SplashTop App

[Wrighty01]

Hello All,

 

I have a few staff showing an interest in using Splashtop to access their classroom PCs from the tablets\IPADs. Primarily it will be used as a tool to control the whiteboards.

 

Has anyone on here had any experience using the software? Have checked out the website blurb but would be good to hear from people who have hands on experience in a classroom environment. I am interested in ease of use, scalability, draw-backs etc, but would be interested to hear from anybody who has used the thing.

 

Many Thanks.

[jonnykewell1]

I used it in my previous job. Installed the windows based client on my machine, then installed the app paired them up and it worked fine. Found on the newer version you needed to get each user to register with an account which needs to be logged in on both the app and the windows client for them to both pair. With our old provider this mean't having to log into the internet as we didn't have single sign on at the time for it to connect. As for teachers you would need to have a specific machine (maybe in an office which was why we had SLT only using it) for them to remote into as if someone else is teaching on the specific machine they can't remote in and use the machine. Also if using SIMS then anyone could be watching what is on screen from within the classroom whilst you are elsewhere in the building controlling it. It doesn't work like RDP.

[Wrighty01]

Thanks for the info Jonny. I think the most likely application of the software will be to control the whiteboards, but - and I havent looked into it thoroughly - my first concern is the security hole it may create by allowing a machine to be remoted on to. I know there is an enterprise version but i'm not sure at this stage if we need to make that sort of commitment without first trialing it.

Thanks again.

[jonnykewell1]

sorry I totally skipped the part where you mentioned whiteboards in classrooms. For that it would be a pretty good idea but i'm not sure in terms of moving classrooms how the user account side of things would work on the software if it's paired up with a machine.

[Wrighty01]

Thats why I was looking at the Enterprise solution. One of the staff has bought the app (the personal version) so I installed the Windows client on the PC. She is able to remote to the PC from her tablet, and control the PC as you would using RDP, plus she has the bonus of using the whiteboard add-on, which allows her to project interactive content onto the whiteboard. I can see the benefit, but I am just wondering how you control the software on an enterprise scale. Already have other staff sniffing around so need to read up on it I think.

Thanks Jonny.

[timp]

Take a look at Smoothboard. Smoothboard Air - Collaborative Interactive Whiteboard for iPads and Android Tablets Streams to up to 40 tablets simultaneously. Dead easy to use, with collaboration between tablets and the PC.

[Wrighty01]

Thanks timp, I'll take a look.

[kennysarmy]

I am struggling to get splashtop (personal) to work when connecting andriod devices (4.0.4) to our MERU network and traffic going out through our smoothwall.....

 

http://st2-dc.splashtop.com/api/fulong gives 403 Forbidden warnings but smoothwall suspect it's being blocked upstream.....

[kennysarmy]

solved

 

Networking » Filtering » Zone bridging

 

I had made an error on the source interface....

[Oaktech]

We use it, and it works well, the only thing we experience is the passcode disappears on a regular basis, but this might be an RM-ism!

[Wrighty01]

Do you use the professional or enterprise version Oaktech, or have the teachers just used the personal version? I am just looking at ways to ensure it is secure.

[Oaktech]

We currently use the personal one, but the take up on it has been so good and the response so positive we are proposing the enterprise version to SMT.

 

We insist on the code being of a minimum complexity of 8 chars, one to be a numeric, one to be a capital and one to be punctuation and to ask for windows PW before connecting. We also enable lock screen and lock keyboard and mouse. We do not enable blank screen as this negates the point of controlling the whiteboard! We do not subscribe to access anywhere as an organisation. I however do personally as it's convenient for me to be able to lie in bed at night and administer stuff!

[Wrighty01]

Thanks for the info. I havent had a read through all the documentation yet, but as I understand it, you set a code to access the device in SplashTop, and you can also set it to ask for a Windows password (as you describe). So, does this tie in with AD when it authenticates the Windows password?