OHS planned network outage is complete

We are done replacing the network switches in the LMC and the east side of the building. Everything is plugged back in and configured to work. We did spot checks on several desktop computers and the wireless network to make sure they were able to log in and access the Internet, and all were successful. However, we didn't check every computer, so if you discover that your computer doesn't have a network connection (e.g., you cannot log in, or cannot access the Internet) please let us know by calling the helpdesk at x4025.

Public wireless issues fixed

As of 10:45 today, you should see a marked improvement in the functionality of the public wireless and the captive portal. Working with a networking engineer, we found some major configuration issues and fixed them. I was able to do the following:

• Connect to the public wireless network on a laptop (Chromebook) and an iPad.
• Log in to the captive portal with a teacher account and a student account.
• Download, install, and use Evernote and Prezi apps on an iPad.
• Access youtube and facebook as a teacher, but not as a student.

These were the most commonly reported glitches, so I take these results as a good sign. If you are still encountering issues with incorrect network functionality and/or content filtering for yourself or students, please submit a helpdesk ticket. Please include the text of the block page. It was the data from the block page reported by staff that allowed us to identify and fix these issues, so thank you for reporting them!

created ALLOWED APPS - Staff All category and rule

I created a new application group in Palo Alto called Staff ALLOWED and associated it with the ALLOWED APPS - Staff All security policy. It contains some of the applications that we always want staff to have, and/or that people have had problems with, like Gmail.

Committed at 4:00 PM.

Guest wireless access

We have changed the procedure for guests and visitors to log in to the public wireless network to make it easier. We got rid of the user agreement legalese on the captive portal and simply added the instructions for how to log in. Staff and students continue to use their OSD username and password. Guests are told to enter a username and password which is displayed on the captive portal itself.

The guest/visitor account is more limited than staff accounts and is for web access only.

Connecting to wireless Internet

Staff and student procedure for accessing the Internet with a personally-owned computer (or iPad, iPod Touch, phone, Kindle, Android tablet, etc.)

1. Turn on your device.
2. Connect to the wireless network called "public".
3. Open a web browser (Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, or Chrome). Note: There is an issue with the Chrome browser which causes the initial page load to fail. Click "Reload" and the login page should appear correctly.
4. On the user agreement page, enter your OSD username and password. The network security and content filtering system (aka PaloAlto) will then apply the appropriate content filtering rules for your user account instead of assuming you are an elementary student or guest.
5. Enter the web address you want to visit.

Note: We're still working out some glitches. See https://sites.google.com/a/oregonsd.net/technology/documentation/wireless-network-access for more complete information and a FAQ.

Changes to wireless Internet access

Changes have been made to the wireless access network in the Oregon Schools. The public wireless network now requires a login when a browser is first opened. This is to allow students and staff who bring their own personal devices to school to access the Internet with the appropriate content filtering settings. For example, a staff member will have more access than a student. Without this login procedure, there would be no way to apply different content filtering rules to staff, or to students of different grade levels. (By default, the most restrictive content filter settings are applied until a user logs in to receive additional access.)

What to expect
Logging in on a district-owned computer will not change. Log in as you normally would.

Logging in on a personally-owned computer (or iPad, iPod Touch, phone, Kindle, etc.) will require you to open a web browser and enter your OSD username and password. The network security and content filtering system (aka PaloAlto) will then apply the appropriate content filtering rules for your user account.

Note: There is an issue with the Chrome browser which causes the initial page load to fail. Click "Reload" and the login page should appear correctly.

If the web browsing session is idle for 30 minutes, you will be prompted to log in again before proceeding. After 8 hours, you will be prompted to log in, even if you have not been idle. But frankly, if you've been online for 8 hours straight, you really should take a break.

When using an application that accesses the Internet, you may need to launch a web browser and login first. Until you log in, your Internet access will be blocked. The app won't necessarily tell you that it can't access the Internet. It may just sit there and try. So, if you launch and app and it doesn't seem to do anything, try launching a web browser first, logging in, and they try the app again.

More info will be posted on the IT Operations site at http://itops.oregonsd.net

Google Docs is now Google Drive

The Google Drive online interface looks similar to the Google Documents List you're used to, with a few key differences:

• Collections are now called Folders.
  
• When you first switch to Google Drive, a new folder called My Drive contains:
  
  • Documents that you own or have previously uploaded
  • Folders you own and the items contained within (regardless of ownership)
• Other items that would have previously appeared in the Home view can easily be found elsewhere. You can choose different views and filters to see recently opened documents, starred items, documents that have been shared with you, items owned by a particular person, files of a particular type, and more.
  
• You'll have powerful new options to search, sort, or preview your files before opening them.
  

See the Google Drive user help to learn more about Google Drive versus your Documents List, and how to navigate your Google Drive online interface.

Need more help? Contact our friendly ITLTs.

Pictures in IC seating charts now working correctly

The issue regarding student pictures not appearing in Infinite Campus seating charts has been resolved. If your seating chart still does not show pictures even when you have selected "show students' pictures" in the seating chart preferences, please submit a helpdesk ticket.