Your internet connection isn’t something you normally think about frequently or even consider, until it gets slower. Or crashes completely. Then it’s utter panic stations, arms waving in the air as you run in circles. Suddenly you realise just how much you rely on internet connectivity without even noticing it. N4L is trying to help you live in connected oblivion through proactive monitoring.
Our helpdesk team often receives positive feedback from those people who have the need to call them. However, having to take the time to make a call to identify a problem with your network means you are not able to do the work you are meant (or want) to be doing. Additionally, working through the problems over the phone is often difficult and frustrating when you just want your internet running faultlessly. Proactive monitoring will reduce the likelihood that you’ll have to call the helpdesk as they will be more capable of identifying potential issues with the network before they happen. This leaves you free to do what you should be doing.
Monitoring? That is often perceived as a dirty word in this digital age. The assumption may be that N4L are wanting to monitor what you look at and when, but this isn’t the case. Instead, we’re focussing solely on the performance of your connection. We do this by using a small device called a Raspberry Pi that gets plugged into your Managed Router (the box located in your server room installed at time of getting connected).
These are innocent devices which connect to the Managed Router in a similar way to the devices on your school network. The Raspberry Pi will carry out speed tests to check download bandwidth availability, internet speed and page loads times. These tests purely inform the support team at N4L of the health of your connection and alert them if there appears to be anything stopping you from getting the quality of connection you would expect.
Taking this approach allows us to experience what you experience as though we were right there with you, at your school. By analysing the ‘real time’ state of your connection as well as trends, we are able to maximise the quality of performance of your school’s internet service and the effectiveness of the filtering.
Over 300 schools are currently connected to the Managed Network and the aim is to have 700 schools connected by the end of 2014. Raspberry Pi devices are becoming a standard inclusion in your Managed Network connection. For new schools it is installed during your transition to the Managed Network. For those schools who are already connected, Raspberry Pis will be retroactively fitted. It is as simple as plugging it in. If this applies to your school, we’ll be in touch soon to let you know how and when this will happen if it affects your school.
As always our helpdesk team are happy to discuss any questions you may have. Feel free to call them on 0800 LEARNING for any further clarity, if needed.
3 important points about the Raspberry Pi
- They will help N4L ensure the best connection (and therefore the best service) possible
- N4L are not monitoring individuals or collecting personal data, simply monitoring how the connection flows into your network
- You don’t have do anything, or pay anything, to receive this proactive monitoring