IT Corner

** UPDATE - FEBRUARY 10, 2013 **

4:52pm  All system maintenance is now complete.  No systems were offline during the maintenance window.

** FEBRUARY 10, 2013 **  -URGENT NOTICE-

Due to some abnormal sensor readings in our server room, ALL SYSTEMS will be offline from 2:00pm Sunday, Feb 10, 2013 until 6:00pm Sunday, Feb 10, 2013.

Please check back at the Technology Corner on the Guerin Catholic website for updates.

** FEBRUARY 6, 2013 **

Last evening, I received a text message from a faculty member asking me if ANGEL was OK because it was so incredibly slow for her.  I immediately pulled up our network monitoring software and didn't see anything alarming (nor had I received any alerts about potential issues).

After working with her for about 30 minutes, I had her run a speed test program to see what her internet connection at home was doing.  I did the same thing at the same time, and we compared our results.  Her speeds were significantly lower than my speeds were.  I asked her if her kids happen to be playing XBox or something along those lines.

The answer was "Ah, ha!  Both kids are playing online games on their Kindles!"  After having them turn off their Kindles, her internet speeds jumped back up to normal, and ANGEL worked as she expected.

The majority of the time, when I get reports of slow performance on one of Guerin Catholic's systems, it ends up being something at the home internet connection.

Things to look for when performance is poor at home:

• Streaming video (Netflix, Hulu, StreamPix, etc.)
• Online video games (Call of Duty, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, etc.)
• Distance from wireless router to laptop - Floors, walls, etc.

Performance WHILE playing online games         Performance AFTER shutting down online games

Parents:  Are you considering purchasing some technology items for your students?  Need some suggestions?

• Portable USB Hard Drive for Backups:  Click HERE for suggestions
• Protective Cases (Flak Jacket Series):  Click HERE for suggestions  

Several parents have asked us "How can we actively monitor what our child is doing on their laptop?" 

One of my favorite monitoring systems for laptops is WebWatcher.  And now, WebWatcher is available for Apple computers!

Check out this video about WebWatcher:

If you are interested about learning more about this amazing tool to help you teach and mentor your child about responsible computing, please visit the WebWatcher website:  Click Here

August 20, 2012 - We have attached the document that was handed to students at orientation.

Click here to view an important technology document for returning students

Click here to view and download the 2012-13 Tech Packet

HELP DESK