Using the NetSupport Connectivity Server to find Student PCs

The NetSupport Connectivity Server or 'Name & Connectivity/Gateway', is an optional installation component. It provides a simple and reliable way to locate and connect to Student PCs on LAN and wireless networks. This is useful when students take laptops from class to class, making it difficult for traditional connectivity options to find them.

Once configured, Student PCs connect to the NetSupport Connectivity Server at start-up and register their availability and current IP address with the server. When the Tutor browses to locate Students, it searches the NetSupport Connectivity Server instead of performing a UDP browse across the network. The Tutor uses the IP address registered with the NetSupport Connectivity Server.

You can configure a Secondary Connectivity Server to provide backup connectivity if the Primary Connectivity Server becomes unavailable.

The NetSupport Connectivity Server supports all start-up modes.

The advantages of using the NetSupport Connectivity Server over traditional browse options include:

Eliminates the need to browse the network to locate Student PCs.
Reduces the time taken to locate Students.
Reduces the need to configure and maintain broadcast range entries in the Tutor configuration.
Provides a more reliable connection method in wireless LAN environments. The Tutor uses the current IP address when establishing connections, avoiding problems that occur when student laptops change access points and receive new IP addresses.
Supports connections to your SIS environment using OneRoster or Google Classroom.

The basic requirements for using the NetSupport Connectivity Server are:

It needs to be installed on a PC that is accessible to all Tutor and Student PCs.
It needs to have a static IP address.
Configure the Tutor and Student PCs to use the NetSupport Connectivity Server.
The NetSupport Connectivity Server, Tutor PC and Student PC must have a matching NetSupport Connectivity Server Security key configured.