How To... Use Remote Access

Remote Access Guide

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Accessing the School Network from Home

It is now possible for all staff and students to be able to access the school network from home (or in fact, from almost anywhere). Users will then be able to upload and download work directly into their folders, or access files on several shared areas, such as Curriculum Exchange. Users will also be able to log into the network as if they are sat at a machine within the school, and use all of the software available to the school, such as Microsoft Office and Corel Draw.

Currently, this guide only covers connecting using Windows XP. Other systems will be added in due course.

Requirements

In order to use our remote access system, you must check that all of the following requirements are met:

• You have a logon account at Neatherd High School.
• Your network password is at least 6 characters long, and does not contain spaces or symbols. If this is not the case, you must ask a member of the ICT Department to change your password for you before you try to use Remote Access.
• Your home computer has an internet connection.
• You have the latest version of Sun Java installed. By default, Windows XP does not come with Sun Java (some versions of XP come with Microsoft's own, but broken, version of Java), and other versions of Windows do not come with the newest version. You can download the Java program from here. Please note that Java is not the same as Javascript.
• You must be using a compatible, Java-capable web browser. For the purposes of this guide, it will be assumed that you are using Internet Explorer 6. Other browsers such as Firefox or Mozilla may work to varying degrees.

Because you are accessing the school network, the school AUP still applies. Please make sure you have read, understood, signed and returned the AUP before accessing the school network from home. Specifically:

• You may not place programs (any executable file) or games in your folder or any network folder such as Pupil Exchange.
• You may not place any unsuitable material (such as pornographic images) in your folder or any shared folder.
• You must not attempt to log in to the network as any user besides yourself.
• Do not allow anyone else to log in as you, or tell anyone else your password.

1. Logging In

Firstly, connect to https://cans.educationicts.co.uk/. This window, or one similar to it, may appear:

Click "Yes" to continue. You will then be presented with the network login page shown below. Enter your network username and password, and enter the server as "clive" (without the quotes) as shown in the second picture.

Assuming you entered everything correctly, you are now logged in and the following page will appear:

Click picture for bigger version

2. Accessing Files and Folders

Once you are logged in using the above method, you can upload and download files to and from your folder and home computer. Some of the shared areas of the network will also be available, such as Pupil Exchange and Curriculum Exchange. Before you upload or download any files, be aware of the following:

• Even though you are connecting from home, your login and all files are tracked and monitored at all times to ensure the AUP is not broken.
• Files that you transfer between home and school using this method have to travel over the internet. If you are on a slow ("dial-up" or "56k") connection, large files can take a very long time to transfer. It is suggested that dial-up users do not attempt to transfer files larger than 2Mb. Although ISDN and broadband connections are faster, files over about 20Mb will still take a very long time. You are advised to use a USB key to bring work of this size home or into school.
• Please ensure you have a virus killer (that is updated at least weekly) installed on your home PC. Although you should not "catch" a virus from the school, the school cannot be held responsible if you do. Please virus scan all files that you both upload and download. If you do not have a virus killer, a free one (AVG) can be downloaded from http://www.grisoft.com.

Below is the screen you will see once you have logged in:

This shows a list of the folders on the network that you have access to. Staff will have a few more folders in the list. "Home" is your folder - that is, drive N: when you are logged on at school, or "00myname$ on 'clive'". It should be obvious what Curriculum Exchange and Pupil Exchange are.

To see your files, click "Home", which will take you to a screen which looks like this:

You will now have a list of files and folders. Everyone will have at least two folders here - "My Documents" and "Profile". "Profile" is a folder used by Windows and you do not need to access it from home. "My Documents" contains all of your documents (assuming you have saved them in the right place!), so click on that now. The next screen will show you all of the files and folders in your My Documents folder.

Downloading Files

To download a file from school to home, simply click on its file name:

A box similar to this next one may appear when you do so:

Generally, you will want to click "Save" here, and you will then be given the option of where you want it to be saved to. Depending on the size of the file, the downloading process could take some time. Once the file is saved, it is then stored on your home computer and can be opened like any other file on your computer.

Please note that downloading a file from the school network in this way simply copies the file to you computer - it does not delete the file from the school network, and nor does it convert the file in any way to make it work with your computer. You will not be able to successfully open a file you have downloaded unless you have the program that the file was created with. For example, a Word document will not open on your computer unless you have Microsoft Word or a compatible program installed. Be aware also that the version of the software used at school may not be the same as that installed on your computer at home.

Uploading Files

To upload a file, you first need to navigate to the folder on the school network where you want the file to be stored. Once there, click the "Upload File..." button. The screen below will appear:

Click "Browse..." to open a file list window:

Locate the file you wish to upload on your computer, and click the "Open" button. You will be returned the last screen with the "Upload File:" box now filled in:

Now click "Upload" once. It may take a few seconds before anything appears to happen - be patient and make sure you don't click "Upload" again. Soon, the following window will appear showing the upload progress:

Once the file has uploaded, the green bar will read "Done" as shown above. You can then click "Close" on that window to return to your school files. You should see your uploaded file in the list:

3. Using the School's Programs From Home

To fully log in to the school network from home, and access the programs installed on the school computers, you need a program called Remote Desktop. This is installed as standard on Windows XP machines. Versions for Mac and older versions of Windows are available from Microsoft's website.

Whilst logged on using the method described in section 1 above, you will see a link on the left of the window called "Client Applications". Click it, and you will get this screen:

Click picture for bigger version

Click the button that reads "Start Session", and after a few seconds the following window should appear in the bottom right of your screen:

After a while (the actual length of time will depend on the speed of your internet connection), it will change to:

Once you have the OK message in that window, you can now open Remote Desktop. Typically, this can be found on the Start Menu, under Programs, Accessories, Communications. Once loaded, you MUST make the following changes. If you do not, your logon will not work correctly, your logon session will be slow, and you may get error messages and/or be disconnected. Click "Options >>" on the Remote Desktop Connection window, and go through each one of the options setting each one to match that below (replacing the username with your own).

Once all the options are set, click "Options <<" to return to the Connect window. Fill "termi" (without the quotes) as the Computer, and click Connect

Alternatively, you can download this file, which contains all of these required settings. Simply download it, and double click on it.

All being well, you will be presented with a login screen similar to that found on the PCs within school. Simply login with your username and password.

Once logged in, you can now access programs and the network as if you are sat at a computer in school. Note that in order to upload and download files, you must use the method described in section 2 above.

When you are finished, remember to save your work and log off. If you don't log off, your work may be lost.

Remember that anything you do whilst logged into the network from home is monitored and recorded in the same way that it is when you are actually at school, and the AUP still applies.

[ Page updated 25 Jan 2006 | ©2008 Neatherd High School | Developed by deKay | Report Error ]