dgsmith

It seems some of our students have noticed that when their screen is locked, they can put the computer to sleep then wake it back up again and have restored access. I guess this is something to do with the tutor console losing the connection to the machine, but should it not auto reconnect and remember the last setting? We're using RM tutor 5 which is based on Netsupport v10.50, but is this an issue which has been resolved in later versions or is it behaviour that would happen no matter what version we use?

When I run the quser on the command line of the server (even when querying a remote server) it returns the data as expected. My current setup is running this command on a batch file and outputting the result to a text file, so I know it does work, I just can't seem to be get this specific quser command to return anything from a php exec! If I knew of another way I could somehow get the active remote sessions on a server then i'd look at doing that (i.e. if that data is easily stored somewhere already) but the only way I can see is through quser.

Not sure what you mean? I have copied this to a test php file then running that in a browser to determine the output, though in practice it would be run via the php.exe on a schedule (if I ever get this working).

The code (first php one) works, but not for outputting quser! I can do "quser /?" and it'll output the help docs in an appropriate format, but nothing for quser, even when it clearly outputs users when done directly on the command prompt. Am I missing something really obvious, or can syntax have variation if executed under a different circumstance?

I have a setup whereby a batch file runs on a task to extract and store the output of a Windows command (quser), which PHP then picks up via reading a text file (where the batch file outputs the return to), but this approach is rather awkward as there are additional processes in place (such as the batch file scripts) that surely could be bypassed in favour of a more native PHP approach. Whilst I can do exec, system, passthru etc in PHP to get the output of various commands (such as ping, ipconfig etc), when I try to execute the quser /server: command, it either doesn't give me an output or returns "array", which I then can't seem to get anything from when cycling through it in a loop. Is there any reason this doesn't just output in the same way as more conventional commands do? Is it just our server which doesn't output as expected for quser or do others not see the same output when done in PHP? As the script's objective is to get a list of users logged in to our remote desktop (citrix) server, it would perform better if I could do it all within php, whereas right now I am having to run php files to sync into a mysql database, after running a batch file to get the info in the first place!

We recently acquired some HP MFPs with scan to network functionality. Curiously, of the 3 printers, the only one which works fine with this function is the one not connected to our printers vlan - the other two, whilst passing the credentials "test" on the web config say they can't connect to the server when you try and use it on the printer. If I connect a workstation to the printers vlan and try to connect to our main server, it does indeed do so after authenticating. I can't really figure out why the vlanned printers can't see or establish a connection to the server in order to save the scans to, nor think of what I could be missing or other diagnostics to try. Any advice?

These are now available if anyone wants them; there are approx 35 with just a handful without power supplies and/or working screens. All internal cables and HDD caddies in place.

We'll soon (within the next 7 days) have approx 25 RM One v1 cases available (without internal components). They have power supplies, some have CD/DVD drives and most have HDD caddys. A handful have faulty screens, 1 or 2 may have dead PSUs and a number of them have some of the screen buttons pushed through, but on the whole they're in average condition. If anyone still has a fair chunk of these earlier RM Ones in use that want spares (power supplies, screens etc) then we can arrange to let you take them off our hands for free (they'll otherwise be collected by a recycling company). Based in West Lancashire.

Given we deploy via CC4 tools then the preference is to stick with that method (i.e. MSIs) But this is for deployment right, rather than creation of packages on an existing deployment platform?

Still old school methods using ondemand and occasionally orca for extra stuff. Being an RM CC4 network we tend to use the provided tools that came with it, however we can only do a clean MSI install using a 32bit image (their ondemand doesn't support 64bit) and the ondemand software itself is now rather dated and extremely limited. Are there any decent, free alternatives that offer a similar level functionality, or even as a compromise an easier way to make an MSI 64bit capable (whether instead of or as well as being 32bit? The prices on that advanced installer software we may struggle to justify, even just for the entry level one (and we wouldn't qualify for a free license)!

Since the inception and our rapid conversion over to 64bit, we've found some self-created MSIs are problematic when assigned to x64 machines. Having read a bit about how the folder variables have changed from this site, it seems that it's necessary to manually change the variable name where files are being copied to the Program files and system32 files, so as to not be dumped in Program Files (86) and SysWOW64 respectively. Does anyone have experience with this and know of a better/more efficient way, other than having to manually edit an MSI to change these vars when you don't want it to treat the package as 32bit? For instance, I have an MSI that includes a collection of Paint.NET effects files that when assigned to a 64bit machine (which has a 64bit Paint.NET installed), it dumps them in Program Files (86) when the Paint.NET install is in the native Program Files. It'd be good if an MSI could be created dual-purpose in that it can be made in such a way as to install to the respective native folders on a 32bit or 64bit install when it's known that is what is required. Any advice that'd be useful?

Seems the Konica units have support for the multi-freq card reader only.. anything else is a risk and may/may not work now or in future. Anyone else have any suggestions regarding whether we adopt low-freq or high-freq? I can't seem to find anything definitive on why to go with one over the other.

None of our machines came with included readers so we are looking at options available. Whilst the very cheap readers work on a sort of manual mode (press the ID card/number button first), they aren't necessarily detected as "readers" and the drivers are generic keyboard emulating so getting the pricier ones with actual drivers seems the better option. We have seen rfid cards on ebay for a pittance.. something like 10 for £1.60 which seem to be effective and with both frequencies.. presumably there is no issue using these cards and these are the type you may have meant?

We currently issue all staff with plain plastic PVC cards given there is no current requirement for anything beyond that. We'd like to look into trying to implement, albeit gradually, rfid/contactless for the likes of photocopiers, printers and perhaps further down the line, door entry and signin. It seems the most cost effective (i.e. cheaper) way of doing this is going down the standard HID proximity route. Can I ask if the frequency adopted needs careful consideration or even if for an eductional setup, we should be favouring one over the other? It seems the most common are 125Khz and 13~Mhz (low freq and high freq) and we are looking at the LF as we don't need long range and it seems the interference is reduced (unless there is a strong case for HF)? Additionally, for those that have rfid on door entry - how do you go about overcoming any potential security risks with staff losing ID cards or any other "what ifs" that may be thrown by SLT? We currently have a pin-code main door entry and that's it. Lastly, for those with rfid on photocopiers/printers; do you generally go with OEM/brand name readers or 3rd party alternatives that are generally compatible, such as rfideas or HID omnikey (two brands that are popping up when I research this)? We have Konica Bizhub copiers and HP printers, both business ranges and both with the means of supporting rfid/card readers but we are loathed to get the "approved" readers which cost and arm and a leg!

Have sent you a PM as they sound like they'd be an upgrade on some of our older ones from many moons ago we still have in service!

When you say hardware what exactly do you mean? H/W could be desktops, laptops, switches, peripherals etc. Outdated means quite a lot of different things to different people too (i.e. we got some "new" computers a few months ago that were 5 years old)!

Out of interest, was this a genuine OEM lamp or one of the compatible ones?

Since my last message here I enquired to Gamma about their offering seeing as they are now on the 3cx approved list. Is it true that their SIP trunks offer "unlimited and inclusive" calls to local, national and mobile numbers, within a fair use limit of 5000 landline/2000 mobile? I am weighing up the financial impact of paying a little more for the trunks but getting a fair use limit that seems reasonable (and it seems to be stackable on how many trunks you get).

We went with Spitfire 18 months ago, who charge £4 per trunk though their call costs were unbeatable against many 3cx providers at the time. At the time Gamma were not compatible/approved with 3cx, but I believe they now are and it may be that we look at their offering to see if they can better Spitfire's price. We signed up to an initial 3 month contract to ensure that things worked as expected, it was reliable etc.

CCS Media as a company are being very unfortunately tarnished by the apparent underhand tactics from some of their sales staff it would seem. Our account manager at CCS is top notch and indeed they are in our top 3 suppliers we use at the school, and have done for 5yrs now. I understand that there seems to be a particular team that are giving them an unfavourable name by these cold/unwanted calls, which is a shame as we have had very positive experience with the company. Either that or another company is using their name in vain, although admittedly that is rather unlikely and would open a huge can of worms!

Ah yes, how utterly silly! So everyone gets a copy of the exe encoder in their appdata which we now need to do a security bypass for, rather than the encoder being part of the program files contents! Thanks for pointing me in the right area though.

We are doing a trial rollout of this software on an ICT suite which when testing under admin level accounts works fine. Under students accounts, the software also works fine, up to the point of wanting to export/encode the video, at which point the software says it can't run the encoding executable. I am not sure exactly which exe the software needs access to and which one we may need to make some security changes to for students, but their own help website is totally useless on this particular issue (basically just rewording the error message without any proposed resolutions)! I see some have got this software on their network and wondered if anyone has also encounted this issue and how they worked around it?

There was only a thread about this just in the last month or so.. http://www.edugeek.net/forums/netbooks-pda-phones/162918-new-phone-system-recommendations-2.html

You have redundancy in the box on the major components, though any failure of huge significance may well have taken down separate servers on a more traditional approach. You obviously can't have the physical servers (or blades in the vrtx case) physically separate from each other which some may prefer. We have 2 blades (out of max 4) which are more than sufficient, especially when you spec them highly. Each blade has 64GB ram though we are now running quite a few virtual servers (more than we planned) and it's managing fine. Storage is 12TB on the attached SAN using 2.5" drives, so again got plenty of spare capacity.

SIP provider is spitfire networks (fully approved with 3cx, most competitive per-call cost); I do check now and then the competition to ensure best value is still achieved, but spitfire have always come out favourably on the SIP trunks + calls (except BT, who were cheaper, but wanted to be our ISP too which isn't feasible). Regarding the system.. I had already installed 3cx on a test server with some 2nd hand yealink phones and used this for about 2 months before the production/actual rollout. This meant the system was already familiar with (to a degree) and config could be set up way in advance, tested and then implemented once any niggles were known about. Obviously other things crop up when the main rollout takes place, but all manageable and the fact you can get 3cx totally free (albeit 2 concurrent calls) means you can get completely familiar before you even need to consider it as a system. Whilst this project was the most cost effective, even if we had been given a larger budget it still may well have been the system of choice.. it wasn't just because it came in at the price it did.. it also happens to be a very good system.