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Reddit’s r_k12sysadmin Credits: @r_channels @reddit2telegram
Network overhead speakers
Hello all,
Our original 20-25 year bogen speakers are starting to fail in the classrooms. I am interested in having network speakers installed to replace them and was curious if anyone has experience with them. I’ve requested a demo of the Axis brand so far but haven’t spent a ton of time on it yet researching what else is out there.
https://redd.it/1au2t6x
@r_k12sysadmin
I wish to build a TeleCenter system 21 unit so that I can hook it up to a fire alarm system I have
https://redd.it/1athhpt
@r_k12sysadmin
Content Filter for Windows District
We have been using Cisco Umbrella for a few years and I'd like to know what's out there for a web-based content filter that might have additional features. We have no Chromebooks - just Windows and then iPads for K-4. I've seen demos from Senso, Lightspeed, Aristotle K12.
I was very impressed with Senso and have heard it is very good for Windows environments. Lightspeed also had a great demo, but some in this subreddit have expressed dissatisfaction. It's hard, though, to get a good sense because so many other schools are Google and Chromebooks.
Would love a tool that could also help us to evaluate software usage so that we can have a better sense of what is actually being used and what is just a money sink. We have a separate firewall appliance.
Share the good, bad, and ugly - and TIA.
https://redd.it/1ate898
@r_k12sysadmin
Chromebook kiosk issues?
I am currently on hold trying to get in contact with Google but...
is anyone having trouble with Kiosk mode? I am trying to set up devices to launch an Avant website (https://app.avantassessment.com/) for an exam. As far as I know I have it set up correctly in the admin console, but the Apps button isn't showing up on the devices. I feel like I'm losing my mind here as I've done this before and never had any issue.
BTW, I am setting up the Kiosk via Devices > Chrome > Apps & Extensions > Kiosk. Then "add by URL". The installation policy shows as "installed", and the device I'm working with is in that OU. But I do not have the ability to launch that site from the Chromebook. There isn't even an Apps button.
https://redd.it/1arq27j
@r_k12sysadmin
Google Workspace - App Access Control - Allowing API access
Is anyone else having issues approving 3rd-party apps in Google Workspace today? For example, an app like Seesaw requires API access approval. Once approved, it should let the students in.
However, I'm trying to approve apps today, and while the process seems to go as expected, the next time a student tries to login, it's requesting access again.
https://redd.it/1armes8
@r_k12sysadmin
Mosyle Detection & Removal Scanning Schedule
Hi there,
For our Mosyle Admins, what is your scanning schedule for students and staff? Have you noticed if the scanning is intrusive to usage?
https://redd.it/1arhiwr
@r_k12sysadmin
Google Slides - Could not load YouTube Player
I have a teacher that created a slideshow and embedded several YouTube videos and some videos that she had in her drive. Most times a student tries to play a video it fails and give the error "Could not load YouTube Player." Has anyone run into this issue? How did you resolve it?
https://redd.it/1arf11d
@r_k12sysadmin
Duo Security: Connection Error After Install?
Testing the waters here, maybe cross posting this to find an answer. We use Duo Security to MFA our macOS logins and recently I have had an issue with new installations on macOS Ventura and Sonoma. The issue occurs after I do the initial install, and log out to test that Duo is fuctioning. Upon logging in, I get an error that says the following:
> Connection Error - Could not connect to Duo due to a network connectivity. Please contact your administrator.
After this error pops up, you are sent back to the login screen and getting to ANY desktop is impossible. I've use this same installer for over two years now without issues. The user in question is added to my duo admin console, and I have tested that their Duo push / account is correct on the back end. Additionally I have ensured that the system has a unrestricted internet connection. Lastly, I have tried hotspots and other network connections with the error still persisting. Duo support is reporting that others have had similar issues, and they are looking into it. I am wondering if anyone else here has had similar issues with Duo not connecting after a fresh install? My existing users who have Duo on their machines are not having any problems, and I am trying to understand why this is suddenly happening. Is anyone else having Duo problems?
> The current conditions that I am working with are systems that are fresh macOS installs. These systems are being provisioned for deployment, and have both wired and wireless connections established. I have tried uninstalling, reinstalling, enabling fail over, enabling offline mode, ect. Everything I try has failed to resolve the problem. All accounts are local, no network accounts.
https://redd.it/1aqoddi
@r_k12sysadmin
Chrome OS v121 Black Screen on Lenovo Devices
Is anyone having an issue with Chromebooks displaying a black screen after updating to Chrome OS v121?
I haven't seen any posts on here or my other forums about it. There is a post about it HERE, but it doesn't seem to be a big issue for folks.
It is impacting us big time and the only solution is to physically roll back the device to Chrome OS v120.
We have frozen updates to v120 and have set it to roll back the devices to 120. If it is working, users see a pop-up telling them they need to restart. But if you have the black screen, there is no button and I cannot roll it back inside of the admin console.
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https://redd.it/1aqw93y
@r_k12sysadmin
K12 Tech Dept Chromebook Question!
Hello!
We are a 30k student-enrolled school district and are 1-1 for technology. For student devices, we are using Dell 3100/3110 Chromebooks. I have a team of 19 technicians who manage site technology tickets + help repair chromes, on top of 3 dedicated personnel who repair laptops and Chromebooks all day at the shop, and we STILL can't keep up with damaged devices. We are averaging sending out 120 chromes/day to replace broken chromes coming into our shop. We also have rows of Costco storage shelves full of 2000+ damaged chromes.
Right now I am buying parts from AG World wide. Prices seem fair and the customer service is good, but I am literally buying them out of stock and need another source of parts.
What school districts are using for 1-1 student devices? How are your teams keeping up on damages? Where do you buy parts from?
https://redd.it/1aqqtui
@r_k12sysadmin
Google Chromecast (Moderator) issues, am I the only one??
Hey everyone,
Our small school uses about 25 of the newest Chromecasts with remote(Gen 4 i believe). We have been experiencing issues with the "CAST MODERATOR" function since they have been in use the biggest one being that when using student devices to cast the connection will freeze/drop initially up to 3 times but then will stabilize and work fine for the duration. As far as how they are configured we have the chromecast's setup on the student network with a firewall rule allowing Staff to access them through the student network, the student network is plenty fast.
Things I have checked/tested:
I have tested it on a range of devices including our "like new" 8gb ram CTL chromebooks with the same result. Is this a result of the student accounts running more processes/ backround apps and bogging down the connection or something else? I am not a network expert so I am puzzled.
Updated soft/firmware on chromebooks and chromecast (if available)
Teacher devices dont seem to have the same issue.
I'm stumped and our tech integrator is really struggling in the classroom with this issue
any advice or information is greatly appreciated.
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https://redd.it/1aqqu38
@r_k12sysadmin
I want to rebuild my old high school’s fire alarm system
https://redd.it/1aq8680
@r_k12sysadmin
Prevent Out of Country logins, With Chromebooks
Before you say it, Context Aware is something that apparently we don't have access to in education so that solution is off my table.
Does anyone out there know of a free or built in way to limit log ins by country on a Chromebook ? I have been googling, and found myself in a Loop of Context aware is the only way, and you should have access, but you don't if your not "enterprise" level , you need either Education Standard or Education Plus.
Maybe I am missing it, today is definitely the day I would so any advise is welcomed as always !!
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*edit for what levels do support Context aware.
https://redd.it/1aq2k47
@r_k12sysadmin
Deploy Centegix agent to MacOS via Intune
We have about 30 Mac computers that I need to deploy the Centegix agent to. I use Intune (because we have about 1000 windows machines) to manage my Mac computers also. Has anyone had success at deploying the Centegix pkg file via intune?
https://redd.it/1aq0k02
@r_k12sysadmin
How does your district track/monitor Google admin changes?
We’re always on the hunt for services we use that have limited visibility or lack automation of notifications to changes by all the hands in the cookie jar. I can see there is a paid option to store Google logs in a Google cloud hosted platform but my district and their limited funding would love it if I could find a cost effective (free) solution.
I am familiar with GAM and was curious if there was anyone aware of a free service to ingest Google logs and create notifications or alerts when xyz happens.
What does everyone do to monitor their admin changes and user activity - and how often are things reviewed at your district? How big is your team to handle that? ;)
https://redd.it/1aptzwn
@r_k12sysadmin
TIL Force Install extensions don't apply to Chromebooks using Managed Guest Sessions
Quote: "Private apps and extensions that are limited to users in a domain can't be installed because managed guest sessions don't require users to sign in." https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/3017014?hl=en
We stumbled across this nugget before any major incident or damage could be done. We have deployed Chromebook as kiosks using Managed Guest Sessions around the district, mostly connecting to our SIS but also for the library card catalog and a new digital pass system. These are also mostly in public spaces: Library media center, main offices, study hall, etc.
You might be thinking, so what?
The problem (for us, at least) is that our web filter product is extension based and requires the authentication of the user through their Google account. In a Managed Guest Session, the extension isn't installed or loaded, therefore the Chromebook is completely unfiltered. Many years ago, when originally configuring the settings of the web filter extension, it was placed at the root of the organization and set to Force Install. We thought, "Perfect! Now everyone and every device gets this extension via OU inheritance."
You know what they say about assuming...
The way we found to counteract this is to block all URLs while creating a very specific blocked URL exception list for Managed Guest Sessions. Specifically, in the Google Admin console, Devices > Chrome > Settings > Managed guest sessions > URL blocking. There are two settings. Blocked URLs is set to wildcard (*) and Blocked URL exceptions is the specific list of allowed sites.
Please don't interpret this as a rant against any product or service. It's more a facepalm "I should've had a V8" kinda moment. We were dumb and ignorant - don't be like us.
https://redd.it/1atwwim
@r_k12sysadmin
DIY Anti-Phishing / Security Awareness Training
Anyone doing their own DIY anti-phishing email campaigns or any type of security awareness training. We are a fairly small district and admin can't justify the cost of knowbe4. Are there any free tools that can help with this or any good resources for this stuff?
https://redd.it/1ati2wv
@r_k12sysadmin
Best software for patch management?
What are you using for Patch Management for Microsoft and 3rd Party Apps?
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We are looking to move away from our current software because it is too robust and expensive for what we need. Our district supports roughly 1000 Windows PCs.
https://redd.it/1ascj5n
@r_k12sysadmin
Papercut Mobility Print + iPads scenario
Hi all,
I'm wondering if using Papercut Mobility Print with iPads would help alleviate issues we're having...
We have a host of HP Enterprise laserjets at the schools for students to print to. They print via AirPrint pushed out by mdm. It seems to be a weekly occurrence where a group of students will suddenly not be able to print. Of course, the iPads are silent and never show any errors. Sometimes it looks like it's printing but nothing comes out. Other times the printer disappears when the user selects it. The printers don't show attempts in the logs so the jobs never actually get there. Other students print fine. When I try to troubleshoot, there's not a clear cut solution. It usually just starts working again.
My thought was what if I put a papercut mobility print as a layer between the two. I just don't know enough about how iPads interact with that. Do they send the jobs to the mobility print server and the server converts it to a job using it's own print drivers. Or does the MP server just simply relay the job through as an airprint job. I'm thinking if the server converts it, that might help with the issue but if it's just handing things off, probably not.
I used papercut mf in a past life but it was mostly windows and Chromebooks.
Thanks.
​
https://redd.it/1arp6vi
@r_k12sysadmin
Duolingo or similar for staff
Hi all
We have a large EL population in our district and community ed came to me and asked to look into purchasing apps like duolingo for staff to learn the languages of our school communities.
A few questions I would have -Is this a thing schools do?How do you hold staff accountable?How do you pick who gets licenses?How does a school tackle this sensitively?
Tech wouldn't be paying for this, I'm just investigating for CE.
​
https://redd.it/1arl2e5
@r_k12sysadmin
Incident IQ
Does anyone use Incident IQ for Help Desk/Asset Management. We had a demo with them yesterday and it seems very promising, but I am looking for some hands on, long term experiences with them. Thank You!
https://redd.it/1arexbh
@r_k12sysadmin
DHCP issue, kind of strange
Ok, so at one of our sites we had to cut fiber lines and remove them because the building was being removed. They left one building which we put a switch in and have it connected to another switch via wireless bridge. The bridge is in direct line of site. Connectivity is good, although it is limited to 100MB. Anyways, we have multiple vlans for staff, wireless, chromebooks, security cameras and our paging system. Here is where its odd. Our vlans for security and paging don't get IP addresses from DHCP. When I switch the ports over to a different vlan suddenly those devices can pull an IP address. My layer 3 has the vlans setup correctly because devices at other switches can pull IP addresses from these vlans. I feel like it might have to do with the bridge but I am not sure.
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edit: Has anyone experienced something like this? What can I begin to look at?
https://redd.it/1ar071p
@r_k12sysadmin
Rat is on a fiber diet
https://redd.it/1aqvyhy
@r_k12sysadmin
Faxing?
We have fax lines at each of our schools, we use all Konica Minolta MFPs. It feels like faxing is down all the time. What can we do to replace faxing while still being hipaa/coppa/ferpa compliant. Would something like Xmedius work for us?
https://redd.it/1aqqmsr
@r_k12sysadmin
DMARC Policies for Schools: Quarantine or Reject?
With Google and Yahoo announcing their requirements I have been working on creating/improving our DMARC policy. We are currently at a reject 5% policy.
Is a reject policy overkill for a school? What is everyone's end goal for their schools, a quarantine or reject policy?
https://redd.it/1aqpfg7
@r_k12sysadmin
Apple GSX alternative tools
Apple wants $70 for a 10-34 n-cm (.8 ft lb) torque driver for repairing Mac Mini computers. Obviously we can choose to avoid torque drivers at all (we are a self-service shop), but does anyone recommend cheaper alternatives?
https://redd.it/1aqpmwn
@r_k12sysadmin
Sccm SCEP conflicting reports
It appears Sccm is reporting it took "No Action" on a device reporting malware, yet it also says it's cleaned. However, the file is still on the device? Our settings are set to quarantine every severity. Any ideas?
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https://preview.redd.it/3jy1y6xxjeic1.png?width=1888&format=png&auto=webp&s=cc04508297bd370e8b0972cb1c834427141d1723
https://preview.redd.it/iolhgz66keic1.png?width=1908&format=png&auto=webp&s=d5fc084568a083a5217d045ec8fbc98ca1e800e8
https://redd.it/1aq1uq7
@r_k12sysadmin
How to pull stored cookies in ChromeOS?
Got a managed Chromebook here, student managed to sign out of our SSO and sign into another students email, and then proceeded to email all the principals a bunch of stuff to get the kid in trouble.
I'm trying to pull the stored cookies to prove when the email was signed into, but I'm not sure where they're stored. All my searches bring up how to view cookies in Chrome for Windows, not ChromeOS. I found one thread saying they're stored in database files, but I'd like to avoid having to re-enable developer mode if possible. Anybody got any ideas or advice?
https://redd.it/1aq2926
@r_k12sysadmin
Chromebooks Block PWA
We have a student that has discovered some emulators that run from progressive web apps. I can block the URLs the PWA is reaching out to once someone notices he is playing a game or whatever and we get our hands on the device. I am wondering if there is any known way to just block the install of PWA apps all together.
https://redd.it/1apxcee
@r_k12sysadmin
How long are you going to now keep your Chromebooks?
With so many people future proofing a little more with moving towards 8gb memory and quad core, how many years do you plan on keeping your devices now? We are currently moving towards Chromebook’s from iPads for students in 2-12 and was curious if anyone is planning on moving the dial with how long they plan on keeping their devices.
View Poll
https://redd.it/1apskss
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