreaders I see are from services such as this.

If you want secure this is what I'd do:
 - find the software you look
 - host it yourself on an HTTP server
 - stick it behind an SSL appliance (I'm thinking a Sonicwall SSL-200 or SSL-2000) with a small firewall doing internal zone IPS/Gateway AV.
 - put in Two Factor Auth (ie Tokens)

it ends up looking like this:


The only gotcha is that native token support isn't due til Q3. Right now the SSL-2000 does one time passwords via email which resellers in NZ use with email to SMS services. Only catch is worldwide SMS coverage might not be too hot.

This will give you secure access, access from areas where regular secure access might be difficult, including net cafe's where people may try and sniff passwords. And lotsa other stuff (read the brochure I'm to tired to type it all).

[Sparks]

Wow - Rolex, Vulcan - you guys make me realise how far behind I am on this web stuff. I have no idea what most of that meant.  Apologies

When I say secure I mean I don't want any Tom Dick or Harry browsing round but there won't be any sensitive information available.

This is all getting too involved and I'll probably forget it. I was hoping for something completly off the shelf, sign up, set up logins and go ...... I must be getting old.

[Saintaw]

nm... pm sent

[Vulcan]

I'm not a web guy but I can tell you how to acheive secure internet facing web solutions

[g00b]

http://www.vbulletin.com/