Alternatives to RM CC3/4

[coryfrazer]

Hi All,

 

Hope all is well. First of all I would like to make this clear that I am not a I.C.T Network Manager in a school or anything like that, but pretty much an amatuer.

 

I have quite a large network in the home sense - I have 9 P.C's, 3 Laptops, and 3 Tablets, etc, etc - and I was thinking back to the days when I was in school (I'm 24, so not that long ago) when we had RM CC3.

 

Now the software had plenty of bugs in it, but I was made an administrator in the system because I helped them out from time to time and I really loved the end-to-end and ease of network management that the overall package brought.

 

Due to this being for a home server, but for a large family - my actual family have asked me to bring in a similar - verbally - which sounds something similar to what RM CC3/4 does.

 

However, I am not a school - nor do I have an education budget / large finances - and RM isn't able to be purchased for home use - so I am curious if anyone knows any alternatives to RM CC3/4 that is close to or on par with what it does? Preferably on the free side, or relatively manageable in terms of cost (aka - not thousands of pounds).

 

Does anybody know what that may be?

 

Equally so - if anyone would like to work on a project with me on this implementing this, I will happily fork out some money as a thanks - providing you are happy to give support - etc. As my I.T skills are not to the levels of yourselves.

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

Cory.

[Sam_Brown]

What is it exactly you want to achieve?

[coryfrazer]

Pretty much a network management solution similar to RM CC3/4, where the following is pre-set and can also be customised - such as:

 

- Group Policy (folder re-direction, home drive, permission settings)

- Printer Credits

- User Management Software - easy-to-use

- User Type Indicators

- Package Installers - or an easier to system that Windows default

- Deployment Services

- Pre-Set Exchange

- Custom Login Visual and Script

 

Now I know this can be done perfectly fine in a vanilla network, but the graphical interface, program set up and pre-set protocals in RM CC3/4 make it far more managable to me and easier to run. Pretty much what RM CC3/4 have pre-done in a pre-made server / domain alignment - is what I want..

 

Unless someone wants some extra cash and can implement all of this in a vanilla network, then I would want an alternative to RM CC3/4.

[Sam_Brown]

Seems slightly overkill for a home network although would be a nice project to get some experience I guess. I can't think of anything else of the top of my head though. Perhaps someone else can help.

[coryfrazer]

Seems slightly overkill for a home network although would be a nice project to get some experience I guess. I can't think of anything else of the top of my head though. Perhaps someone else can help.

 

Indeed - over-kill I would agree with it! However I am just following instructions as per what I apparently need to do...

 

I've looked at BCX, however it is too expensive.. I have however, believe it or not - sent an email to both BCX and RM explaining my query and to see if they would ever do an instance where they would sell a licence for a home network user..

 

99 percent chance they will say no / providng me with a severly expensive quote.. but it's worth a shot.

 

Does anybody else have any alternative suggestions?

[computer_expert]

Download the trial of server 2012 R2, install the Windows Server Essentials Experience role and have a play with it. It doesn't have all the things you listed but it has a number of them

 

It will give you:

Group policy

Folder redirection

Windows Deployment services (You will need to install the WDS role separately)

 

I think there is a special server essentials console that allows you to manage various bits and bobs (users/remote access/folder redirection etc) rather than using the standard active directory tools.

 

Custom login scripts can be set via group policy, if needed.

 

Providing you have clients that are running at least Windows 7 you can also set a custom logon screen background via group policy too.

Edited August 17, 2014 by computer_expert

[synaesthesia]

As above, stick to industry standard tools - basic windows server is all you need. That leaves you with experience in something you can use anywhere and not just in schools. Software deployment, windows updates etc all covered. Plenty of 3rd party tools if you need to accomplish anything else.

[nicholab]

Life is so much easier with out a CCx network. MDT imaging is great. Software deployment stuff either has an msi or a script will do the job.

[Roberto]

I'm afraid that wanting CCx for your home network is very much "All I know are hammers, so everything needs to be a nail". It's a vastly complex product to deploy and manage at the infrastructure/server level and is likely to be overkill for anything you're doing in a home scenario, including running a business from home.

 

As others say, everything it could do can be done with the standard windows tools these days. And there are also other tools that are geared to small business/large home support these days. If you don't want to stick with the standard microsoft tools, and just want to deploy a standard set of freeware/shareware tools to computers, check and tweak the health of those computers and maybe indulge in a little bit of remote control of those computers to provide support then you could do worse than give soluto a look: https://www.soluto.com

 

And Exchange? Get Office 365. There's no way any kind of home use scenario or 99% of small business deployments will involve enough users or enough specialist requirements to make running an exchange server of your own a sensible idea.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Roberto