Speed up network clinic appointment

Sandals

Is there any way around the long long wait, are they going to have one in Halls, and if so when?

Nietzschean

well you could try for a clinic on campus, but they are probally pretty busy about now too...but i'm guessing more common....

punka

campus queue is pretty long too, i applied a fortnight ago and still haven't been told i can go to a clinic.......

Nietzschean

have they started?

Ron DMC

Serenity wrote:

have they started?

I saw one on on friday, but i haven't been invited to mine yet.

Crash

bit of advice - seeing as they're on a first come first serve basis, go at least 30 minutes before its on to be guaranteed a place.

PrecariousNuts

They just sent me out an email with all the stuff I needed in it, DNS servers etc... pretty handy

RicardoSmith

I wonder why they couldn't have told people about this process before the students start. It would lighten and spread the demand. When everyone arrives and wants Net access obviously theres going to be a big rush, especially for oversea's students who want to stay in touch with family and friends.

Nietzschean

RicardoSmith wrote:

I wonder why they couldn't have told people about this process before the students start. It would lighten and spread the demand. When everyone arrives and wants Net access obviously theres going to be a big rush, especially for oversea's students who want to stay in touch with family and friends.

What use would it do to tell people? the clinics are only on during term time...

RicardoSmith

Serenity wrote:

What use would it do to tell people? the clinics are only on during term time...

Before you get to that point you need to contact them for the CD to run on your PC. That process took over 2 weeks. Then you collect the CD and run it on your computer. That took another few days.

Heres a crazy idea. Its 2005. Just download it, or run it online. Then you only have to organise one appointment instead of two, and no CD's. Students could start attending clinics from day one. Instead of 4 weeks into term. Just a thought.

punka

RicardoSmith wrote:

Heres a crazy idea. Its 2005. Just download it, or run it online. Then you only have to organise one appointment instead of two, and no CD's. Students could start attending clinics from day one. Instead of 4 weeks into term. Just a thought.

So how do you download it if your computer isn't connected to the network? You're assuming that everyone has a usb stick or something similar to transfer large files between a college-owned computer and their own pc.

RicardoSmith

I think if someone wants network/net access, its likely that most of the people making such a request already use the web in some shape or form, and will probably have web access, probably BB. The software on the CD is nothing earth shattering that couldn't be made available as a download, accessible via your college ID and other registration details etc. There will always be a small % with no net access that need a CD. Nothing you can do about those.

punka

Right, I suppose students could download the files from home before they left for college, if they have broadband (which I don't). And I do agree with you that the whole network connection thing is quite inefficient, and it would be nice if they could have a simpler "plug and play" policy like they have in US universities - at least for students in residences.

RicardoSmith

Well I don't have a problem with them having a policy. Just the inefficient way its implemented. That said they are likely understaffed. Its the same where I work. We still use poor processes in some areas because there simply isn't anyone available to sort it out. Such is life.

Nietzschean

Well the entire system is acknologed to require too much effort on their behalf, letting people download the files off the web is stupid, considering most of them are based on the college's site licences from different companies, hence cannot be published on the web(anything ms is anyway).


The simple solution would be to have 2 networks in the room where the clinics are occuring, a sandboxed network with only access to a http server or network share with the files , and then the other network......
But alas, that would require planning/effort... but twould be faster...


And is the files to be installed not just SP2? once on the AD domain they should be able to push through any other software installations.....

punka

It's sp2 and you have to run a stinger as well.

RicardoSmith

What software are you talking about? All thats on the CD is some AV stuff. You can't make the stuff available online, but you can distribute it on a CD? Sorry but that doesn't make sense. You get your PC updated with all the latest SP, and then run a Virus scan that is available online anyway. Thats what you wait 2 weeks for.

Personally I reckon its a way of delaying people turning up at the clinics because they can't handle the numbers at start of term. In the real world if you were doing a big roll out of PC's or an enterprise wide upgrade you could build an image or installer with a specific security policies on it and push that out to PC's. Its far faster than configuring it all manually. Tricky to get right, but if you did, you could use it every year. Needs a fast network though.

Anyway this is going off topic. Basically it takes 3-4 weeks to get a PC up on the college network in the current process. Bit of pain since classes have started and you'll be doing your first few projects without your own net/college access. Not to mention for students staying in touch with family overseas.

Nietzschean

RicardoSmith wrote:

What software are you talking about? All thats on the CD is some AV stuff. You can't make the stuff available online, but you can distribute it on a CD? Sorry but that doesn't make sense. You get your PC updated with all the latest SP, and then run a Virus scan that is available online anyway. Thats what you wait 2 weeks for.

AV stuff is probally under a site licence, as such cannot be published on the web.....

Personally I reckon its a way of delaying people turning up at the clinics because they can't handle the numbers at start of term.

More likely ts designed for people to do SP2 upgrades by themselves as SP2 upgrades take alot of time which they don't wanna waste in a clinic

In the real world if you were doing a big roll out of PC's or an enterprise wide upgrade you could build an image or installer with a specific security policies on it and push that out to PC's. Its far faster than configuring it all manually. Tricky to get right, but if you did, you could use it every year. Needs a fast network though.

TCD has gige backbone , and 100mbit switched network off that, so it is fast enough. And they do push policies, though have probally decided that they want people to be fully upgraded before being on the network. (There was some issues before to do with worm's infecting new pc's as they were being deployed on the network because obviously they would be lacking the latest patches..... probally a knee jerk reaction to this. It is a safe method regardless...)

Anyway this is going off topic. Basically it takes 3-4 weeks to get a PC up on the college network in the current process.

Not for everyone, look up the thread, people have gotten on much quicker than that.

Bit of pain since classes have started and you'll be doing your first few projects without your own net/college access.

Er, what course has projects which require students to have laptops???

Not to mention for students staying in touch with family overseas.

Considering skype/msn technically arn't supported on the network your down to email which can be accessed via one of the man comp labs or email comps in corrdors around the college...

RicardoSmith

"probably" means your making up reasons...;)

Theres nothing on the CD about SP. Only the AV which IS available on the web. The criteria is that you've run the AV scan, they check for the log file. Bascially it sets you ready for the managed AV solution. However one of the biggest problem according to the ISS annual report is Spyware. They reckon 80% of college PC's are infected by it. However theres nothing about running anti spyware apps. Ummm.

No its true you don't need a PC to write your report. A chisel and stone slate is perfectly fine in 2005. Research, yes its easier NOT to use the web. While obviously you donn't NEED a PC, you could just write letters home or use a payphone. It is 2005 and using a computer it pretty much the defacto way of doing these things. :cool:

I'm not trying to butt heads Serenity, I'm only calling it as I see it. Anyway, I'm calling a truce. I've got the info I need for now. Maybe be sticky for the usual IT questions might be useful. Stop people like me annoying you with the same questions over and over.

Nietzschean

RicardoSmith wrote:

"probably" means your making up reasons...;)

no it means i missed the admins meeting on thursday and haven't gotten the minutes yet.

Theres nothing on the CD about SP. Only the AV which IS available on the web.

What AV is it? last i recall they have licences for specific AV products, that get their updates from a network share.

The criteria is that you've run the AV scan, they check for the log file. Bascially it sets you ready for the managed AV solution.

Does sound sensibile...no?

However one of the biggest problem according to the ISS annual report is Spyware. They reckon 80% of college PC's are infected by it. However theres nothing about running anti spyware apps. Ummm.

Probally because there isn't a selected spyware app that ISS would endorse...(putting it on the cd would imply endorsement)

No its true you don't need a PC to write your report. A chisel and stone slate is perfectly fine in 2005. Research, yes its easier NOT to use the web. While obviously you donn't NEED a PC, you could just write letters home or use a payphone. It is 2005 and using a computer it pretty much the defacto way of doing these things. :cool:

I never said there wasn't probjects that requried access to a pc. If you read my post you will see laptop. TCD provides plenty of labs full of computers for students to use, even 24 hour ones. Laptops are a luxury for writing reports, not a requirement.

I'm not trying to butt heads Serenity, I'm only calling it as I see it. Anyway, I'm calling a truce. I've got the info I need for now. Maybe be sticky for the usual IT questions might be useful. Stop people like me annoying you with the same questions over and over.

Ah yeah, i've no gripes with ye... And yeah... Emm must look at writing that sticky....

John

When I did the network clinic last year I never got a CD, anything that I needed was downloadable. I only did one session.

RicardoSmith

You can overuse "Quotes" you know...;)

John2 wrote:

When I did the network clinic last year I never got a CD, anything that I needed was downloadable. I only did one session.

They must have "improved" the processes...