Thanks Albert for your great answer.

I've read your separate web pages here and am scratching my head. I would
like to use SQLServer (MSDE?) on the server and create an easy to maintain
front end so our small staff can enter and access data. A thin client
solution would work fine but I don't have access (small a) to the tools - I
think? I thought of Access as a front end because it was easily available
but I'm not wedded to it. And as you say it's not reliable over a WAN.

I'm pretty sure the tech guys are running Windoows 2003 on their servers and
I can get access to it. Terminal Services seem to come with Windows2003
which I don't have. How does one design the tables/relationships/queries in
SqlServer remotely if not using Access and upsizing? What and where are the
"server side tools" you speak of?

I much prefer separate front ends and back ends which worked well for me
using Paradox and confusing in Access. Keeping a separate front end on each
client was a pain though. I guess I'll have to do more reading on Terminal
Services. Does this work with MSDE too? Will much change with SqlServer
2005?

Do you foresee any problems using a wireless notebook to access the VPN/WAN
and then SqlServer?

thx, philr