snuggletech

The above worked btw. Just add a "delete" setting into the machine side preferences of the default GPO.

Cheers matey works a treat. Any suggestions on how to deploy this? I've got to remove the settings from all student/staff PCs and laptops. We're using windows 7 OS so thinking preferences on the machine side in the Default Domain Policy and add it as a reg change.

Looks like we've started quite a debate here...oops Like you said though it does all come down to experience, for a long time we didn't have that many issues with Ranger, it chugged along quite nicely. It just seems there last few full versions have caused nothing but grief for a large number of users. You're probably right about poor configuration but sadly that's something i've inherited and currently unable to change (don't ask) luckily we're moving to a new school with brand new network etc and hopefuly Ranger won't be a part of that. It won't be if i have my way and if i had my way and the cash/time/permission i'd take Ranger off tomorrow. Fully agree with busby but also glad that you don't have many issues with it. You're a very lucky man

We're still using Server 2003 and XP clients, (didn't either bother with vista after a bench test) so i'm going to have to disagree in part. Also a majority of our problems with this are at the start of the day so no previous session exists. One thing we must all agree on though is that Ranger as security software is weak, often conflicting with group policy as well as 3rd party software that has no reported conflicts. As an organisation their product development is slow and has more holes then a beta software from Microsoft!! Please don't get me started on their support; a majority of the time they will deny there is anything wrong at all, you can't even talk to the swines over the phone unless you pay through the nose! My advice to anyone reading this, stay well clear. Look into monitoring software like securus and classroom control software like LanSchool (throws the control back to the teachers too rather then us), both rather good! Group policy can deal with the rest and more.

Cheers for the insight guys. It doesn't suprise me or the guys i work with that it's a ranger problem. It's a useless piece of **** and this isn't the 1st time there has been massive floors in their software. The last full version flashed up driver errors randomly and according to them it was nothing to do with the software, few weeks later the released a statement saying it was and that the newest version solved the problem. I've never liked it either, group policy can do more security wise and we are currently looking into other software to replace the environment and computer control aspects of it. Oh and don't even try using it with vista machines, they probably haven't even started writting stuff for win7!! Jokers. I had another responce regarding a quick fix that i've tested and works; it's not ideal security wise but untill the fix arrives we've given the students 2 logins in the hope that they don't realise ha ha.

Hi Ash sorry it's been so long between replies but this job had to take a back burner for, oh sooo many reasons. It's now back to haunt me so was planning on giving your solution a go. Just after as much info you can give me really, don't want to miss anything. Also out of interest am i right in thinking that this would stop flash game sites (grrr) unless i permit them?

If you mean the Ranger Reporter section of the server's event veiwer then it shows nothing. The last even was from the 19th and it reported that the Ranger Reporter Engine has started. If you mean the status log on Lan Ranger; it doesn't flash up any violations before Logon Control reports the problem. Quick example: 11:15:45 today a user had the problem and the 5 applications to run before are as follows: 11:15:39 userinit.exe closed 11:15:34 rgrshsub.exe closed 11:15:33 mdm.exe running 11:15:33 winlogon.exe running 11:15:33 lms.exe running. If that's not what you mean please tell me how to find it. Thanks.

This 1 is a cracker!! I have recently been made aware of an issue that started before christmas but has been getting progressivly worse and affecting more and more users. i've done some digging using the error message content and i've been sent everywhere and arrived nowhere! When users (not the same users) from any group try to log on to random machines they get the following message: Logon Denied. Group (say)"group1" is only allowed to logon to 1 workstation at a time and user is already logged at (say)"computer1". Nothing unuseral about that; it happens with forgetful kids, but the mystery is that "computer1" is the machine they are trying to log on to!!! How can you already be logged in to a machine you've only just sat down at!! I've asked around to try and find out when this started and no one seems to know (teachers being teachers i've only had two replies from about 10 heavy ICT room users), so i can't elliminate the fact that it might be the last ranger upgrade or even a windows server upgrade. This is completely random; a student could have it one day on a particular machine, try the same one after lunch and not have it, maybe not have the problem for days but get it again in a totally different room! I've looked at the clients event veiwers and the only error that flashes up as out of the ordinary before Rangers logged time for this problem is 1 for the w32time (event no. 35) but even that just says "synchronizing time with Server01" nothing about it failing though. I'm kinda hoping that it's just ranger being it's usual pants self so i can push for a skip trip but i think it might be this w32time, am i on the right track? oh and the ranger support site is well...i couldn't possibly say on a public forum. Please help!!!

I've spent part of the day looking at the logs in ISA (not as easy as it could be i might add) and i think i may now be looking in the right place. Ran a query to find all denied and failed connection attempts to any URL containing our homepage address and i got alot back but got NONE from the Rule that is having the problem or from the user i've been using to test it! Obvisouly that makes no sense to me as students that aren't in the repeat offenders rule can see the homepage fine. They have however all come back with the same error: 10054 an existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host I also ran a query on any connection issues with said group and all it returned are the sites we don't wish them to use or sites they don't need to use, so at least that shows the rule to be working - minus the webpage. The final query i've done is all denied/failed attempts to the website from my test PC regardless of group/rule or user and got some interesting returns: I have a deny at the time you access the website (Belfairs High School) but the client user name isn't the student but "annonymous" and the rule is our "banned users group" (a normal deny everything rule for punishing the little buggers for a week or two). I then have within the next second two more URLs starting the same but with the following extensions: /sm4.css /ie.css I then have about 10 Urls all ending with different .jpg files and finally and deny and fail on the following URL: http://www.belfairs.southend.sch.uk/images/160x41_Get_Flash_Player.jpg which i'm assuming is just the button to download it rather then anything important. I really hope i've been looking at the right sort of stuff in the logs, if not any added help in that department would be greatfuly recieved. I'm just getting this niggle that it's something to do with this "annonymous" user name preventing the actual user from viewing the site. Cheers for the help so far anyway chaps

Well I did give this a go as it seems logical but alas no joy. I created a rule that allowed all outgoing traffic from our network to our aproved sites list and to a URL set containing all the possibles for the homepage. I set for all users and just the repeat offenders group and no change. The only way i can get this to work is by having a rule that allows access to all http sites above the repeat offenders but this is pointless as they can get to places we don't want them to go. It is allows our totally banned users to get out.

Here's one for you boys and girls and please, please help me because it's driving me mad! A long time ago i set up an Access Rule in our ISA server (2004) to ban the "repeat offenders" but allow them access to certain sites listed on our home page. Almost like a small intranet if you like. All was fine untill our website hosts (moonfruit) started running on a Content Delivery Network, i'm not sure if the issue is caused by this as we don't have an exact start date on the problem. Just seemed to start happening at roughly the same time. Now the kids can't see the home page which is flash 10 based it just comes up with a white page and the phishing filter comes up with a cross. I have information from the hosts and have added every possible combination of our URL and the ones they use as well as plenty of flash file extentions; none of that worked. I added myself into the repeat offenders list (admin level of access) and the site still wouldn't show anything. However i then installed IE8 and i was able to see the site but a test with students account came up negative so i changed my membership status so i had the same level as the kids and i couldn't access it either. I'm 99% sure it is to do with the content rather then anything else as other sites in this access rule that rely a lot on flash don't work properly e.g. nike.com and adidas.com. They show the content but links don't work etc. I'm so confused and i feel like i'm chaising my tale. Can anyone point me in a general direction to get me started or if anyone else has had this issue or similar and managed to sort it out then tell me how. Willing to give as much info as it takes to get this bug off my back so ask away. Much love, peace. Snuggle Tech

Afternoon guys. We too use ISA to control all internet traffic for our students (not for staff that bypass it) and we are starting to use fronter. It is in the testing stage at the moment and the 1st group of kids we tried have hit a snag. I'm not sure if it's the same type of problem but i'm hoping you might be able to help all the same. The kids can access the site well enough and can see the general shell of the site if you like; the problems occur when they enter the rooms. Content like .jpeg files and a youtube video will not load on the front page. We just get that lovely white box with red cross that we all enjoy. Also when they try and download a word document from the student resources they get the same ISA page they would when accessing a blocked website. We have tried everything in ISA including: creating new access rules pointing directly to fronter URLs and IP address ranges. we've opened ports that we got from their help desk i also added a new content type list full of different variations of phtml format that fronter use (something i took from another forum). We also tried using group policy to make the kids bypass ISA when using fronter but not even that worked. We know for sure that it is ISA because as soon as you force the kids round it with Ranger Administrator it works. I was thinking that it may be something to do with this 2nd connection that it tries to open. Any help on this would be great but any step by step guides or screen shots would be even better. Please for my own sanity or i think ISA may go for a swim in the thames after taking a kicking.