What speed Internet do you get provided from your LEA

[petectid]

We have roughly about 3 meg microwave link. It bounces round all the schools in the area. They recently came and fitted a phone line though so maybe they are planning something a little better!!!

 

We are in East Lancs Chris and had four ADSL lines put in by Cleo, not for us but for 4 local Primary Schools who were originally connected through the local FE College which is being rebuilt, so their connections were re-routed via our wireless link.

[phil_thebeans]

You get what you pay for

 

I don't believe we do which is why we are looking at the alternatives.

 

Ben

 

As I understand it Norfolk LEA will not provide funding if you withdraw from E2BN. How are you going to find the money for a similar speed connection (do you have 8Mb?) or are you going to run a seperate line because apparently that will breach the conditions of your aggreement with E2BN?

[Richie1972]

We're currently going through our very restricted LEA link - 8mb (supposedly) - and using a basic 1MB ADSL as backup (plus connection for our VLE to the outside world). We're looking at upgrading to 4.5mb ADSL (possibly two bonded) and using the LEA link as backup. I'm not sure we'd be allowed to ditch the LEA altogether, but I am hoping we can bargain for a reduction on our extortionately high bill from the LEA based on the fact we'd be using a lot less of their "service"

[timbo343]

We dont use LEA for internet we do it all externally and in-house, so much easier and a hell of a lot cheaper, plus we are in-control of what kids can view, but we get 8mb, bonded 4mb line, due to crap exchange round here

[craiglay]

In my primary's (feeders for Ben) All apart from one have 2Mbit SDSL lines over BT copper. Net access is provided by the LEA and is heavily contended and content filtered. The remaining school can't have broadband due to line quality so have had to settle for single channel ISDN (64kbit) They are soon to get fibre!!

 

Its something to be able to go home and download at over 400K/s on my 8Mb +Net connection which didn't really start in the schools.

 

Also, the Edugeek site is not whitelisted at LEA so its not uncommon to see it web filtered.

 

Craig

[Domino]

Well, we've just moved onto the NGN (next generation network), which our LEA says we have to be on. and was supposed to up us to 8mb.

 

Lets just say we've taken to calling it the next generation Not-work

[timbo343]

Well, we've just moved onto the NGN (next generation network), which our LEA says we have to be on. and was supposed to up us to 8mb.

 

Lets just say we've taken to calling it the next generation Not-work

 

ive heard about this, you have to provide a resonable download as well as upload for VLE and for teachers to use the school network from home, but i didnt know how well it worked.

[plexer]

Phil: After looking into this we are tied into the lea because they give us the 26K a year from the Government money they get for Internet connectivity they then take it back from us to pay them for their shocking service.

 

If an LEA is part of an RBC they can keep 100% of this funding. If they are not part of an RBC they have to divolve this funding to the schools themselves.

 

I just hope in the future that the schools are given the money directly or that the funding to the LEA dries up and schools have to budget for their connectivity.

 

When that day comes we will be out of the Norfolk solution faster than you can say something really short.

 

Ben

[contink]

Phil: After looking into this we are tied into the lea because they give us the 26K a year from the Government money they get for Internet connectivity they then take it back from us to pay them for their shocking service.

 

If an LEA is part of an RBC they can keep 100% of this funding. If they are not part of an RBC they have to divolve this funding to the schools themselves.

Doesn't mean to say that you can't get your governers and heads from schools talking to each other..

 

I'm sick of hearing how ruddy wonderful the LEA service is supposed to be given that practical experience is proving that it's anything but...

 

I suspect that until the LEAs are actually outed for their behaviour it's going to be business as usual, which granted isn't bad everywhere but here it's a joke..

[plexer]

True it doesn't mean we can't talk and we do. Everytime the LEA hosts an event which is to talk to all schools representatives and explain what they are doing there is always a good slanging match over how terrible the Internet service is.

 

Trouble is it won't change how the funding is allocated.

 

Ben

[edd_murphy]

Well in our LA its all very hunky dory!!

 

99% of schools have a 10mb BT Fibre back to one of our Node Sites and then from then 100mb fibre back to the core, here at County Hall.

 

From here alot of web request are dealt with by our Cache Servers, if not they are fed out our 70mb Internet Pipe. That is if they don't go up our regional link to West Brom somewhere!!

 

The small amount of schools that were going to cost silly money for a SHUK have gone on to our ADSL VPN Solution which goes out to the Internet and then hits our VPN server and into the Network. Every school has its own Filtering/Caching/Mailing box.

 

We have only had half a day of unplanned downtime, that was due to a Power Cut. However we are just in the process (about 2 weeks from being finished) or having a 500 Mw Generator installed to keep us running!!

 

Feel free to contact me with any queries!