[netbook] Domain Logons

[AceDaz]

Hi

 

We have 15 netbooks that were bought a few years ago, I initially set them up with Steadystate, Microsoft Office and on our wireless Guest access so they can access the Moodle / Internet / Emails as I felt that connecting them directly to the Domain would slow them down.

 

Our new Headteacher wants the pupils to access their user areas and the Public area, I am still reluctant to connect them to the school network but I havebeen advised in the past that a company called ICT Networks has some software called nConnect which states "An excellent application that allows the connection of Microsoft home editions of software to connect a network. Gives access to shared areas, printers, internet. Full anti-virus authentication before connection."

 

Does anyone else know of any similar software to use?

 

Many thanks

[sted]

if its just their user areas / mapped drives couldnt you get a script that asks for username and password then maps them a drive?

[alexsanger]

Could you let them have remote access to a terminal services host? There are licensing costs involved, but I ran something similar in a previous role. All the laptops were left off the network and they connected to the server on the LAN on site, and then over the internet when they were away. It meant managing mobile devices was way less of a headache too. If there's a problem you just use the manufacturers recovery tools and they're back up and running.

[AceDaz]

Possible one to try, is anyone good at VBScript? As our structure for the home folders are

 

\\SERVER1\Users\Pupils\IntakeYEAR\USERNAME

 

So it will try and map the H: Drive to \\SERVER1\Users\Pupils\USERNAME

 

Does anyone know how to get the last 2 charactes from their username and apply it to the IntakeYEAR as their usernames are SURNAME_"FIRST INITIAL"_"INTAKE YEAR"

 

Also, we will need to map the P: drive to \\SERVER2\Public

 

Will this script work ok with Steadystate?

[AceDaz]

Could you let them have remote access to a terminal services host? There are licensing costs involved, but I ran something similar in a previous role. All the laptops were left off the network and they connected to the server on the LAN on site, and then over the internet when they were away. It meant managing mobile devices was way less of a headache too. If there's a problem you just use the manufacturers recovery tools and they're back up and running.

 

We don't currently have a TS host, but we are looking into it with new servers. I was thinking about putting the thin client version of Windows on the netbooks.

 

What are peoples thoughts on this?