Is anyone using thin client schoolwide?

[markwatkins]

We are investigating using thin client for all pupils, we imagine this would be via pupils having a thin client laptop (supplied by us) connecting over home wi fi.

 

Thinstation seems good... is it?

 

Obviously for media/music we will use standard PC's.

 

Has anyone achieved this yet?

 

We would be grateful for any info at all.

[Domino]

you say home wi-fi...do you mean connecting FROM home, or having home standard wi-fi in school.

 

Either way, I wouldn't recommend.

 

Cybernerd is the man to talk to though.

[markwatkins]

Meant connecting to our server through home wifi sorry didn't make that clear... they would be seriously locked down

[dhicks]

We are investigating using thin client for all pupils, we imagine this would be via pupils having a thin client laptop (supplied by us) connecting over home wi fi.

 

How would things work in school - are you planning to have every child have the same thin-client laptop and have a school-wide wireless network? I bet it's workable, but you'll need to get a decent wireless network, of course.

 

These are the people to contact:

 

Cutter - a better way to deliver computing

 

User linescanner on these forums is Andy Trevor, Technical Director of Cutter Project Limited.

 

--

David Hicks

[bossman]

Citrix and Xen virtual desktops is what you are probably thinking of as it uses a different protocol for connection which works at layer 3 of OSI model, our LA are just testing this as a lead up to BSF.

All depends on the bandwidth which you have in to the school and also the end users bandwidth capabilities.

There are lots of costs linked to this which can make it rather expensive and as you have already found out it does not run media rich apps very well even though it claims to.

Good for deployment and control but also has downside Costs, implementation etc.

Cybernerd will have much more info on this PM him.

 

Good luck

[linescanner]

SGD is the way to go for this. The students and staff can access your internal servers from a java enabled web browser.

 

The other option (more expensive) is Sun Ray laptops at home. The connect over the users existing Broadband to a VPN concentrator at your site. This then tunnels to the internal Terminal Servers.......school desktop at home

[Ric_]

We have about 250 thin clients (out of about 300 desktop machines). I use Citrix XenApp for my load balancing and application publishing. It works well.

 

In the science department we have 30 laptops configured as Citrix clients. We also have site-wide wi-fi coverage using a BlueSocket solution.

 

The reamaining 50 machines are for admin systems, music and D&T (for Pro Desktop and the like - it's a little sluggish on thin clients).

 

I'm about to roll out home access to staff (once I sort out certificates and licensing issues). The step after that will be use by sixth formers using their own machines both in and outside school. Secure Gateway from Citrix is very sexy

[doctor]

If you are still interested to see a thin client (Citrix) set up and discuss it further you could contact me. I'm based in a school in Andover, not a 1000 miles from you and would be quite happy to show you our set up.

[FN-GM]

We use laptops as thin clients works a treat. They don't use asmuch bandwith as fat clients so its nice and fast when you have a class of 30 laptops working.

 

We also allow students to login the terminal server form home, works well had no problems at all would recomend it.

[SDM01]

Has no one mentioned VMWare VDI (or View3). is this not a solution? thinking View3 connection broker running windows virtual machines. or am I barking uo the wrong tree

[apaton]

Has no one mentioned VMWare VDI (or View3). is this not a solution? thinking View3 connection broker running windows virtual machines. or am I barking uo the wrong tree

 

VDI always seems the answer until you have to pay for it (Always cost more than you think, when done properly)

 

Have a look at Sun's VDI solution which can use VMWARE or VirtualBox.