BTLS Moving to Netsweeper from Lightspeed

[Joanne]

Yeah, not an ideal situation. Pretty sure the setup for AD auth will be similar to lightspeed (and involves an agent), so fingers crossed it will all go smoothly!

[ITGURU]

oh my Netsweeper - the days of having Netsweeper that with the LEA - absolute dia! always rebuilding servers, rebooting, changing squid settings. So glad when they removed it and we sourced our own product.

[Joanne]

How long ago was this @ITGURU ? Usually these things improve over time. I'm trying to stay positive!

 

I've e-mailed BTLS for a link to the webinar which happened last week. I'll post it once I have it.

[ITGURU]

How long ago was this @ITGURU ? Usually these things improve over time. I'm trying to stay positive!

 

I've e-mailed BTLS for a link to the webinar which happened last week. I'll post it once I have it.

 

2015 is when local county switched off their netsweeper filtering for schools in East Midlands! It probably was outdated which is why they didn't renew it so hopefully things have improved. One of our schools in the trust have a lightspeed box and is roughly same annual license costs as what we use (Censornet cloud USS)

[ITGURU]

Netsweeper does do AD Groups, but only from a dedicated OU called Web Filtering Groups

 

we used to have 3 AD groups, IT staff, students, and staff. AD user account was a member of relevant group to get filtering Only issue we had is that their squid didn't work with spaces in usernames so they had to re-write it to work for us lol

[Patrick]

How long ago was this @ITGURU ? Usually these things improve over time. I'm trying to stay positive!

 

I've e-mailed BTLS for a link to the webinar which happened last week. I'll post it once I have it.

 

If you can post the link that'd be great!

[Joanne]

They recorded it, but there was no sound. They are trying again this Thursday.....

[ticktock]

I can't believe they are doing this. We are more than happy with lightspeed. The chap that just called said they are getting rid of the MDM as well. More hassle I don't need.

[Patrick]

They must have their reasons, i mean, it's hard work for everyone! I wonder if Lightspeed tried to jack the costs up come renewal time?

[Mark182]

I can't believe they are doing this. We are more than happy with lightspeed. The chap that just called said they are getting rid of the MDM as well. More hassle I don't need.

 

Do you have a name of the bloke? In the webinar they said 100% keeping the MDM

[ticktock]

I think he was called Martin. The poor chap had just been given the task of ringing round and wasn't technical. I thing I must have missed something on the portal about the changeover. Do you know when it was sent out?

[ticktock]

Why are they changing? Do you think it is cost or functionality. Just searched right through the portal and can't find anything.

[Mark182]

I think he was called Martin. The poor chap had just been given the task of ringing round and wasn't technical. I thing I must have missed something on the portal about the changeover. Do you know when it was sent out?

 

2nd of May on the portal. We've been told MDM is staying.

[1TF0rward]

I think he was called Martin. The poor chap had just been given the task of ringing round and wasn't technical. I thing I must have missed something on the portal about the changeover. Do you know when it was sent out?

 

Is there more to this about removing the MDM? In the recorded demo we have been told this is being kept in place as it is on a different contract?

[ticktock]

He just said it would be moving across to Netsweeper as well when I put him on the spot. I'll see what they get back with, he was going to find out some more details.....

[Mark182]

Is there more to this about removing the MDM? In the recorded demo we have been told this is being kept in place as it is on a different contract?

 

Try and get booked on one of the webinars :-

 

23 May 2019 at 2pm

06 June 2019 at 2pm

13 June 2019 at 2pm

20 June 2019 at 2pm

[1TF0rward]

I have just got confirmation that it will be kept in place.

 

"HI

 

No Lightspeed MDM will remain a service provided by BT Lancashire and is not affected by the Netsweeper migration.

 

Thanks

 

Louise"

[ticktock]

Does anyone know if Netsweeper supports blocking VPNs on phones etc as Lightspeed does now.

[browolf]

I hope the reports are better than lightspeed.

[Joanne]

They can't be much worse!

[Joanne]

Here is the recorded webinar - https://netsweeper.webex.com/recordingservice/sites/netsweeper/recording/playback/cd6e11f430ee44a793dc6ab4fbad3c0e

 

1:13 long. Think I'll start watching this tomorrow!

[Joanne]

TL;DR

 

- Netsweeper categorises URLs (just like Lightspeed).

- They don't want to do 100% migration because the filters work differently.

- check out this https://www.netsweeper.com/live-stats/

- He uses a Windows 7 VM to show us how it works. He has Server 2012 with AD set up to demo how stuff works on this end.

- transparent filtering (just like Lightspeed).

- agent needs to be installed (just like Lightspeed).

- SSL inspection (just like Lightspeed).

- we look at blue tits.

- we can login with O365 credentials.

- no need for wildcards on your allow and block lists.

- it basically works like Lightspeed.

- reports look like they are easier to read than Lightspeed. They love a good pie chart.

- you can use Netsweeper and Chromebooks

- It will work, but won't be seamless. Appreciate the honesty there.

 

HOPE YOU ENJOYED. Now you can thank me that you don't have to watch it.

[Mark182]

What school has already gone with the pilot? We were starting on Tuesday but been pushed back... I am guessing the pilot schools that have started haven't gone well so far?

[Joanne]

I know of another school that are taking part in the pilot, but they are starting at the beginning of June because they were doing assessments on iPads.

 

I don't think it will get rolled out until summer tbh.

[ultima170387]

I've had a phonecall off Martin recently and have been given a date of the 22nd July (1sr day of our summer) for changeover. Got the webinar on 20th June. First I'd heard of it to be honest.