Page 150 - Lakeland Catholic Technology Plan

4.2 School Local Area Networks (LAN)
A great strength of the District are the LANs in each site. Each LAN consists of Level 5, twisted pair cable running from a central closet to every classroom. There are from 2-6 Ethernet ports in each classroom, so a computer can be connected to the network and access all network services from virtually every classroom. In addition, all hubs and switches have been standardized with D-Link equipment. Every school has the same network equipment, the same network design, from the same vendor. This completely eliminates any compatibility issues, and aids in support costs. Addi- tionally, the use of a 10/100 switch in the central wiring closet, helps segment the network, and provides better overall throughput and stability. The following actions will provide additional im- provements in the LANs.
4.2.1 Each Server Closet should be secure, should be locked, and should not be used for anything else, i.e book storage, electrical rooms, etc. By June 2001
4.2.2 Every school should have a complete Wiring Diagram or Map. Each wire should be labeled, measured, and documented. By Jan 2001
4.3 Individual School and Office Site Improvements
The following suggested improvements and actions deal specifically with the District’s six schools, District Offices, and the District Educational Technology Support Centre.
4.3.1
With respect to the Notre Dame High School, suggested improvements include: By June 2001
• Set standard software for the school, based on district standards. All workstations in the school should be running the same operating system and the same software.
• The 486 computers should be setup and connected to the network, as hardware capabilities allow. They can be used as Internet browsing machines, plain word processors, e-mail computers, Library access computers, or even specific uses like Math software, or science software. While old, these machines should not be wasted.
• Wiring in the school should be fixed so that every network drop works, especially in the Labs.
• Lab #1 should be completely overhauled to ensure that every computer is working. In addition, each computer should have some manner of lockdown software installed to prevent unauthorized use.
• Lab #2 needs a new locking cupboard for its hub storage.
With respect to the Notre Dame Elementary School, suggested improvements include: By June 2001
• The Server Closet needs to be moved to a secure location that is not easily accessible, and is locked 24 hours per day.
• Every Macintosh should have an Ethernet card installed and connected to the school network. They could then utilize the Novell server for file storage, and act as Internet web browsers. Additionally, in the future they could also connect to the
Library Automation system. The LocalTalk network should be completely removed, and replaced with Ethernet.
• The two most powerful laser printers in the school are
located in the Lab. These two LaserWriter 16/600 printers will print at up to 16 pages per minute, with good quality, from any platform. They could be redistributed throughout the school, and better access could then be made. They should be connected to the Ethernet network, and made available
to all.
NOTE;
This should be part of the School Three Year Technology Plan. Each LAN Plan and Map should include details such as:
• Relationship to the District WAN;
• District wiring and closet standards;
• E-mail standards;
• Use of routers, bridges, proxy servers and DNS server software;
• Server standards to meet student, teacher and administration storage requirements;
• Printing and printing strategy;
• Use of the LAN planning, including how a variety of educational needs will be accommodated, such as:
• lab(s);
• classrooms;
• school library;
• teacher research and preparation; • student records;
• special education;
• facility maintenance;
• security;
• filtering;
• disaster recovery; and
• administration.
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