Networking

Here is a simple guide to saving money for school technology staff. I've basically put down everything that I've learned in managing my district budget, and I hope it can help others (and perhaps win some brownie points with administration) cut costs without cutting technology. My purchasing philosophy has always been no brand loyalty unless the brand is so good nobody can compete. I've nearly always found a cheaper alternative that a salesman can't touch.

Software recommendations are based on my philosophy of lightweight, inexpensive, and trouble-free. Nobody likes bloated software, and someone can always do it better than the big boys such as Symantec.

Computer parts
These sites are for various computer peripherals, components, and software.
NewEgg
MWAVE

Printers/Toner
Great sites for printers and/or toner. I recommend HP or Samsung laser printers, much cheaper than inkjets!
Quill
Shadow-Fax

Computer systems
Computer systems both new, used, and re-certified.
Access Interactive
Dell Home/Business **

** NOTE: I highly recommend staying away from the Dell Government/Education website. I've found several instances where they charged more for the exact same systems from Business or Home!

"Hot" Deals websites
These websites are places that post great deals (usually time-limited) on computer related products. Save A LOT of money!
Ben's Bargains
Anandtech Hot Deals Forum
FatWallet Hot Deals Forum

Coupon codes for online stores
These sites are basically search engines for coupon codes. Useful for vendors such as Dell.
RetailMeNot **

** NOTE: RetailMeNot has recently succumbed to pressure from vendors requiring them to remove their coupon codes. I used to frequent this site for Quill coupons in particular however they are no longer available.

Software solutions/licensing
Lightweight alternative software solutions and licensing.
ESET NOD32 Anti-Virus (This company offers EDU discounts on ESET software!)
Central Command Vexira Anti-Virus
INACOM (Microsoft licenses)
Microsoft Technet Subscription (INACOM offers large EDU discounts on a Technet subscription)
Academic Super Store

Currently I use the Networks & More! SecureSchool appliance for content filtering. It does a great job, but it is getting increasingly difficult to keep up with the kids in getting around the filters with CGI/PHP proxies, clever word schemes, image searches and the like. In combating this, I've been pleasantly surprised by the extra protection offered by a free recursive DNS service called ScrubIT.

Basically all you need to do is change your router's DNS servers to the ScrubIT servers (67.138.54.100, 207.225.209.66) and that's it. I've found that there are no annoying or blatent advertisments on blocked page redirects, everything is clean and professional which is appreciated in a business or school environment. DNS lookup speeds seem to be on par or nearly on par with the OpenDNS servers.

I'm not positive how ScrubIT blocks web content. I'm guessing from their website it has a lot to do with user feedback and the various "sources" where they receive their data (likely some of the many available blacklists). I'm not sure that it blocks content based on keywords, most likely just URL based filtering. While this is far from fool proof, it makes up for it in the fact that the settings cannot be modified by users (unless they have access to your router). Encrypted URLs are not blocked by ScrubIT, so you will have to watch for users accessing CGI/PHP proxies to bypass your filters.

If you are interested in using this product in a school environment, I would suggest using it as an extra layer of filtering, rather than the sole filtering used by your district/building. For businesses, ScrubIT will likely be an excellent way to curtail pornography viewing by employees, especially if they are not web savvy. As an added bonus you will cut down on malware installations as ScrubIT filters those types of websites as well.

For those wondering about custom filtering ScrubIT is currently running a beta program allowing you to have your own blacklists and whitelists. I've applied for the program and am curious to see how easy it is to implement. I've yet to find a website that I need blocked, but ability to have custom filters could be extremely useful.

Currently I'm running ScrubIT in a school district and with a number of small businesses whom I contract with as a technical consultant. I've yet to run into any issues or complaints from my users, and a few nice compliments on the peace of mind offered by the service. It's worth checking into!

Again, the ScrubIT DNS server IP addresses are as follows: