Safeguarding/Keyword monitoring/etc software and monitoring offsite devices.

[Garacesh]

Much appreciated, I shall do some digging when I get a bit of free time (whenever that's going to be..)

[Squelch]

We have used Securus for many years. Currently using Securus XT which captures the screen and emails each time a violation is detected, XT is cloud based. We only use it on Windows devices but there is a chrome extension. Edited May 5, 2021 by Squelch

[GrumbleDook]

Hmm, so I spoke with a NetSupport bod last night, they've confirmed that NS-DNA currently isn't able to track what's being typed into a google docs tab on a chromebook. Nor is it, for some reason, telling the server when it blocks an attempt to access a restricted website (though it does block the request and redirect to the specified url as programmed) on a chromebook. They have confirmed this isn't intentional, though - that bit was working but now is not, so they've passed that on to the relevant folks.

 

However, from further testing, it's looking like safeguarding team need to be able to access a computer with the DNA client on it, because I'm the only person that can log in to the cloud platform (at dnaauthentication-uksouth.azurewebsites.net). Even if I make second operator that's given the Administrator permissions and role, it returns Incorrect email or password. Except, even when I log in, I don't have access to Alerts, only phrases/eSafety, so I can't monitor 'Attempt to access a restricted website' (and the email alert that attempt generates doesn't list the URL, so they'd need to be able to access the Alerts section to see what site). So even if we did get the cloud login working, some of the things they want to check, they can only do when they're on-site via the client.

 

I could load NetSupport DNA onto the Remote Desktop server, but then if all they have is a phone that's going to be such a pain to use.

All in all - and I say this as someone that came from a school that used NetSupport School, and really likes NetSupport - it's really looking like NetSupport DNA is aaaallllmost there, but not quite. There's just those few core niggles that make it unsuitable for our current needs/environment.

 

Which is also a massive shame, because as good as Senso's safeguarding seems to be, the ICT staff (and other rooms where there's high IT capacity, library, technology, etc) genuinely prefer to use our old, klunky, perpetual license of LanSchool from 2016 rather than Senso's classroom management tools - that's just how poorly the website performs. I had to use it as a pseudo-remote-access tool when I first started here and good lord, it was painful.

 

So Senso seems to be giving us the best suited safeguarding, but a poor classroom management, whereas NetSupport offers a great classroom management tool, but has a few issues with the safeguarding.

 

 

We really appreciate that feedback and we can look at those areas. It sounds like the error message is not right, so we can get that looked into in the first instance. Is it ok to drop you a line again?

[Garacesh]

@GrumbleDook Managed to square it with whoever I spoke to at NetSupport, the chromebook thing they confirmed was an issue and got it fixed, and they offered to write me a custom dll (or ini, I forget?) that tells NSDNA to include the URL of the blocked website in the email, but ultimately our time ran out and we have had to renew Senso for a year, and the logging-on-online thing was either the PIN email failed to send, or I failed to click it. Gonna eat humble pie and suggest it was probably the latter, but spare me some pity and assume it was the former, 'eh?

 

That being said, lesson learned, and I now know when Senso is due to run out, so I can start seeing what's out there with a bit more time to spare next year!

Happy for you to drop me a line if you want some more detailed feedback of what went in to choosing to renew though.

[GrumbleDook]

@GrumbleDook Managed to square it with whoever I spoke to at NetSupport, the chromebook thing they confirmed was an issue and got it fixed, and they offered to write me a custom dll (or ini, I forget?) that tells NSDNA to include the URL of the blocked website in the email, but ultimately our time ran out and we have had to renew Senso for a year, and the logging-on-online thing was either the PIN email failed to send, or I failed to click it. Gonna eat humble pie and suggest it was probably the latter, but spare me some pity and assume it was the former, 'eh?

 

That being said, lesson learned, and I now know when Senso is due to run out, so I can start seeing what's out there with a bit more time to spare next year!

Happy for you to drop me a line if you want some more detailed feedback of what went in to choosing to renew though.

 

Good to hear the team were helpful (and the fix looks good too). I'll have a chat with Charlee and drop you a line. Always interested in feedback.

[MW_NetSupport]

We have now released an update for the DNA Chrome Agent (version 1.5.2.0), which fixes the issue mentioned earlier in this thread where phrases weren't being detected when being typed into Google Docs. The change requested by @Garacesh to have the URL of blocked websites included in emails will be included in the next release of NetSupport DNA.

[Garacesh]

See this right here is why I've always liked NetSupport. I ain't even given them any money and they're still actioning feedback. Top quality support, all around!