IanT

Over the past three years we have invested significantly in ICT. We need to ensure that we keep our ICT up to date and working optimally to support our Academies. We are also adding new schools to the Federation. As these schools become Academies we need to make the ICT service available to them in a timely manner and then ensure that we their needs. http://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/uploads/asset_file/ICT%20Project%20Manager%20JD.pdf ICT Project Manager - Careers - Harris Federation Home Page

I use PRTG at home and we also use it at work, very easy to setup, pretty cool monitoring software.

PM me!

ignore my last post! edited!

VNC Personal or Enterprise Edition work on Windows 7

+1 here for ProCurve

If you got the money go for it people!

Last time I looked at the Juniper stuff it cost a utter bomb! Get your self a couple of DL380 G7 Servers and build them up as a Hyper-V Cluster. As I said in my previous post I would make sure the backend (i.e. switching) is up to standard first.

Interesting, we have a few of these, dont think it effects them though. HPSBPV02754 SSRT100803 rev.1 - HP ProCurve 5400 zl Switch, Compact flash card virus - c03249176 - HP Business Support Center

If you can let us know the cost\budget that will be a start block...? Personally I would consentrate on getting the backend (Core\Edge Switching) to a standard, If you have a good budget I would recommend going with ProCurve stuff. Cisco just costs too much and your paying for the name (IMO)!.

I had the chance of going Uni but chose not too purely because I believe bits of paper are not always the way to go and experience is better, every IT job I have been in and gone for very rarely ask for any "bits of paper" - I've even heard a previous employer say to me they don’t touch Uni people...., when I interview people I really don’t care how much\many qualifications they got from Uni, it doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to me. We recently took on a guy for one of the schools we run and he's bloody brilliant, he's no smart a$$ but he's intelligent and willing to learn (didn’t go Uni), the 2 other guys we interviewed went Uni but from interviewing them they just didn’t cut it. "Uni IT Grads" put me off when interviewing them, a lot of them seem to think I've been Uni, I've got a degree, I know what I am doing - wrong! If you want to work within IT (Support or Management side) I would recommend experience is the way to go, that’s what I did and I'm in a very good place and working with some wonderful people! Now some people will come back and disagree\moan\trash\argue and get all emotional with me but I am a prime example of not going Uni and doing very well, I also find most none-uni people do better in there careers than a uni person.

Cisco Catalyst WS-C3524-XL-EN 3524XL (Catalyst 2900 XL & 3500 XL Std. Edition End-of-Life, No. 1147* [Cisco Catalyst 3500 XL Series Switches] - Cisco Systems) Cisco Catalyst WS-C3550-24-EMI (Cisco Catalyst 3550 Series Intelligent Ethernet Switches* [Cisco Catalyst 3550 Series Switches] - Cisco Systems) with 2x GigaStack Modules + Cables (Cisco GigaStack GBIC* [Cisco GBICs] - Cisco Systems) Had these a couple of months, brought both off ebay for some testings and learning on some cisco gear, no need for them now - selling on. Offers Welcome!

(Slighly off topic to the orginal post, sorry!) I'm a little confused why some people can get a bit touchy with VNC........I've used it my last 2 places and works great if you configure it correctly, firstly down the VNC Deployment Tool: RealVNC - VNC® Deployment Tool Create your config with the deployment tool (encryption, password etc etc) and then download VNC software and install only the server part on a workstation remotely RealVNC - Download VNC® software I think its a great little tool and saved my legs walking everywhere!

We use Spiceworks at all our sites and works out really well, its a bit bloated in areas but the helpdesk area is perfect.

I've been with Be Internet for 4 years now, not a single problem with them, excellent service, good speeds. I get a excellent sync on my line 22Mb out of 24Mb (exchange is next road on). Only down side I will say.... if you are interested in any fibre products from Be\O2.........you will be waiting sometime they are still testing these.

Yes, I'm aware of that "east".

Dont quite understand why your surprised!

Couple of sites I ran a few years ago with 3,000 devices+ (desktops, servers, waps, printers etc) ran pefectly fine without a 10Gb Infrastructure, I know and speak to alot of (high up!) network engineers and they all say 10Gb Infrastructure for a school (for example) is just wild! and will take a very very very long time get used to there full potential.

Do you really need 10Gb speeds in schools - in my opinon, no, overkill

Good thread! answered one of my questions I've been longing to find!

Incorrect - solution works

I've been with BE Internet for about 4 years, get a nice 21Mb sync on my line! Only downside BE are taking there time getting any Fibre products to the market!

Used to work for the previous school before it became an academy - Jenny Wilkins is the head at the new school - excellent headteacher when I worked for her! okay pay for IT techie!

Used to work for the previous school before it became an academy - Jenny Wilkins is the head at the new school - excellent headteacher when I worked for her! Good pay for data manager!

I brought a HP ProLiant ML110 G7 end of last year with 16Gb of RAM, Quad Xeon 3Ghz, 2x 2Tb Disks, Quad GIG NIC and built it as my Hyper-V Server - running about 4 VM's off it.