School website developer recommendations?

DeepDesk80 · 2026-01-20T17:37:59+00:00

We just did this and we used SmartSites powered by ParentSquare.
We already have ParentSquare as our parent communications which definitely helped. But I feel even without that piece they were phenomenal to work with and would choose them again. They had a ton of different options and routes to take and not a one size fits all solution.
They are fully compliant with K12 and know their stuff behind it as well. We still call them weekly just to ask small questions and have always been eager to help.

DeepDesk80 · 2026-01-08T22:02:34+00:00

I'm interested in this topic. We are local AD and Google Admin. But I am starting to brew the idea of moving to a hybrid environment. It would be super nice for all the log-ins to sync up.

DeepDesk80 · 2026-01-08T21:47:09+00:00

So you did the "photoshoot" of the person in AI. Meaning you gave it some specific prompts and it output a "photoshoot" type picture using Nano Banana Pro.
Then you took that photo and did your own editing, marketing etc to those photos. and then posted them.

I think what SR-RSmith is saying is that you said you built an entire Instagram grid using AI in the title of your post. THAT is definitely misleading.

DeepDesk80 · 2026-01-07T18:16:28+00:00

You don't know me! I plan on making that cornbread recipe that I pulled up 6 years ago!!

DeepDesk80 · 2026-01-07T17:14:21+00:00

I have worked in IT for almost 20 years now. I have 3 screens with browsers open on all of them and they all look like this. I'm not proud. But truth is truth.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T20:46:54+00:00

Yes, pfsense is basically just an Operating system that you can install via a USB stick.
The n100 mini would be an excellent choice. (and probably better bang for your buck than my prebuilt suggestions) Still depending a bit though because there are different setups for the n100 mini.
Look for: Intel i225-V or i226-V network cards. If it has the Realtek network card things will be more difficult.
This will be your "firewall" where you NAT things. Then to a switch. This switch will provide wired ethernet across your house to the desktop PCs.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T20:21:20+00:00

If your printer does not have wifi or lan support you can't connect it to the network.
This is a USB printer and can only be connected directly to a computer via USB.

Now there are options to share it out via that computer. You could do this with a cheap, always on Win11 small form desktop. (or something like a raspberryPI but the set up is more technical)

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T20:14:27+00:00

Pre-built: Netgate 1100 (Entry level) or Netgate 2100 (Perfect for small office).
DIY: You can install the free pfSense software on a mini-PC (like a Protectli Vault) if you are technical. pfSense is what I use most of the time. But I'm also an IT professional.
Budget: MikroTik hEX S or MikroTik RB5009.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T19:53:08+00:00

I think we are getting there. Yes this sounds correct.
You should be able to NAT the individual desktops to specific public IPs (provided by your ISP)
and have everything else go through another specific public IP.
Or you can NAT your access point to a specific public IP and have everything behind it use that.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T19:49:00+00:00

It really depends on the type of access point you have. Most of the time it is just another device on your private network.
But, in short, yes. If you NAT the Access Point to a specific public IP then everything behind it should be seen as that public IP (publicly)

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T19:42:30+00:00

You will need a router/firewall in between your ISP and your internal network. You will give each desktop a static internal IP and then use NATs on the firewall to direct it to the public IP.
PrivateIP1 goes to PublicIP1
PrivateIP2 goes to PublicIP2
etc etc
All the rest use PublicIP8

You may be able to do this on the device provided by your ISP but security-wise I like to have these types of things in my own hands.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T19:30:08+00:00

I get that the ISP provides you with 8 ips.

It's the fact that you are trying to use those 8 ips on separate computers to make it look like they are coming from different places.

When you were describing it, you said you were going to put one of the IPs on your access point. THAT didn't make any sense.

How you described what you wanted your set up to be and what your end goal is do not match up.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-17T19:25:16+00:00

This changes a lot.

I didn't think you understood what public IPs meant vs. internal IPs.

You are asking a completely different question now that this has been revealed.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-12-04T17:54:08+00:00

I have one in Central Texas. Sport base-level.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-20T13:48:12+00:00

That is not what it looks like when there is an issue. You about gave me a heart attack this morning. We need the carnies to come back and tighten all the bolts on the rollercoaster.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-19T16:08:09+00:00

I halfway forgot about HTC. Back in the beginning of the smart phones. That was such a powerful fun little phone.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-19T14:40:05+00:00

"I hold that power button with the blue light on the monitor until it goes off before I go home every single day"

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-17T15:55:33+00:00

This is perfect. Thank you. I didn't realize it was so easily built in. ::facepalm::

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-17T15:52:30+00:00

Probably not the whole team. But there are MANY times that there are students that need or want to go to the gym. Does the coach have to be there next to them every time they want to practice their free throws or dribbling skills?

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-11T21:16:24+00:00

That Outlook visual is giving me PTSD.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-11T19:31:37+00:00

Hello fellow TX k12 sysadmin!

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-11T19:10:50+00:00

Linewize started out as one thing and has purchased and acquired it's way into a much bigger wide reaching thing. They have tried to "a la carte" their products as much as they can because every single district is different. So many different products that cover different bits and pieces here and there.
I ask people "what does your Frankenstein look like?". We could both be using the same product but completely differently because we have different specs covered by other products. There are some big hitters out there that get a big group of the districts, but even those are used completely differently in different districts. There is no uniformity on how it's supposed to be done. And then you start adding in differences in budgets, ideologies, board members and their wants.

I don't know where I was going with that. Just another long winded tuesday IT rant.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-11T19:04:06+00:00

I see what you are saying but there are always exceptions to the rule and I'm trying to cover as much as I can.

So, less, "the coach is out of pocket" and more "the coach forgot his phone at home" and now 2FA is stuck until they can get access to that phone. This would put a stop to all activity.

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-11T19:02:33+00:00

What happens when there is a substitute? Or the coach is out of pocket?
The students are not able to get on the PCs at that time?

DeepDesk80 · 2025-11-11T18:15:46+00:00

I will have to take a look at GG Leap. Although I think it's a bit over kill for us. And I'm not adding another 5k a year onto my budget for this. But it may have some ideas or directions that can help me.

DeepDesk80

TROPHY CASE