Sheridan Posted April 30, 2014 Posted April 30, 2014 As a newcomer to Google Apps for Edu I'm just looking into management of chromebooks (to replace older netbooks) I have a single evaluation chromebook and I'm just curious as to how the management can be added. Do I automatically get a license per device I buy, or do I have to buy a separate licence for each chromebook? I can see there is no Chromebook management in my device management on the admin console but I'm not sure how to get this setup. I wanted to test it out on the evaluation one first before I committed to buying chromebooks, and then finding out I have to buy additional licenses etc.
Arthur Posted April 30, 2014 Posted April 30, 2014 (edited) Do I automatically get a license per device I buy, or do I have to buy a separate licence for each chromebook? You need to buy management licenses (£19 each IIRC). Based on previous threads, these can take 1-2 weeks (or more) to be activated by Google after ordering them. I can see there is no Chromebook management in my device management on the admin console but I'm not sure how to get this setup. These links may help... www.edugeek.net/forums/cloud-services/122639-chrome-management-console.html#post1053249 www.classthink.com/2013/07/15/chromebook-experiment-part-2-management-licenses www.classthink.com/2013/08/03/chromebook-experiment-part-3-setting-up-the-chromebooks www.classthink.com/2013/07/26/best-practice-configuring-chromebook-with-google-apps Edited April 30, 2014 by Arthur 1
pcstru Posted April 30, 2014 Posted April 30, 2014 You buy licences for each chromebook, usually at the same time as the devices via an official reseller. You can buy the licences separately. If you are on a Google Apps for Education trial, I'm sure either a reseller or google support will bung you a licence for one. 1
Sheridan Posted April 30, 2014 Author Posted April 30, 2014 Ah cheers that makes sense. We already have GAPPS but just have a chrome book on eval. I wanted to test the management facilities for chrome books but I guess I'll have to but some licenses. By the time they arrive the eval will have ended!
Sheridan Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 Another question - has anyone got their chromebooks working through a smoothwall proxy using ntlm authentication? It seems to have the settings for it (i.e proxy settings and dialogue box for username) but it sits at the main screen saying the network is not available. It worked when tested on a non authenticating proxy (i.e at home!)
pcstru Posted May 1, 2014 Posted May 1, 2014 Another question - has anyone got their chromebooks working through a smoothwall proxy using ntlm authentication? It seems to have the settings for it (i.e proxy settings and dialogue box for username) but it sits at the main screen saying the network is not available. It worked when tested on a non authenticating proxy (i.e at home!) I don't believe that is possible as I understand it. Managed chromebooks need to grab settings from the domain via the chocolate factory prior to the user logging in (i.e. at boot). We list a bunch of google resources as bypassing authentication on smoothwall to allow this to happen. Users then log into the session page when the browser starts up. If anyone does know of a way to avoid that second login, I'd love to hear it. We also have to set up chrome books by bypassing smoothwall because all the proxy settings are distributed via the policy on the domain.
Sheridan Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Hmm that might be the end of chromebooks here then. If they don't fit in with our existing filter then they're not going to be much use in school. It also seems we can't use the smoothwall methods to only allow the chromebooks to access our GAPPS domain, so that's pretty much killed them off here. Works on windows so I guess laptops are the next choice. Edited May 1, 2014 by Sheridan
pcstru Posted May 1, 2014 Posted May 1, 2014 Hmm that might be the end of chromebooks here then. If they don't fit in with our existing filter then they're not going to be much use in school. They do 'fit', it's just a bit clunky. For us it's the same as if a student in using their own device, they have to authenticate with smoothwall since the device isn't in the domain. There may be a way to single sign on - if you are using password sync the passwords will be the same. If there is though, I don't yet know how. It also seems we can't use the smoothwall methods to only allow the chromebooks to access our GAPPS domain, so that's pretty much killed them off here. Works on windows so I guess laptops are the next choice. Not sure what you mean by that. You can restrict the logins to users of the school domain. So someone can't log in to a chrome book using (say) their personal gmail account.
Sheridan Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 The way we have smoothwall set up here is using https inspection (i.e man in the middle) so that personal gmail cannot be accessed, but our gapps domain can - this isn't working on the chromebook as it doesn't recognise the certificate from the smoothwall. We deployed this on the windows PCs with group policy but I can't see how to get this on the chromebook. Even when I put the proxy settings in, and authenticate I simply get the 'network not available' on the chromebook homepage, so it seems not to work at all with the authentication methods on our smoothwall. Like I said, works fine at home on a basic setup, but not in our current setup. As this is an evaluation I didn't want to start having to create unauthenicated proxies etc so in that sense its been sucessful as the windows laptops work fine. From this I can't see how multiple users are going to deal with this.
pcstru Posted May 1, 2014 Posted May 1, 2014 The way we have smoothwall set up here is using https inspection (i.e man in the middle) so that personal gmail cannot be accessed, but our gapps domain can - this isn't working on the chromebook as it doesn't recognise the certificate from the smoothwall. We deployed this on the windows PCs with group policy but I can't see how to get this on the chromebook. You do it through the domain management (effectively their version of group policy). I think smoothwall support should be able to help you with that once you have a management licence for the device. Even when I put the proxy settings in, and authenticate I simply get the 'network not available' on the chromebook homepage, so it seems not to work at all with the authentication methods on our smoothwall. Like I said, works fine at home on a basic setup, but not in our current setup. As this is an evaluation I didn't want to start having to create unauthenicated proxies etc so in that sense its been sucessful as the windows laptops work fine. From this I can't see how multiple users are going to deal with this. I think for a proper evaluation you need to get a management licence and look at what is available in the domain. Our worst complaint is the two logins required, once to the chromebook and another into smoothwall when they run the browser. YMMV though. 1
Sheridan Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Ah right, so the device management does a bit more than I thought then - that might sort that problem out then. It does look like ntlm authentication on the smoothwall is going to be an issue, or something that has to be worked around. We can get ipads and ipods to work properly with this so they might be a choice in conjunction with some windows tablet/laptops. Once we enter the smoothwall credentials on the prelogin screen, we just get the daft dinosaur icon and 'network not available' If you login in as guest and authenticate it with the smoothwall then you can browse ok - so its variable as to when it decides to work - no use for us. All I want is to deploy the wireless and proxy settings (including a default user for the smoothwall box) so all the users need to do is login with their google credentials, this doesn't appear to be possible for us. Edited May 1, 2014 by Sheridan
Arthur Posted May 1, 2014 Posted May 1, 2014 this isn't working on the chromebook as it doesn't recognise the certificate from the smoothwall. We deployed this on the windows PCs with group policy but I can't see how to get this on the chromebook. https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/3504942 1
Sheridan Posted May 1, 2014 Author Posted May 1, 2014 Looks like there might be ways around a lot of these, apart from the ntlm authentication! Shame I can't get hold of a license to evaluate it properly in school. I guess I'll have to buy some licences and a single chromebook to test it out properly.
robjduk Posted May 10, 2014 Posted May 10, 2014 I use alot of Chromebooks at my place and would recommend you have a chat to Google Apps Premier Reseller | Cloud Technology Solutions (Julian) for licences and help.
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