I'm working with a company that sells networking equipment specifically for K-12 schools, and instead of assuming I know your challenges, I want to hear directly from you. What specific networking equipment problems do you encounter regularly in K-12 environments? Some things I'd love to know include:
- Are your current vendors providing adequate support, or do you often find yourself troubleshooting issues alone?
- How does your equipment handle summer upgrades, especially when time is tight?
- What's the biggest gap between vendor promises and actual performance in your setups?
- Are there ongoing compatibility issues with the apps and services you need to use?
- What network management features do you wish you had that aren't currently available?
- Lastly, since we're open to all brands, which vendors do you prefer and which ones do you avoid?
I just want to gather honest feedback about the real pain points you deal with, whether that's vendor frustrations, technical issues, or general misunderstandings in the industry regarding K-12 IT needs. Thanks a lot for your help!
4 Answers
That’s true, but I think it’s still valuable to hear different perspectives! Even if I can’t post in there, it’s good to know what the community thinks. I appreciate your suggestion!
I used to work in K-12, and one of the big problems wasn't really about the tech itself but more about the physical side of things. Running CAT or fiber was always a hassle. In my time, we used Aruba gear for switching and wireless along with Cisco firewalls, which worked quite well for us. We typically didn’t need much vendor support since we had enough in-house expertise to handle things. Our setup was relatively small with three sites and around 1200 students and 250 staff. Honestly, the vendor support wasn't an issue for us since we could manage independently.
You might want to try posting this in a more focused K-12 Sysadmin group. It could get you better insights! Though I know some groups have strict verification processes that might exclude folks who aren’t currently employed in K-12.
Thanks for sharing your experience! When it comes to fiber, how do you like to manage it? I’ve only done splicing, which is a pain, so we usually outsource the installation work. Also, did you prefer Aruba or Cisco? They seem similar in capabilities, but some people have a strong preference for one interface over the other. I’m curious if you leaned one way during your time.
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