OverWorked

Hello, I need to replace a couple of APs here, and having been cought out with unsuitable kit before, don't want to get burned again. I need wireless access points that will:- 1) Play nicely with their neighbours. I've got APs now that cause probs by communicating with each other (at least I think that's what's happening) and causing the managed switches to cut their connections. Disabling STP on the switches has reduced the frequency of this problem, but it's still happening sometimes. 2) Forward DHCP. I thought they would all do this, but I bought a 3com model recently which will only act as a DHCP server, and won't forward DHCP requests. It causes all sorts of problems - if the 'real' DHCP server is down temporarily, it starts issuing IP addresses for the whole network. Has anyone got a good reliable 802.11g network? Especially if it's been installed professionally. I'd like to know what hardware you've got. Thanks.

Thanks everyone. Plenty to go at. I'll have a trawl round their websites and see what free subs I can get.

How do you get them then? I get Informatin Age at work, though I 've no idea how I came to be subscribed. Please tell!

Thanks. Computer Weekly seems popular. I've subscribed to PCPro for five years now, but it just seems to be the same sort of thing coming round every so often. It's probably me, but I'm getting less and less useful info from it each time. Are there any decent online mags (free or subscribed) worth looking at regularly?

I bought a copy of that a while back and it was good. I'm still not converted to Linux, though. I've been intending to for years, maybe reading LF will encourage me.

I've been reading PCPro for a few years now, but I'm getting a bit bored by it and the subscription's running out soon. I fancy a change. What does everyone else here read? Any decent computer magazines worth subscribing to? I also read zdnet online, but I'd still like a printed magazine to read on the bus/in bed etc.

My WSUS hasn't synchronised successfully for a couple of days. No doubt it'll succeed eventually. Still waiting to see if IE7 reappears after making the changes in options.

The strange thing is that it was working for weeks, then IE7 just 'disappeared' from my WSUS a couple of months ago. I'm certain I didn't change anything (famous last words). I'll manually approved it (again) when (or if) it reappears on the list.

Last synchronization result: Failed Bum! I'll leave it overnight and check again. It usually syncs every night no problem.

Thanks. I've just looked at my WSUS synchronisation options and it already has "Windows Internet Explorer 7.0 Dynamic Installer" listed. I've added a few other products, and now included all update classifications. (Isn't IE supposed to be an Update Rollup? - I already had that listed too). It's synchronising now - I'll see what that produces.

Thanks. I successfully rolled it out to the whole school a few months ago, and managed it (things like the phishing filter) with GP. No problems. I've just set up some new machines and found that IE7 has not been installed. I noticed that IE7 had disappeared from WSUS a while ago, but thought it would reappear. I also thought the'd have a msi by now.

How does everyone else deploy IE7? I used to deploy it through WSUS, but now it's gone (is it just me, or have MS removed it?). MS still haven't released an .msi for it. I'm reading through the IE7 Deployment Guide, but it isn't much help, apart from saying that you have to create your own .msi. Great. Fantastic. Really useful. Any suggestions?

Unidream PowerBatch It looks very powerful, but I only used ot for one job. I used it a couple of years ago to produce a CD of images for our school's anniversary. I resized hundreds of images to fit on one CD.

I didn't try uninstalling SP2 as I thought it would just create more problems. I read in another thread here about WDS that uninstalling SP2 still didn't allow the reinstallation of RIS anyway. My virtual RIS server is at SP1 and it's staying there! I got into this predicament after upgrading to SP2 and thinking that WDS would offer advantages. Instead I just found a great big learning curve that I didn't have time, or immediate need, for. And no way back.

Now, why didn't I think of that? As it happens, I've got my RIS server on a virtual machine (set up in an emergency after SP2 stuffed RIS on my real servers and wouldn't allow a way back - but that's another story). Right now I'm building a virtual machine with a vanilla XP installation for creating MSI packages. It's installing with RIS, running on my other virtual machine! I've been using virtual machines for a while now, but didn't think of using one for this. No more lugging a spare desktop from another room and waiting for it to reinstall - hurray! \\:D/

@ajbritton - I'd read your post, but didn't understand it at the time. I should have asked for clarification! I was just trying to make clear the bit about DHCP being authorised, but not being installed, in case anyone else was struggling. It all adds to the font of knowledge that this place is. I'm very pleased now I've got RIS working, I can use it to do lots of other things, like create a clean machine for MSI creation, fix corrupt OSs etc...

That's how long it's taken me to work this out!

Just to update this for info if anyone else's having the same problems: RIS can work if DHCP is on a different server. To get it working this way, the machine running RIS must not be running DHCP, but must still be authorised as a DHCP server (counter-intuitive, I know). After installing RIS, make sure DHCP is uninstalled, then go to your 'proper' DHCP server and make sure your RIS server is authorised as a DHCP server (even though it isn't one). This is what tripped me up for many months.

Ric - I know. Running without SP2 on one server will just be a temporary measure until I get to grips with WDS. At the moment, because RIS has gone, WDS will only install and run in native mode, so can't be used with my old XP CD-based images. I can't reinstall RIS as it's gone from the Add/Remove Windows components and RISETUP.exe has gone. The only way to get WDS in mixed mode will be to:- 1) Set up a new server with SP1 (I might use a virtual machine) 2) Install RIS, and get it working the way it used to be. Thankfully the old REMINST share is intact. 3) Ugrade to SP2 and see if RIS is still working afterwards - it *should* be. 4) If RIS is working, install WDS in mxed mode and use that. This is a lot of unnecessary work. It's going to be a long day. ](*,)

Don't update your RIS server with WDS unless you have to - ie you need it to deploy Vista. My RIS (perfectly OK for years) died around the time I upgraded to Server 2003 R2 and SP2. I thought installing WDS would fix it, but it made things worse, as that didn't work either and there's no way back to RIS after installing WDS. I now have no Remote Install system at all. I'll have to set up another server with just SP1 and use that, at least until I get this mess sorted out. (I'll have to start a new thread for that - tomorrow probably).

SpuffMonkey, Kyle, Witch - You're right! It occurred to me as I was typing that post. I know that teaching is only something you can do well if you're dedicated (although I know a few teachers who aren't!), otherwise it's a miserable job. I'll stick with IT, which is what I always wanted to do, and still enjoy. PS - SpuffMonkey & Kyle, you really ought to be in bed by midnight. Less coffee!

@Stewart - I don't know much about it. Our Head came from a bigger school where they trained several support staff into teachers. The school was accredited for the GTP training, so they could do it all there. That may not apply at our school. I'm not interested in going to other schools - I don't want it that badly! @Kiran - To start with I'd be doing both, at least for a couple of years, I think. I wouldn't like to do both long term, I'd end up like one of those out-of-touch IT managers. Technology would move on without me, and I'd have to employ techs who really know their job, and also know that I don't know mine. I think we've all come across that type of manager. I don't want to end up like that.

Our Head recently suggested that I should begin teacher training in September as an ICT teacher. I would be on the GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme) which would be like an apprenticeship. I would stay at this school and teach Y7 initially, building up to all KS3 later. It sounds OK, but I'm in two minds about it. I enjoy IT and imagined a career building IT skills. If I went into teaching I'd probably find it hard to keep up with the skill development. I went through teacher training 12 years ago and had a terrible time. I really hated it. I'm now older, more mature etc. and already know the school I'd be working with. I'm just wondering if anyone else has considered teacher training and had any thoughts on it. Thanks.

What get me about scanners is the appalling software they come with. We have a Matsonic A3 scanner. The hardware is OK, but it's made difficult to use by the awful software that was clearly written for Win98 - needs admin priveliges and access to the /program files/ installation folder. I like the Canon LiDE's too - they're the only ones that are good all round.

Like setting a maximum idle time limit for logged on users. Something else only available to Terminal Services.