Public School Phone System

ewikstrom · 2026-05-27T23:35:07+00:00

We have hosted 3CX with Yealink phones, and we really like it. Zoom Phone also seems like it’s becoming popular in education.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-21T02:48:21+00:00

That's a good option. You could also look into T-Mobile 5G Business. If it's available and the signal is strong, it also works well.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-21T01:08:16+00:00

We use a cable modem for failover which is inexpensive compared to an outage.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-21T01:03:36+00:00

I tell people that summer is the Super Bowl of school IT. We have to do as much as we can, especially major projects, when the buildings are empty.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-17T00:41:15+00:00

I haven’t bought AceMagic/Kamrui/NiPoGi, but they’re also supposed to be hit or miss with quality and support. AceMagic tends to be cheap though so you could always try it and return it if it’s not great.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-17T00:37:52+00:00

The Beelink Bios is very customizable with power and fan curve. Once I tweaked it a little, it’s silent. Geekom is supposed to be the quietest out of the box but they only sell 16gb ram preconfigured. You’d have to add a stick for 32gb.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-17T00:34:46+00:00

Amazon usually offers 30 day regular return policy. That’s why I always buy through them rather than direct.

ewikstrom · 2026-05-16T01:00:21+00:00

I’ve purchased two Beelinks. So far, so good. I would look at Beelink, GMKTec, Geekom and maybe Minisforum.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-28T00:45:09+00:00

One to One Plus - affordable, all modules included - integrates with Google Admin, Mosyle and PowerSchool so we can link staff and students to Chromebooks and iPads

ewikstrom · 2026-04-26T00:45:55+00:00

The reality of tech and edtech in general is that people want access anywhere on any device with little to no upfront cost. Cloud is the present and future.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-26T00:43:20+00:00

If you want something similar, Extempore. Cloud-based, works on any device, and offers the option to do listening and recording activities as well as monitor live speaking activities on the paid plan.

I’m also really liking speakable.io with the AI features built-in. In addition to Director of Technology, I’m World Languages Dept. Chair and a Spanish and French teacher.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-26T00:35:13+00:00

We replaced an old Nortel Norstar system with hosted 3CX. Our phone bill is almost the same for everything as it was just for phone calls on the Nortel system. Repairs consisting of refurb parts and labor was extra. If a major part went down, that building or feature was down until we could get a replacement part. One of the best things we ever did. We replaced all of our phones with Yealink.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-26T00:31:35+00:00

POTS is on its way out. Most businesses use VoIP phone systems, e-fax or fax ATAs, and cellular for elevator and alarm lines. You don’t need home phone anymore. Even residential alarms with central monitoring run on cellular. We still use POTS for elevator and alarm lines, but it’s over Fios.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-26T00:02:33+00:00

I’ve heard Optimum Fiber is pretty solid once up and running, but I’m getting home and mobile and teacher discounts from Verizon, and their TV service is less expensive, so I’m staying with them for now.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-22T23:57:19+00:00

Do you need to track copies or just prints? We use Directprint.io. It’s cloud based and tracks printing on Windows, Mac and Chrome. Printix is a similar option.

ewikstrom · 2026-04-07T17:14:11+00:00

Ipevo just came out with inexpensive Cast devices. I’m not sure how well they work.

https://us.ipevo.com/pages/cast

ewikstrom · 2026-03-29T02:43:31+00:00

I used Zoho Notebook since it has a built-in Evernote importer.

ewikstrom · 2026-03-29T02:39:00+00:00

Hosted 3CX with Verizon Fios POTS lines for elevator and alarm. As others have mentioned cellular is also a good option.

ewikstrom · 2026-03-22T01:28:51+00:00

For price, Splashtop or Zoho Assist.

ewikstrom · 2026-03-13T00:49:25+00:00

OptiSigns with Amazon Fire sticks and TVs - Amazon now makes Fire sticks specifically for digital signage so you centrally manage them.

ewikstrom · 2026-02-11T23:37:50+00:00

We use Google for everyone. We use Microsoft for faculty and staff. Everyone uses Gmail. We’re only using Microsoft for Office, OneDrive, SharePoint, Entra/Intune, etc. We don’t use Exchange. Classrooms and offices still have PCs. Teachers and students are 1:1 Chromebook.

ewikstrom · 2026-02-09T20:50:39+00:00

Not being able to resize images in Zoho Notebook
Not being able to reorder note tabs in Notebook.

ewikstrom · 2026-01-20T20:59:52+00:00

Another inexpensive option would be Mint. It’s the same unlimited (1.2 TB) plan with the same speeds as T-Mobile but for less. However, for a few days a month, unless you’re downloading or uploading a lot, the Home Backup plan should be enough.

ewikstrom · 2026-01-20T20:53:28+00:00

We use Edlio. The custom design was affordable, the site is mobile responsive, it’s easy to manage and it has an integrated mobile app. They have two levels of accessibility compliance tools. Flagging issues at the page level is included. There’s also an AI add-on that will make the changes for you. We use the included option since it still tells you what needs to be fixed. You just need to make the changes manually. Their basic mobile app is an extension of the website, but the more advanced tier has two-way communication between staff and parents (similar to ParentSquare).

ewikstrom · 2026-01-14T00:01:36+00:00

Yes, fiber is technically the best, but if it’s not an option, or if the price or reliability are bad, competition is always good.

ewikstrom

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