Student home directory access from remote locations...

[tgant]

Within the next year we'd like to implement some method by which both students and faculty could access the contents of their school home directory from a remote location. We're a K-12 district with a mix of PCs running Windows and Apples. I do have some prior experience with webfolders made available through Microsoft IIS but did not like the way it was implemented. I'd like to make access as easy as possible, which for me means no complicated software installs for the end user (The last thing I want to do is to start taking calls from parents for tech support!).

I've considered some sort of WebDAV implementation but was discouraged by Microsoft's lack of *working* WebDAV support integrated into the OS a-la OS X.

I'd imagine that most of the files being accessed would be Word/Excel/PowerPoint documents which are generally small, however there are a large number of students enrolled in the graphic arts programs where seeing a 50+ meg file is not uncommon.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

[CyberNerd]

We use this moodle plugin for access to windows shares
Moodle: Modules and plugins
but it's not much good without moodle.

SSLExplorer might fit the bill
SSL-Explorer: The World's First Browser-Based, Open Source SSL VPN

[Geoff]

You can bypass Microsofts shoddy webdav implementation in XP by using Novell Netdrive. BTW, it's fixed in Vista, and of course w2k worked all along.

[tgant]

Geoff,

Could you please link me to where you were able to find NetDrive? I had some trouble understanding exactly how it was distributed. The last time I look (some months ago) I understood that it was free, but also that it was only distributed along side some Novell product and not readily available from their website.

I'm glad to hear that WebDAV support has been fixed in Vista. To be honest, I haven't even given Vista a look yet. I think setting up a Vista workstation is going to be one of my summer projects since I'm getting more and more questions about it every week.

Thanks!

[Geoff]

Netdrive used to be freely avalible from Novell. Instead they replaced it with another product called WebDrive, which is only availble if you buy it.

The following Novell Cool Solutions Q&A elaborates.

Cool Solutions: NetDrive.exe

[srochford]

I've considered some sort of WebDAV implementation but was discouraged by Microsoft's lack of *working* WebDAV support integrated into the OS a-la OS X.

Not sure what you mean by lack of *working* support? There is a known issue that you need to specify the port in the http address (eg http://server.cnwl.ac.uk:80/home) but once you do that it works fine. Is there something else which doesn't work? We're using WebDAV quite successfully here.

[spc-rocket]

IIS 7 will introduce a new version of webdav which will provide more features and control of which directory/part of website to enable webdav on etc.

Don't know if the client will need updating.

Ash.

[m25man]

Why bother, use an SSL Appliance, fitted in minutes then forgotten.

Ok, it's not the cheapest solution but from an end user support point of view it's the easiest method I have ever used.

I have never had an unhappy client, even those that have spent thousands on Webdav based portals have never looked back after installing one.

Test drive a Sonicwall version here,
https://sslvpn.demo.sonicwall.com/cgi-bin/welcome

Netgear
NETGEAR SSL312 - ProSafe? SSL VPN Concentrator 25

SSL Explorer
SSL-Explorer: The World's First Browser-Based, Open Source SSL VPN

Each has it's own advantages/disadvantages but all are worthy of closer examination.

I gave up on Webdav due to inconsistencies with clients and browsers not displaying the folder contents correctly.