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Everything posted by MicrodigitUK
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DNS Hosting - Moving away from RM
MicrodigitUK replied to newpersn's topic in Internet Related/Filtering/Firewall
Just to add to this thread, worth knowing that Nominet can act as registrar for "sch.uk" domains completely free of charge. There's no need to pay a third party just to hold the registration. For actual DNS hosting, Cloudflare's free tier does the job perfectly well for most schools' needs. One tip from experience: if you're moving a domain away from RM (or another LA/MAT-managed registrar) and no longer have direct access, it's often quicker to raise the request through any other school in your trust/group that still has an active support contract with that provider. Providers will usually action the change without much pushback once you copy in the headteacher of the specific school to authorise it that authorisation is really the only thing they're checking for. But if that fails Nominet CAN make the changes directly with a letter on headed paper from the head teacher to authorise the changes and cut out RM (or another LA/MAT-managed registrar), its just a bit more manual process and can take longer. But here are the steps I generally take to move away the DNS to Cloudeflare. Steps I generally follow when migrating a domain away from an old registrar/DNS host: STEP 1 – Update Registrar Primary Contact Email Ask the current registrar (or whoever manages the domain via their portal/third-party software) to update the "Contact email" field in the Contact Info section for each domain. It's often still set to a generic or defunct admin/headteacher addressget it changed to your own trust/IT admin mailbox. Once updated, the domain(s) should become visible in your own Nominet Online Services portal, linked via that contact email. Confirm you can see them before moving to Step 2. STEP 2 – Get a Copy of Existing DNS Records Request a full export/backup of the existing DNS records for each domain. This lets you replicate the current configuration on your new DNS provider (e.g. Cloudflare) in advance, minimising disruption when you cut over. STEP 3 – Update the IPS Tag (only after Step 1 is confirmed) Once the domain(s) are visible in your Nominet portal, ask existing registrar for the IPS tag to be updated to: NOMINET Only do this once you've confirmed visibility, doing it too early can leave the domain in limbo. Then via Nominet Online Services portal use the privet message and chat services to get Nominet to except as the new Registrar. Once done this gives you the DNS config options in the Nominet Online Services portal for that domain. STEP 4 – Cut Over DNS and Remove Old Records (only after Steps 1–3) Once the tag change has propagated, point the domain(s) to your new DNS servers (e.g. Cloudflare's nameservers). Once live, ask the old provider to remove the old DNS records from their systems, so there's no conflict or accidental interference with other schools/sites still using their DNS. This has generally been a smooth, no-cost route for us so hope that helps. -
Replacement for Spiceworks Help Desk
MicrodigitUK replied to Caffeine11's topic in How do you do....it?
I have been using GLPI the free open source community addition for 15 years. Never let me down and is scalable to a multi academy trust with multiple sites. Mainly use the helpdesk and inventory parts of the system. Also got it integrated into O365 for SSO and user creation. Can't recommend it enough. It has adapted and grown to all the needs I have ever had with change this past 15 years. https://glpi-project.org/downloads/ -
Use of us FSLogix profiles. Then when they next logon it will continue uploading the large file where it left off.
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If you can get that can you perform a full alt boot reload of the firmware on HDD to the latest version available from Xerox? Found the following video of someone carrying out the procedure on a similar Versalink device:
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The SWFfL negotiate a deal is still available on Phoenix’s website. We still get licenses at this price off of Phoenix. However last time around Sophos tried to put the price up as we had been sold some upgrades MAT to have centralised portal. Had to have a meeting between Sophos account manager and Phoenix account manager where they said we can’t match the SWGfL negotiate price with the MAT portal!!! But strangely enough you could just buy it with the basic non top level features. So we just threatened to cancel our central Sophos and we will just bye the SWGfL deal per school. Magically Sophos backed down on price increases and left the central MAT Features in place and honoured the SWGfL pricing. To be honest I think Sophos account manager are trying to pull a fast one with price increases for MATs but if you push back and use the SWGfL pricing as a baseline they will eventually back time and allow Phoenix to sell it to you at around that price. https://www.phoenixs.co.uk/swgfl-sophos/
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Also quick note if anybody plans to do VSF: You can’t mix and match a 5406zl2 and a 5412zl12. It’s buried deep in the documentation so make sure you have two of the same size chassis when using VSF.
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Who hosts your school sch.uk domain?
MicrodigitUK replied to Lolus's topic in Internet Related/Filtering/Firewall
Nominet has it’s own TAG and can be the registrar for a free sch.uk domain. When Nominet is set to the registrar you get the DNS server options for the domain inside your Nominet account(Registered email for the Nominet web portal, that lists all domains under your email address), and you simply set that DNS to point to Cloudflare. As your sch.uk domain is free to each individual UK school, Nominet will accept you onto there own internal registrar TAG if you ask at the same time as proving ownership with the letter on headed paper from the headteacher. -
I don’t think the Dell USB adapters worked with GeoBooks for PXE boot. This is because they use a different chipset to the one in the UEFI drivers that come for PXE boot for GeoBooks firmware(BIOS). I’m confident this is the case because we have two different USB adapters in the office and one of them is just for GeoBooks and the other is a standard Dell one for all of our other Dell devices.
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First of all if you’re using the OneDrive sync client without FSLogix profiles On shared computers and users don’t always go back to the same shared computer be WARNED there is a potential file loss with files that don’t finish syncing before log off. If you have 1:1 computers using the sync client then obviously isn’t a concert, As user is always on the same PC. In shared computer environments I would always recommend getting FSLogix profiles in place first, Before contemplating implementation of OneDrive sync client. We don’t seem to have had this problem you are seeing with InDesign projects. We Previously had folder redirects for Documents, Pictures and Desktop. Originally Set to users folders in UNC Network share path Via GPO redirect Policy. So the InDesign projects probably just links to Documents/some file, And not the full file path because of the pre-existing redirection policy. To move the files we just use the SharePoint migration tool to get them all up from UNC share to OneDrive fist time. Created a GPP environment variable called "OneDriveSync" with the value of %userprofile%\OneDrive - *Office Tenancy Name* Then created a new GPO to supersede the original user folder redirection policy and instead redirect folders to the appropriate OneDrive location e.g. Documents to %OneDriveSync%\Documents. So as far as InDesign was concerned all the files were still in the same place post migration to OneDrive…
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OneDrive sync client (Per machine install) and FS Logix profiles on Windows 10, so the sync moves around multiple shared workstations with the user (As long as they’re not logged onto more than One workstation at a time).
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1+ for this, We got SalamanderSoft to do this for us a couple of years ago and after a really long discussion with the InVentry it turns out they have a secret import tool that can be run as a schedule task to read from a CSV file. One of the less-known InVentry tools that apparently was developed for there international schools as part of the requirements in tender. They never thought the main UK market might want to automate this process and import the scan codes (ID) of the existing RFID cards! Took me something like three months of open ticket they kept trying to close until it was forced up to one of the main product managers who said “Yes we have a tool for that, It’s just not used by very many schools!”
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If you want to make sure the files continue syncing when students move between shared windows PCs You’re still gonna need some local network file storage for the One Drive sync cache and use FSLogix VHDX Profiles and particularly the office container. If you use FSLogix profile technology when a user next logs onto a PC OneDrive sync just continues where it left off. So this resolves the issues with large media files from the AdobeCS apps. Only downside and we have found is that users cannot log onto multiple computers at once as this locks the office container and a OneDrive sync cache Is not compatible with multiple simultaneous sessions. (Only really an issue for staff users who have multiple shared PCs e.g. a classroom computer and a office computer) We’re looking at working around this with a warning (From a log on the script) about OneDrive sync and potential data loss if they log onto more than one PC simultaneously.
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https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/converting-documents-to-a-newer-format-34ec742e-f0f9-4d95-bbe3-3ee8e30a86fa https://admx.help/?Category=OneDrive&Policy=Microsoft.Policies.OneDriveNGSC::EnableAllOcsiClients
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Only works with modern office files with X postfix on extension and in the most updated version. So .doc uses sync client .docx works directly if in the most recent .docx format. You can upgraded the format in word on file tab. Also check you haven’t set OneDrive sync settings to force sync for office files rather than open on Office365 and work online. There is a GPO setting for that.
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[22h2] Azure Joined Clients - Sharing Printers
MicrodigitUK replied to Manny-Tech's topic in Windows 11
3 options: 1) Hybrid join Win 11 PC with the card printer connected. So it is both on local domain and AzureAD joined. 2) Use a Raspberry Pi running CUPS to publish a None Authenticating SMB(UNC) or IPP print queue. The reason for the Linux box being Windows is almost impossible to create and non-authenticating print queue, without hacking the registry to pieces. Please note this option is not for the faint hearted, and will require a bit of faffing around with CUPS config and basic Linux setup knowledge. 3) Get a new card printer with direct ethernet or Wi-Fi connection capabilities. -
RM Filtering only
MicrodigitUK replied to Shattell894's topic in Internet Related/Filtering/Firewall
I believe if you use the RADIUS authentication with your Wi-Fi system and pass credentials onto RM Safety you can still collect user logs whilst using transparent mode. -
RM Filtering only
MicrodigitUK replied to Shattell894's topic in Internet Related/Filtering/Firewall
You can switch the transparent filtering on per subnet/ip range. And also set the level of transparent interception. Alternatively you can have transparent filtering switched off and just use the proxy. It’s up to you how you configure your network. They just have the different options available these days so you don’t have to use the traditional proxy. I think RM broadband have had transparent filtering option available for the past 10 years. Although it’s only been a user configurable option (Without a change request to support) in RM SafetyNet web interface for probably 5 years. -
It worked for me when I last tried it six months ago. Have you tried downloading a fresh copy and reinstalling it carefully following the instructions on this page: https://www.salamandersoft.co.uk/free-utilities/sims-photo-exporter/
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UWP apps I think you need to either remove the AppX package, or hide it via FSLogix App Masking. Some AppX are required for the OS to function so I wouldn’t remove them all just the bulk. And if you want them to show for specific user groups E.g admin you can’t remove them and FSLogix App Masking rules are your only option to hide them for specific user groups. Read up on FSLogix App Masking. And remove all the AppX packages from OS you really don’t need. E.g. Candy Crush soda.
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+1 for FSLogix the only way to go if you have shared workstations and need to use OneDrive sync client. It’s the magic that roams the sync client cache between PCs with a FSLogix Office365 profile container on VHDX mounted from central file server. Would never go back to local profiles as the risk of users losing work with the OneDrive sync client is too high. E.G. Student saves work at end of lesson to OneDrive, it starts to sync file but they log off before it finished. Week later they log on to a different PC in the same classroom to carry on their work. Oh no the file never synced to online and they’ve lost their work from last week! Only way to get it back is to get the same user to log back onto the same PC previously used the week prior (if they remember) and hope that the local profile hasn’t been wiped! OneDrive client and local profiles are not a good idea in a shared workstation environment without FSLogix to fix this major issue.
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Removing shared Team Libraries from OneDrive sync via GPO
MicrodigitUK replied to DavR's topic in Cloud Services
Looks like you also need to remove entries from the ini file. Stop sync client Remove relevant registry keys Remove entries from ini file Delete folder if needed Start sync client Looks like someone’s produced a PowerShell script that does it for you, Look on this Microsoft post. https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/072e3577-d0ff-4950-9e0b-40b037853881/starting-and-stopping-sharepoint-library-sync-with-onedrive?forum=sharepointdevelopmentprevious -
Removing shared Team Libraries from OneDrive sync via GPO
MicrodigitUK replied to DavR's topic in Cloud Services
First of all will it un-link the document Library sync if you do it manually by going into OneDrive sync settings as user? If not and OneDrive crashes I think you might be suffering from an issue in the recent Windows updates. Basically if you remove a SharePoint document library that is synced OneDrive client will crash and then it will reconnect again. No way to stop it Syncing! KB5020953 cumulative update should address, If indeed it doesn’t work manually and that is the root cause of your issue. -
The last post in this thread posted by myself several years ago it’s for Papercut to read the card IDs. This should point you in the right direction to update the correct table for cards. Nationwide SmartID /showpost.php?p=1503447
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Across our academy trust we use the free variant of Cloudflare for all externally accessible DNS. Also handy for the free SSL functionality for HTTPS. And the additional protection provided by their proxying and content delivery network. For any domain that is not a free “sch.uk” one, we use Cloudflare as our domain registrar as they are the cheapest on the market for annual renewals.
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Windows + P / + K - Possible endpoint policy
MicrodigitUK replied to Rosscobaby's topic in Windows 10
I had this issue when I implemented NCSC recommended Intune policy on devices. So you’re on the right track, it definitely is one of the NCSC settings you have put in place. I don’t work at that place where I implemented this anymore, so I can’t quickly cross compare. But I think the setting was rather obscure and took me a few days to find, something to do with externally connected devices From memory although it has been 4 years! The way the policy is worded you wouldn’t expect it to have the impact it does (that I do remember).
