I already use Skype/iChat/Messenger etc. Why do I need another Chat/IM/File Sharing application?
- Security and control: Most internet communication and file-sending services require connection to an external server beyond the user’s control. Nodescan servers can be run inside your local network, behind the firewall, keeping internal communications internal. As a further level of protection, Nodescan encodes communication streams to prevent eavesdropping. Critical information such as file search queries and results, as well as messages, are not sent over the network in plain text. NodeScan also offers higher level security features such as password protection for files and IP address access controls. It is easy to configure Nodecan Server to allow only registered user’s to access files.
- Consistency and usability: Nodescan provides a unified, consistent interface to a variety of services. On the client side, users can share and search for files as well as communicate using a single program. As new services are added users will not have to learn and operate a new program. On the server, new services can be developed quickly and configured in a consistent way with support from common, internal services, such as logging, account management, localization and encryption. In addition, due to Nodescan’s cross-platform compatibility, users can run Nodescan on various types of computers and have a virtually identical experience. NodeScan has been tested on Windows (2000, XP, Vista and 7), Linux (Red Hat 9.0, PPC Linux), and Mac OS X (versions up to 10.6). It should run on versions of Unix, such as Solaris as well.
- Convenience and ease of use: Using Nodescan Client, users can chat, send instant messages (with attachments and URL links), upload and download files, and search while listening to music streamed from the server in the background.
- Speed and reliability: Nodescan is fast. File transfers of over 5 MB/sec on a 100 base-t (Megabit) local network are typical. Nodescan Server can serve multiple audio streams at the same time over a high-speed broadband connection
- Internationalization: Nodescan supports languages other than English allowing international real-time communication.
Can I use Nodescan Server and Client for cross -platform file sharing (e.g. to copy files from my Windows computer to my Macintosh or Linux PC )?
Absolutely. We believe that Nodescan provides one of the easiest ways to move files across platforms. Just run Nodescan Server on one of the computers and then upload and download files using Nodescan Client or send them as message attachments. Nodescan server is a regular application, so no changes need to be made to the operating system to enable/disable file sharing. Nodescan does not yet support sending groups of files or folders/directories. If you need to send a number of files you should use a compression utility to archive them into a single file. For cross-platform sharing, “zip” is the most compatible format.
Its been in beta forever. Will it actually ever be released?
Development has been time consuming due to number of features/services and the extensive testing across platforms. We are currently releasing updates every few weeks with a mixture of new features and bug fixes. We believe that Nodescan gets better with each update and we plan to release 1.0 versions soon.
Can someone send a virus or other file to my computer by attaching it to an instant message?
No. The file is stored on the server until you double click the attachment icon. If you have a doubt about the file and do not want to accept it, just close the message window. If you do choose to open it, NodeScan will warn you if it is an executable or a link to a web site.