Accessing work from home.

[djm968]

I mentioned the RM Client Connect solution earlier and the quote below from their own website justifies why schools are moving away from RM

 

Thin Client Requirements -

 

An additional Community Connect 3 Member Terminal Server to support approximately 30 thin client stations.

One RM Client Connect software pack is required per network.

Each thin client station requires an RM Client Connect CAL (or Community Connect CAL - see below).

Each thin client station will require a Microsoft Terminal Services CAL.

Each Server will require a Community Connect 3â„¢ Terminal Member Server Licence.

On site Member Server commissioning service is required.

Additional Member Terminal Server Support Contract per server.

 

Source: http://www.rm.com/Secondary/Products/Product.asp?cref=PD786541

[CyberNerd]

typical microsoft licensing confusion again

 

Note: Microsoft has extended the coverage of External Connector Licenses for certain CAL options under the School Agreement. They now include prospective students, alumni, and students and faculty of collaborating institutions. Additionally, a CAL is no longer required for the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of licensed student users. Please see the following bulletins for further details:

 

http://www.microsoft.com/emea/education/howtobuy.mspx

 

the letter referenced doesn't explicitely say TS CALS, but I'm definately under the impression it's ok for schools to allow staff/students access to TS external connector license - our license man at Ramesys confirtmed this. I would be interested if you have any other info because we wouldn't be able to justify 1800 users (esp as we're using device cals for our machines internally) and give them a TS cal each !!!

[djm968]

I recently contacted a licensing man at Ramesys and he told me that I needed to buy a £1400 external connector licence as well as the TS Cals to allow staff and students to access a TS remotely. Which is complete nonsense and I would not be too confident that what Ramesys have told you is correct.

 

Obviously this is a little worrying, because I have just placed and order for 650 TS Cals for one of my clients at a cost of £6.5k and if I could have got away with a £1400 external connector license I would be sitting on a beach in the Caribbean right now.

 

I am sure I am right on this one, but I will investigate the documentation to support this.

[djm968]

Q. If a student accesses a school's network, is the student considered an external user?

 

Yes, and so the student can be covered under an External Connector licence.

 

source: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/windowsserversystem/windowsserver2003/how-to-buy/faq-licensing.mspx

 

Oh dear..... I think I still have time to cancel that order! :oops:

[Trav]

There's bound to be a hefty price to pay Mr. Gates I would guess somewhere along the line.

[Trav]

Domino... I liked the idea of the Netgear ProSafe .... Anyone else played with this and whats the licencing probs and costs of using it.

[Oops_my_bad]

we use a netgear prosafe SSL VPN concentrator but this is only used by ourselves in networks and a few members of SMT

 

We have integrated it with IAS radius so it's quite granular, this particular model allows upto 25 users. Very easy to use - just browse to the website and login using their normal active directory login and they are connected.

[k-strider]

i just got SWGFL to open a Nat back to our school servers HTTPS I use IIS and Web DAV for access to docs... and for Exchange via OWA

[Joedetic]

I'm with k-strider on this one. It's easy enough top have 443 opened up and use HTTPS to access WebDAV through IIS with that lovely bit of CSS that opens up the link in folders view. Just rely on your NTFS permissions being setup correctly to do the listing of directories etc appropriately.

 

It was a bit of a PITA to setup the first time I did it (i was only 16 at the time) but it gets easier with practice and when you're not fumbling around for CSS snippets to make it work lol.