This year District 228 has upgraded some core network infrastructure to utilize its fiber WAN connection now running at 1000mbps up/down.  This is a significant step forward in network bandwidth and really allows our district fleet of over 1100 Chromebooks, 500 iPads, and 300 Laptops/Desktops  to make full use of cloud based / internet based resources.
To make full use of 1000+ mbps speeds some network pieces needed to be upgraded. Our old network Firewall was a cisco ASDM 5520 which maxes out at 450mbp.  This device has been replaced with the Cisco ASDM 5545X which is capable of handling 2000mpbs up and down.
Part of this upgrade involved moving reconfiguring the device for the newer ASA software 9.2.2.  Upgrading from 7.x ASA software requires quite a few configuration changes however I found a cool tool that handles most of it for you https://fwm.cisco.com/auth.do.
This tool successfully converted my 8.2 ASA configuration to the newer format 9.2.2 almost perfectly.  I only had to make two minor changes and clear our a couple redundant lines.
To fully utilize 1000mbps speeds I changed our content filter to a new machine with upgraded specs.  We use the Untangle software running on a Dell PowerEdge R730 Server.  I have been happy with Untangle as a content filter along with providing a few additional security functions.  Our new Dell PowerEdge R730 has 64 Gigs of RAM and runs a Intel based SSD RAID 10 array which passes traffic with all modules loaded above 2000mbps.
With Wireless 802.11AC provided district wide and all device allowed access policy District 228 handles over 2500-3200 internet connected devices during a normal school day.
As of 8:20 AM today we have 2,685 internet devices currently active on our network.
I have had trouble finding the IP Ranges that Google uses in the past.  Here is my current most up to date list of IP Ranges used by Google exclusively.
64.233.160.0/19
Range:
64.233.160.0 to
64.233.191.255
216.239.32.0/19
Range:
216.239.32.0 to
216.239.63.255
66.249.80.0/20
Range:
66.249.64.0 to
66.249.95.255
72.14.192.0/18
Range:
72.14.192.0 to
72.14.255.255
209.85.128.0/17
Range:
209.85.128.0 to
209.85.255.255
66.102.0.0/20
Range:
66.102.0.0 to
66.102.15.255
74.125.0.0/16
Range:
74.125.0.0 to
74.125.255.255
64.18.0.0/20
Range:
64.18.0.0 to
64.18.15.255
207.126.144.0/20
Range:
207.126.144.0 to
207.126.159.255
173.194.0.0/16
Range:
173.194.0.0 to
173.194.255.255
The early Samsung Series 5 Grey colored Chromebooks have a slight design defect in which the trackpad can become stuck in a position and hard to click.  Now many users simply ignore this condition and use the tab to click but your can fix the button action by using just a few tools.
First the reason the machine gets stuck is that the gap between the case and the trackpad is just a little to close.  After enough grime or dirt gets wedged in the crease the machine simply has no room for the button to move up and down.  To quickly repair this trackpad without disassemblying the device can be done using iSesame tool, some cleaner (I used electrical cleaner) and sticky note.
Tools Used (iSesame, sticky note, electrical cleaner)
Okay with the iSesame tool you can gently pry the button upwards just enough to fill the opening with electrical cleaner.
iSesame tool (worth 6$ on Amazon)
Pry trackpad upwards just a bit.
Now after you spray cleaner in the gap use a sticky note or two and use the sticky side of the note in the gab.¬¨‚Ć With it still pried up a bit you can move the sticky cafefully around the trackpad gap.¬¨‚Ć Focus on the bottom edge as this is where it primarily gets “stuck”.¬¨‚Ć You will see the sticky note pickup some grime along the way.¬¨‚Ć Thats it, chromebook is now back to clicking and working normally.
In Google’s web version of Gmail there are all sorts of tweaks and tricks. Out of the many many features and customizations I find that these three are my favorite.
1. Basic HTML mode. Yes that is right sometimes you may find yourself on a public hotsport or a slow connection and you just want to check you email. You can still access Gmail through a basic HTML mode which supports slow connections and old outdated browsers. It is simple and works fast.
If you are logged into Gmail just visit here https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html&zy=h
This will allow you the option to use the basic mode.
2.  Calendar Widget.  Yes under Google Mail settings you will find a tab called Labs.  If you click on this tab you can enable a few different widgets.  I like to enable the Calendar Widget as it provides a mini calendar on the same screen as your inbox.  Of all the widgets I find that this one is simple yet effective.  If I have any upcoming events I see them right on same screen and same window as my Inbox.
Turn on Gmail Calendar Widget.
Login to Gmail.  Click on Settings.  Click on Labs.  Look for the Plugin Calendar Widget and check the box to enable.
3. Store Files in Gmail.  Yes so everyone is probably aware of Google Drive and how it integrates with Google services.  Sometimes however you may want to store a file off the record so to say.  That is not shared or synced or pushed among all devices that have Google Drive.  Here a trick is to upload an attachment to the draft folder and leave it here.  Surprisingly this simple technique works and you can store just about anything for however long you like using this method.  When you no longer want the file, simply delete the draft and it disappears.
From Google Support:  https://support.google.com/vault/answer/6093005?hl=en
“If a draft is deleted without being sent, it is expunged 30 days later regardless of retention policies or holds.”
4. Show Indicators.  Want to know if the email was sent to just you or a large group?  Under setting you can enable personal indicators to check.  Here is what the setting looks like.
With the setting enabled,  if you see a > it means sent to my address not mailing list.  If you see a >> it means a message specific to only you.
In a follow up to my last post I thought I would include the third most common problem and fix for this model of chromebook.  To review the first most common issue is a cracked screen and the second most common is bad battery.  You can see how to fix both in my previous post  here.
#3.¬¨‚Ć Third most common issue is the dreaded Chromeboot won’t boot and gets stuck on a ChromeOS is damaged screen.
Here you would think that by looking at the screen you need to use the ChromeOS Image Recovery to fix but in fact with this model I have found that is not the best fix.  If you attempt the recovery via the USB Drive you will likely end up with this screen.
The fix that I have found to work the majority of the time is to simply open up the chromebook and disconnect the battery cable and wait 15 seconds.  With the cable disconnected hold the power button down for 5 seconds.  Now reconnect the battery and plug the machine back into the power supply and boot as normal.  This method causes the Samsung Chromebook 303c to initiate a self-reocovery which I have found to be more reliable then the USB recovery.
Recovered Chromebook.
One of the most popular early models of Chromebooks is the Samsung Series 303c.  At Geneseo High School and Geneseo Middle School we have quite a few of these models and the newer Samsung Chromebook 2 which is its more durable successor.  We have over 600 of the Series 303c currently deployed and I have found that if you have one not working it is usually only one of two things.
#1 the Screen.  (Easy to Repair 10-20 minutes) If you see a damaged screen or it just fails to show anything this can be replaced in about 10-20 minutes for about 35-45$.    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C4YBRR0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Here is listed on Amazon at 42$,  if you look around can sometimes find right around 35$.  This fix is quite easy as the screen is only held on by 4 screws and they can be accessed by just snapping off the plastic belzel.
#2 the Battery.  (Easy to Repair 15-30 minutes) I have run across a few Chromebook Series 303c that shut off immediately if they are not on the charger.  This means the battery is shot or disconnected.  The Series 303c batteries are typically in the same price range as the screen 35-50$.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JRRKGRE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  Currently listed on Amazon for around 45$.
Here is what a bad battery looks like on this model.  Notice the bulge of the expanded battery that has failed.
Replaced battery notice nice and smooth.
The next most common issue I run into is a corrupted memory controller that requires the USB recovery disk.  I have found that if the recovery is not successful it means the unit needs a new motherboard.  This I find online running from 110-130$.  In my experience if the unit is out of warranty it is not worth doing this repair.  http://www.chromebookparts.com/Samsung-XE303c12a01us-Motherboard-p/ba92-11645a.htm
Geneseo Disrict 228 will be moving form the dist228.org email account domain to geneseoschools.org accounts that are hosted by Google.  This will not be a sudden right now kind of move but instead the dist228.org accounts and service will fade away in the background.  Why you may ask is it a good idea to make the switch?  The answer to this question involves a multitude of factors but ultimately comes down to cost, features and scalability.  For many Districts this question is really a no brainer as they were likely using older outdated email software that was full of limits.  Many schools set email attachment size limits, or only allow so much storage per client on the mail server.  District 228 is and has been using Kerio Connect Mail client software http://www.kerio.com/products/kerio-connect/server for almost 10 years.
First off there is nothing wrong with Kerio products it is excellent.  It is full featured and has done an excellent job keeping up with features as technology evolves.  In fact this product was so good that the move to Google has been delayed since it was so full featured, has a good web interface, is fast, allows huge attachments sizes, etc.
So what has changed?  Google has changed the game in public education and now offers public education K-12 schools the following:
Unlimited Account creation     (Kerio per user license)
Unlimited Email Storage        (Kerio restricted only by size of computer)
Free Google Vault Archiving    (Kerio has a basic archiving feature but this adds additional cost to host more storage)
Google Docs      (Kerio does not offer)
Google Drive    (Kerio does not offer)
Google Forms  (Kerio does not offer)
Spam Filtering (Kerio has but is only so /so requires additional software)
Email Speed   (Actually Kerio wins this one)
So looking at my list here lets look at the unlimited per user licensing.¬¨‚Ć To keep Kerio up to date and use 500 mail accounts is around 5,000$, per year.¬¨‚Ć District 228 utilizes over 2100 email accounts currently including the student body.¬¨‚Ć With the amount of email hitting our staff, we utilize a special spam filter that does a great job,¬¨‚Ć unfortunately it costs 2,400$ per year.¬¨‚Ć Google’s spam protection is free.¬¨‚Ć Now outside of price is where this equation really starts to go in Google’s favor.¬¨‚Ć With many companies pushing the term “cloud” I really feel only a couple companies are truly delivering at this point.¬¨‚Ć I like apple hardware and I like Mac OS X but to be honest from an IT perspective iCloud has been problematic.¬¨‚Ć ICloud duplicates calendars messes up contacts,¬¨‚Ć does not accept all files types, in a nutshell iCloud gets a grade of C-.¬¨‚Ƭ¨‚Ć Okay now lets look at Microsoft, One Drive, and Office 365,¬¨‚Ć here you have a true cloud competitor to Google and in some ways is really superior to Google.¬¨‚Ć The issue here is Microsoft has not quite got the formula down for pricing in the education market.¬¨‚Ć Also Microsoft has a high level of granularity of control which is useful at the business level but to be honest actually adds a unneeded and extra expense of complexity at the educational level.¬¨‚Ć I give Microsoft’s Cloud s a grade of B+.¬¨‚Ć Okay so Google’s cloud system features unlimited storage in Google Drive which translates to unlimited storage of email, etc.¬¨‚Ć I am not an economic expert and am unsure how Google does it but for what they offer no one is close at the price.¬¨‚Ć Google Docs is not the most feature rich, but it works,¬¨‚Ć it is intuitive and effective.¬¨‚Ć The same applies for Google Forms and Gmail.¬¨‚Ć In my opinion as it stands now Google’s cloud service at least in the education sector is a solid A.
Back to the idea of moving our staff’s email to the new Google controlled domain you see that it is not really just about email.¬¨‚Ć Sharing documents, online backup,¬¨‚Ć unlimited storage, etc.¬¨‚Ć the whole ecosystem is what Google is bringing to the table.¬¨‚Ć And as of now I believe they remained unchallenged.
We have deployed over 600 chromebooks at Geneseo High School and Geneseo Middle School, I have never witnessed such an easy transition from out of the box, into the classroom and being effectively used.  At one point last spring I setup 3 carts (90 units) in one day and they were all in use the following school day.  In IT terms that is slick, simple and effective.
Over last 2 years District 228 has really ramped up use of Chromebooks and Google’s ecosystem.¬¨‚Ƭ¨‚Ć To be as concise as possible Google has worked well.¬¨‚Ć Thought I would share a cool report card graphic that Google sent me showing how much activity we are starting to use with Google services.
I would anticipate only to see these numbers grow.
1,264 Chromebooks.
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