E2BN Direct - Network Services for Schools and Academies

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1 E2BN Direct - Network Services for Schools and Academies E2BN Direct provides internet, web filtering and other services directly to Schools and Academies. We use proven products backed by dedicated support, to ensure that your school receives a quality service. E2BN Direct is a managed service and we will work with you in order to optimise your school s use of the features and facilities provided. We offer two options for schools and academies under the banner of E2BN Direct: E2BN Direct Broadband: A complete broadband package including internet connectivity, Gateway Server, web filtering, firewall, mail-delivery, remote access, NEN access, E2BN Membership and more. E2BN Direct Gateway: All of the above minus the broadband line. Where the school has purchased its own broadband connection from another provider, we install our Gateway Server to give you all of the facilities that are available on the full package. 1 Who we are and what we do E2BN and its associates provide a wide range of services to Local Authorities, Schools and Academies on a non-profit basis. We do not have any shareholders and pay no dividends. E2BN (The East of England Broadband Network) is a regional consortium of Local Authorities based in the East of England. Our Board of Directors is made up of officers who work in senior roles on behalf of Schools and Academies in those LAs. Schools and Academies in the East of England that are connected via their LA to E2BN have always benefited from a number of members only deals and services. Until 2014, E2BN had provided regional connectivity and high speed internet only to the front- door of Local Authorities; E2BN Direct is a response to the changing marketplace and is now offering direct connectivity and E2BN membership direct to Schools, Academies and other educational settings. General Information about E2BN can be found at 1

2 If your school has already procured its own broadband line via another provider you can take advantage of the E2BN Direct Gateway service and other associated benefits such as web filtering, E2BN Membership, access to NEN the Education Network and discounts on E2BN products and services. 2 E2BN Direct Gateway The E2BN Direct Gateway is a managed server that sits between the broadband router and the school internal network. This will be installed into a server cabinet or communications cabinet within the school, usually near to the broadband router. The E2BN Direct gateway has three physical 1Gbs ethernet ports: WAN port - connects to the router LAN port- connects to the school main network DMZ port flexible use but typically used for a Guest network. 2

3 The following services are provided via the gateway server. 2.1 Content Cache The cache stores downloaded content on a temporary basis whenever users are accessing the internet via the built in filter/proxy. When a URL or object is requested by a user s browser the cache checks to see if there is a stored item it can serve to the browser instead of going to the internet to get it. Caching of content makes efficient use of internet bandwidth by only requesting data that it does not already have available. 2.2 Firewall A firewall protects the school network from unwanted inbound connections from the internet. It also blocks some outbound connections such as raw/unfiltered internet access. The firewall configuration is managed by E2BN under your service contract. Change requests are normally actioned within 8 working hours by our support team. A special Admin trust group will allow remote management of the gateway server from specific locations on the internet. (See - Remote monitoring and management) 2.3 Inbound Services, Port Forwarding and NAT The E2BN Direct gateway can be configured to allow inbound access from the internet to the school network. Configuration is managed by E2BN under your service contract. Your ISP router may require some changes before we can confirm whether this is possible; we normally recommend that ISP routers allow all remote traffic through to the E2BN Gateway where we apply the necessary security levels and inbound exceptions. 2.4 SMTP Mail Relay The gateway server provides an SMTP relay service with greylisting, AntiVirus filtering and spam filtering. This service can be used where the school has a mail server on site. Where applicable E2BN Direct will deliver mail for your school s domain via the gateway server relay where it will be filtered and then queued for delivery to your internal mail server. Additionally the gateway server can be used by internal devices that need a smtp relay for outgoing mail, for example servers that send alerts to remote support agencies. 2.5 Web Filtering Ofsted requires that students are provided with filtered internet access in order to protect them from inappropriate content. E2BNProtex Local Web filtering is included in your service. See The filtering service is highly flexible and provides tailored filtering on a location, port and user/group basis. It can be integrated with Active Directory. 3

4 E2BNProtex Web filtering is a managed service and as such requires no additional configuration by the school. Management of the filtering lists by school staff is optional; E2BN will provide a login account to enable your school ICT administrator to make block/unblock changes to the filtering lists and generate log reports if required. The Protex Local service is delivered as a Virtual Machine hosted by the gateway server. It requires its own dedicated IP address in the same subnet as the LAN connection. In order to use the filtering the school s devices proxy settings must be configured manually or via Group Policy, MDM tools, or WPAD/PAC files. It is possible to filter http requests transparently without the need for proxy settings but in this mode https traffic is allowed direct to the internet. We recommend this mode is only used for guest access. By default separate student and staff filtering profiles will be available via the IP address of the filtering service on different tcp ports. Filtering list requests can be made by using the teacher/user comment button if a Block Page appears or via E2BNProtex Local can be easily configured to integrate with a school s Active Directory system. This configuration option opens up several useful features such as per user logging, dynamic profile allocation and time-banding. E2BN Protex employs content-check on both http and https traffic. When used in default configuration it will be necessary for every filtered device to install a special browser certificate. See ; if your school is not already using E2BN Protex web filtering we recommend the certificate is installed onto all devices in advance of the service commencing. It is possible for additional filtering profiles to be configured with https content inspection switched off and therefore the certificate install will not be necessary. This is useful for guest networks and Bring Your Own Device. (BYOD) 2.6 Additional On-Site Services The E2BN Direct gateway is a feature-rich product that enables a school to perform many functions via a single box. Some additional services are listed below and may be of interest to your school. If there are any extra charges required this is indicated. 2.7 OpenVPN - Site to Site VPN The gateway server has OpenVPN installed by default. OpenVPN can be used in two modes. The first mode is site-to-site. Site-to-site Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are useful where two schools need to link all or part of their private networks together via the public internet. 4

5 Where two school sites each have the E2BN Direct standard service or Gateway we can configure a site-to-site VPN that will link the internal network at each site via a tunnel over the public internet. There is no additional charge for this. 2.8 OpenVPN Remote User OpenVPN provides a method for remote access to the school network for a variety of purposes. In simple terms an OpenVPN profile is first created by an administrator. Users that require network access download the OpenVPN client to their device and then download the Profile to their OpenVPN configuration folder. The remote user launches the client and once connected they have full or partial access to the school network as required. 2.9 Backup Server The E2BN Direct gateway server offers a local backup service with up to 2 TeraBytes of storage space. External USB and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices can also be incorporated into the available backup storage space. There may be an additional charge to upgrade the E2BN Direct Gateway to include this option File Server The gateway server can be used to set up and host Windows File share(s) 2.11 Voice Services chargeable option The E2BN Direct gateway contains a fully feature Voice over IP (VoIP) PBX. VoIP offers the possibility of reducing the cost of ownership of an onsite telephone system together with reduced line rental and call charges. Please ask your E2BN Direct Account Manager for more details. 3 Network Services In addition to the on-site services listed above, E2BN Direct provides the following Network Services. 3.1 Domain Services E2BN operates its own public facing Domain Name Servers (DNS). These are physically located at separate sites in order to maintain a resilient service. Managed Domain services are included in your basic contract; E2BN can host and administer zone files for any domain that is delegated to it. A login for your domain can be provided should you require it. E2BN is a Nominet Registrar and as such can act as a tag holder for most.uk domains. Where E2BN is the tag holder for a domain other than.sch.uk then we will normally charge a fee for domain renewals. 5

6 3.2 Backup Mail Relay E2BN Direct Broadband provides a backup Mail Relay service in the cloud. This service is available for your school if it needs an alternate inbound route for . The E2BN backup service should be configured only as an alternative choice (backup MX record). In the event that the first choice route for mail is unavailable e.g. your internet service is down and inbound mail cannot reach your normal mail server, mail will be sent to the E2BN back up relay. The mail will be stored here and queued until it can be delivered properly via the first choice route. 4 Management and Support 4.1 Configuration Backup and Central Management The configuration of the E2BN Direct gateway and the E2BNProtex Local web filtering system are both backed up nightly to central management servers. This provides peace of mind and a swift restoration of service should it be necessary to change any physical components of the system. Additionally, if software patches or updates are required, these can be rolled out automatically from the management servers to your site without the need for local intervention. E2BN Support Staff will have programmed access to the important areas of the software in order to assist with remote configuration and support of all aspects of the on-site services. 4.2 Monitoring and Availability SLA E2BN will remotely monitor the WAN port of the Gateway 24 x 7 x 365 at 5 minute intervals to measure the level of availability, and trigger alerts to key support staff if the E2BN gateway server cannot be reached from the internet. Where E2BN has provided the broadband service the target for service uptime is 99.00% for a rolling 12 month period. Where the school has the Gateway Only package E2BN is not responsible for the performance and availability of the broadband line. 6

7 4.3 Support E2BN will act as the first point of contact for support requests, problems, or queries about any aspect of the service. We operate a help desk ticketing system that will automatically generate a unique ticket for each request made via to support@e2bn.org Telephone support and remote desktop assistance are provided via standard geographic telephone number. Helpdesk Hours 08:00 to 16:30pm Mon to Friday excluding Bank Holidays Typical response and fix times: Helpdesk Telephone answered within 30 seconds during working hours Simple gateway configuration change 8 hour fix Web filtering block/unblock 4 hour fix DNS record change 4 hour fix 4.4 Local Management Certain features and functions are more suitable for a Local Administrator. These include: Backup administration backup of local devices onto the gateway server User administration onboard mail server, OpenVPN, VoIP PBX Web filtering list management E2BN will provide the appropriate Local Administrator logins where these are required by the school. 5 E2BN Membership As an E2BN Direct connected establishment your management team, staff and students will benefit from membership. Here are some of the highlights: a) Reduced rates for delegates attending the two-day E2BN Annual Conference and Exhibition b) Reduced rates for CPD, E-Safety Training and other training courses c) 100% discount on E2BN Myths and Legends Story Creator, Museumbox ( worth 118pa) d) Access to a number of framework contracts for services and software, resulting in competitive pricing and reduced tender overheads e) Free access to Flashmeeting video conference services 7

8 f) Exclusive, free access to NEN The Education Network Resources such as Audio Networks and History of Computing g) E2BN IsItMe? Single Sign on Service (SSO) 6 Ordering and Lead Times To obtain a quote please call the E2BN office or admin@e2bn.org. We will be happy to discuss your requirements and will then send you a quote including options that you are interested in. Once you are happy with the quote and wish to place an order we will require a school Purchase Order and a contract signature. The lead times below are provided as a guide only: Full Package over telephone lines ( FTTC, EoFTTC) days Full Package over dedicated fibre (10Mbs,100Mbs,1Gbs bearer) days E2BN Direct Gateway only days Our standard contract length is 3 years. Any setup charges and the first year s annual charges will become due when the provider s line is handed over to us. This date could be prior to your E2BN Direct service coming into full operation. 7 Contacts and Further Information Telephone Sales Web Site E2BNProtex Web Filter (4 lines) admin@e2bn.org protex.e2bn.org 8