WSUS v3 Laptop Updates - Home or School - Still in Control !

Hi All,

We have WSUS V3 installed, the new version from Microsoft.

The problem:

Desktop Updates are easy as they are always onsite. Each Teacher has a laptop they use at home and in school. Some users never connect the laptop to the school network for longer than a day per month or so; these users do connect to the internet at home though. The laptops never have time to download the updates from the network, users will never downloaded or review updates themselves!!! The laptops are therefore only updated if users connect them to network on regular basis.

Solution needed:

Using WSUS you can use something called Remote storage. This simply allows you to control the updates that will be downloaded and installed, but they just get this list (quick Download). There laptop then uses the microsoft site to get the updates. This means they could in theory use home internet connections.

Solution that does not work:

You can on the WSUS server choose the option to get clients to download from MS Site, but this is for all clients on site, inc the desktops - this would not be pratical as download bandwidth would be huge!

My idea of what may work, but need some input:

Setup a second WSUS Server for laptops only, then enable remote storage and all laptops will then use MS Site, this is still not ideal!! I am sure MS have an option of "Is the WSUS on my network now " is so use this "If not" Then go to update.microsoft.com and use this list of updates!!

HELP HELP HELP

Unfortunatly the "am I on a lan? no use MS site" option is not an option.

The solution I choose for ours is to have the Laptops in an OU that doesn't take the WSUS policy. The image they recieve when installed is set to download and install updates automatically using the standard windows update controls so when they are connected at home or in school they will download updates themselves.

Its not ideal as it totally removes the benefits of the WSUS cache but its the only way to be sure they get done.

Thanks Teth,

This seems logical, but a real pain when upgrading items such as IE7 via WSUS. Its also means you have no testing methods before they get the updates - by then its to late !!