Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which company is providing broadband services for Lewisham schools?
A: Internet connections are provided by Synetrix on behalf of the London Grid
for Learning. E-mail and web site services are provided by Lewisham Council.
Q: Who are Synetrix?
A: Synetrix is the name for the company that has merged with Equinox.
Q: The school internet connection isn't working.
A: Call the Synetrix Customer Service Centre on 0870 3004010
Q: What is the IP range for my school?
A: Schools use IP ranges specified by Synetrix. You can check all Synetrix
settings by logging on to www.talk2synetrix.com
You will need the login and password supplied by Synetrix. If you do not
have a login and password please contact Joe Ashton.
Once logged in click on 'Service Fulfillment'. Search for your school
and
you will find an information sheet detaling all settings specific
to your school.
Q: Who will do the filtering?
A: All filtering is done using software called Netsweeper. Each school has
control of the filtering for their site. Go to http://urladmin.equinoxsolutions.com
Log in using the details sent by Synetrix. If you have mislaid your log
in details contact the Synetrix Customer Service Centre on 0870 3004010
Q: If the new switch installed goes wrong, who will be responsible
for putting this right?
A: This will be the responsibility of Synetrix who should be able to able to
repair most faults remotely.
Q: How will schools know whom to contact if problems arise?
A: Faulty internet vonnections should be reported to Synetrix Customer Service
Centre on 0870 300 4010. Other technical problems related to Broadband should
be reported to Joe Ashton. More general
problems, particularly relating to e-mail and web sites, should be referred
to Tom Cooper (020 8314 6489)
Q: What about quality assurance?
A:The London Grid for Learning has SLAs with Synetrix which apply stringent
rules for availability of service. If your schools feels that the service
they
are receiving is not effective please contact Tom Cooper, in the first uinstance.
Q: What happens if support is needed over the weekend?
A: The Synetrix Customer Service Centre is open from 8.00am-6.00pm every
weekday. It is possible to e-mail them (servicedesk@synetrix.co.uk)
outside of core service hours but problems will not be dealt with until
the next working day.
Q: If schools want to connect buildings and extend cabling who is responsible
for this?
A: Schools will be responsible for organising and paying for this.
Q: How many computers can be connected to work concurrently?
A: This depends on the bandwidth purchased by the school. A 5Mbps connection
should support up to 100 concurrent connections will work. Numbers above this
will slow down the connection slightly.
Q: Filtering - will schools be able to access certain sites by password
if they are blocked through the filter?
A: Schools are able to administer their own filtering. The school administrator
can enable different filtering for admin and curriculum networks and can also
allow/disallow sites temporarily.
Q: What about e-mail?
A: Schools can keep their own e-mail server if they have set this up already,
but may also want to move over to Digital Brain e-mail system for pupils, as
this will facilitate communicating with other London pupils and teachers. Lewisham
Education has its own e-mail system for school staff.
Q: Can schools have more than one data line installed?
A: Schools should consider upgrading their current broadband line. This will,
in most instances, be cheaper than paying for the installation of a new line.
Q: Can a school set up its own web server with a fixed IP address?
A: Schools wishing to run their own web servers will need to obtain a public
IP address from Synetrix.
Q: Is it possible to let an outside company remotely manage the school's
network?
A: Yes, as long as Synetrix have been given the correct information in
order to allow the company access. A WAN form from the talk2synetrix site
will
need to be completed. This form needs to be signed by the LA - please e-mail
forms to Joe Ashton.
Q: Is it possible to obtain a public IP address for video conferencing?
A: Yes, if required. A public IP address can be obtained from Synetrix as detailed
in the question above. Schools may wish to investigate LVCNet which is a dedicated
video conferencing service run by Synetrix - details can be found on the talk2synetrix
site.
Q: Can schools use their own DHCP server?
A: Yes but schools MUST use the LGfL IP addressing schema.
Q: Will all Internet access go through the Synetrix firewall?
A: Yes.
Q: Where is the school domain name hosted?
A: Most lewisham.sch.uk domain names have been transferred to Synetrix who will
host them on behalf of Lewisham.
Q: What happens if staff forget their e-mail password?
A: Schools have an individual admin password for all their e-mail accounts so
that they can go in and allocate a new password.
Q: Is it possible for admin and curriculum networks to be merged?
A: Schools opted at installation for one or two networks. It is possible to
change this. Schools that wish to run more than two networks can request this
from Synetrix. Additional ports are a chargeable option.
Q: Can web access be filtered for different age groups within the school?
A: Yes, the Netsweeper software can be configured for different ranges of IP
addresses.
Q: Can you ftp through the Lewisham firewall?
A: The Pix firewall at Lewisham will allow ftp but you will need to ensure that
the computer being used is configured properly. A crib sheet for this is obtainable
in the ftp section of this web site.
Q: Does the school have to get permission from parents/carers before
pupils can have access to the LGfL portal?
A: Lewisham's advice is that the school should get written permission from parents/carers
before a pupil's details are uploaded.
Q: If a school wants to administer its own DHCP server is this possible?
A: Yes.
Q: If a school runs its own DHCP server and the line goes down, how
will this affect the school's network?
A: Windows 2000, NT and XP should hold the address for 12 days.
Q: Should a school upload its csv file to LGfL before gaining permission
from parents/carers?
A: It would be a good idea to gain permission first.
Q: Is there a limit to the size of an attachment sent via LGfL e-mail?
A: 3Mb.
If you have any further questions please contact:
- 020 8314 9047
- 020 8314 6489
Last update: 29th May 2008
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