Bring Your Own Device - Accessing Documents

[MyBrainHurts]

At present we are looking into offering Sixth Form students a BYOD service, which would allow them access to our wireless network (filtered), network printers and access to their 'My Documents' stored on the curriculum file server. However, what would be the best way to allow secure access to their 'My Documents' without implementing potentially oppressive policies that could lock down their personal laptop? Would an RDS server be the best way forward?

 

Viglen offers a package that allows students to access documents and programs from home via an RDS server, which would tie in nicely with our Viglen ClassLink environment. I'm thinking that perhaps we could implement this, restrict it to Sixth Formers only, and then allow them to access the server whilst onsite. It would also offer students access to programs such as Office, which would circumvent the need for them to buy additional software.

 

If an RDS server is the best way forward, what sort of server spec would you recommend for 250 students? At present we have 150 Sixth Form students, but this could increase to 200 in 1-2 years time. Also, I believe I'll need RDS licenses for each student, but how does Microsoft Office licenses work under RDS? Our current agreement is via EES, which is priced by the amount of part/full time members of staff at your school ... So technically this should be free, but I have a feeling it probably isn't!

[gshaw]

You'll need the RDS External Connector for external users if you go down the RDS server route I think.

 

Have you looked at HAP+ on here? Seems like it would do exactly what you need...

[glennda]

You'll need the RDS External Connector for external users if you go down the RDS server route I think.

 

Have you looked at HAP+ on here? Seems like it would do exactly what you need...

 

Yeah setup a RDS (terminal server) - if you have EES or select agreement I think the external connector is something like £450 but also means you could setup remote access for all users into TS inside school external using RDGateway.

[Guest Guest]

My understanding is your 6th formers are effectively part of your business/establishment therefore you won't need external connector licenses. Be interesting to find out as our students may be allowed to use rdweb soon.

[glennda]

My understanding is your 6th formers are effectively part of your business/establishment therefore you won't need external connector licenses. Be interesting to find out as our students may be allowed to use rdweb soon.

 

depends if you have per user or per device cal's. Most places have per device which means you would either need to get a device cal for each students device or external connector

[Davit2005]

If they only need access to their docs then as others have said HAP+ would be a solution. Personally I wouldn't like any BYOD on the schools main network.

 

Would allways recomend a seperate vLan/SSID for BYOD devices.

Edited May 30, 2012 by Davit2005

[glennda]

If they only need access to their docs then as others have said HAP+ would be a solution. Personally I wouldn't like any BYOD on the schools main network.

 

No I would recommend ensuring the wireless for the BYOD is on its own VLAN. Does HAP+ do web-dav? As in my opinion that would be the easiest way to access the data or via RDS (which is what was setup at my last place).

[Zenden]

WSS/Sharepoint and the salamander Web Parts would also be an option, I use the web parts here and they work perfectly.

 

second the point on having the wifi on a seperate SSID and VLAN, could be nightmare if not!