catch21

I've configured a separate vlan on the network for chromecast, and linked it over to the n/w with the internet access with a small router that also acts as a DHCP server.

I have one, I'll let you know how I get on with it, looking good so far.

I don't know if I'm barking up the wrong tree here but we're having a bit of difficulty getting our digital signage off the ground (as there is next-to-no budget) so I'm wondering about a £30 chromecast dongle. Any good in this application? We have rock-solid wifi and screens with power (and cat 5e) with HDMI sockets all mounted on the wall ready to go. Any thoughts?

That's the "media" for you, doing their "best" to peddle the sort of carp the punters want to read. Refusing to give a fingerprint is entirely reasonable but in my view it is a real shame a 13 year old girl has to live with such paranoia in her head, as revealed in her interview.

Maybe its me, but I haven't a clue what you are trying to achieve. You're bridging LAN segments in the classical, old-fashioned way, right? Or have I misunderstood something fundamental? Personally I've fixed all my access points' IP addresses, don't want them all over the place from a pool. Tell us more!

Thanks for the replies and discussion. Very helpful!

What is it about a box that makes it a server? I'm not talking about the software here, just the nuts and bolts, ground-to-earth hardware side? The reason for asking is that I salvaged an old Digital Signage Server from the recycling pile, couldn't get windows to fly (password protected) so I loaded a new Linux Mint14 on it (as a desktop machine) and now use it as a web server for my intranet. It runs very, very quietly and you get the impression it will run 24/7 for ever - unlike my windows desktop machine sat alongside. Thing is, the school has got wind of something new and would like to try a windows webserver on another (new) machine and I'm wondering how to spec it. A server isn't just a desktop with server s/w which is left turned on 24/7 is it?

It was an Android-Intranet interworking issue. As I did not have any other wifi device easily to hand I tested the intranet server IP address using a smart phone. It was simply an Android problem.

...all sorted.

I've built an apache webserver on a Linux Mint box I had lying around, and installed wordpress. It is on the same VLAN as just about everything else, not that there is much more, only a W2008r2 server, two Ruckus ZDs, all the APs, an outgoing gateway router and a couple of printers. Trouble is, a hard-wired PC can access the webserver through its (fixed) IP address, but not wifi clients. I'm guessing the ZD is protecting the VLAN it is on from wireless clients, but in this case I would like to let the connection through. I've scoured the ZD for an option to allow access to this webserver IP address but without luck. Does anyone know whether my guess is right, and if so how do I get this to work short of putting the webserver onto another VLAN and setting a static route.

On a more helpful rather than incredulous note then, maybe you could bring forward some of the items on your two year IT plan, to give you a bit a breathing space and more time to think.

New to education! Good luck with spending your windfall.

Sorry but - what a stupid way to run a school budget. Is the whole management/governance structure completely devoid of strategy or direction?

Ruckus here in Dorset too. 12 months no issues.

Are you talking USB over ethernet or USB over CAT5e cable?

I trialled a Zyxel AP before buying Ruckus. It's sat in my drawer somewhere, you can have it if its any use to you.

For the first time since I installed the new wireless we had two laptop trolleys worth of connections through one AP. I'm awaiting further reports of user experience but it appears some slowing down of the system was observed. At the time I checked CPU occupancy of the AP (51%) and link utilisation of anything else relevant in the network and observed nothing untoward. My first thoughts are the noisy RF environment 56 laptop users in the same proximity would cause. Anyone else got any experience of this sort of usage please? The kit is Ruckus and sound as a bell, but the observed "slowing down" is telling me something. I have since upped the TX power from 1/4 to 1/2 to bring the adjacent channel signal levels up from -80dBm to a more useable -70dBm and reduced the maximum number of users per access point down from 100 to 35 in the hope of diverting the second set of laptops onto an adjacent area's access point. Again, any thoughts on this strategy please?

Take a look at the original contract, assuming you have one. Most contracts are defective in some sense once scrutinised closely. "Terms" are stuff that's important enough to mention explicitly. "Conditions" are also terms but so important that contravening one would allow the contract to be terminated. Poor performance would not usually be dealt with by terminating a contract. Persistent poor performance with no improvement following intervention would probably give reason for early termination. Don't forget, if you can't agree with the other party, then the court system can decide for you and the court might decide either way BUT the court does not like its time wasted. You must make sure you have exhausted every avenue. Also it is very important to remember it is not what happened, but what you can prove happened. Even if it is verbal, document it, present it back to the other party in writing - "this is what you said". If they don't come back with a denial (in writing) they are to some extent accepting that is what they said - thus verbal communications now become something you can evidence in writing. Last Tuesday (xx/12/13) I asked about iPads and you suggested on the phone that I connect them using an RJ-45. ipads have no RJ-45 connection. Could you explain what it was you meant please? That sort of thing. You can always try "I don't believe you have demonstrated enough competence to fulfill the contract obligations and for that reason I will be terminating the contract at the end of the month". There is an issue, depending on a) how much of the individual's (or company's) income this contract represents, b) how easy it would be for the person to replace the contract and c) how long the contract has been running for. I terminated a contract unilaterally with a CCTV provider. We received all sorts of threats of legal action, diggers arriving to pull the cameras off the wall, etc. In the end guess what happened, they went away quietly. It's not quite the end of the story because 5 years later I received an email "We notice you have had our services before, if you are thinking of upgrading and would like to use our services again please get in touch." Yeah, right. Note: By "end the contract" you mean "stop paying" if you are the client and "stop providing the service" if you are the provider, along with the necessary communications to notify the other party this is what you are doing. Also, the court is the last resort. You don't go straight into "issue court proceedings", you go through the proper steps first.

Its quite an easy one, especially at the moment, you wont be making a mistake with Ruckus.

I had issues trying to take the default VLAN away from 1. I ended up leaving the default VLAN as 1 across the entire system, and had that VLAN host the curriculum network. From there I could bolt on new VLANs successfully. Now my guest VLAN links to the gateway router via its own router that also acts as the DHCP server for the guest network (Dual NAT). Runs OK.

Makes sense to me. Back in the day if you wanted processing power for email, browse the net, email, do you accounts, play a game etc you bought a desktop. Then, the affluent probably bought a laptop (as well) but now there is so much choice I can imagine "serious gamers" are about the only real market left for desktops?

I'm running 6 on site, 2 x 10MP, 2 x 10 and 2 x 28. They have been faultless, cheap, easy to configure and I've never found anything I wanted/needed to do that they couldn't do. What this thread needs is people coming in saying "they dont do this...." or "they don't support that..." or "I've used them for 12 months and 50% have failed..." but all we hear is "I wouldn't touch these with a barge pole". Why not? After a string of IT "consultants" who have come into our establishment peddling what is in their interest to peddle, not in ours to buy, I'm deeply suspicious of recommendations and opinions without facts to back them up.

What problems have you found with them?

What does the underlying switched network look like? Are you sure no one has connected anything else onto the network without your knowledge?

My Ruckus is solid, but the one thing I haven't got my head around fully is the guest access. I appreciate the overall stability though. Just to add, if you have any advice for me Stuart, I'd appreciate a chat with you sometime.