Setting up NetSupport School to run in a Microsoft Terminal Server environment

This article applies to NetSupport School version 15.00. For information relating to version 14.00 and below, click here.

From NetSupport School version 10.50, a quick and easy method to install and use NetSupport School in a Terminal Server environment was included. From this version, the Student is no longer started as an application when each Terminal Server session is started. Instead, the NetSupport Student Service installed on the Microsoft Terminal Server will spawn a new Student process for each new Terminal Server session started.

This means that running the Terminal Server Configuration utility is no longer required to use NetSupport School in a Terminal Server environment. When NetSupport School is installed on a Terminal Server machine, only the base port for the Student and the Student name need to be configured.

The NetSupport School Tutor no longer needs to be configured to browse a specific IP address and port range to find the Students running in the Terminal Server sessions. Using the ‘Connect to Room’ option or the ‘Connect to Fixed list’ option, the Tutor can browse and locate the Students running in Terminal Server sessions.

Installing NetSupport School onto a Terminal Server

1. Download NetSupport School onto the Terminal Server from our website.
2. Once downloaded to the Terminal Server, perform one of the following depending on the Terminal Server operating system:
   Windows 2003 TS Server: Choose Start – Settings – Control Panel – Add or Remove Programs – Add New Program – Browse to the NetSupport School Setup.exe file and click OK.
   Windows 2008 and above TS Server: Choose Start – Settings – Control Panel –Install Application on Terminal Server option – Browse to the NetSupport School Setup.exe file and click OK.
3. Select to install the Student component onto the Terminal Server and complete the installation.
4. The next time a Terminal Services session is started, the NetSupport Student will load in the session.

Connecting to a NetSupport Student running in a Terminal Server session
The recommended method of connecting to the Students running in the Terminal Server sessions is using Room mode.

Connecting via Room mode
Step 1 – Configure the NetSupport School Tutor

1. Click Options in the Tutor Console and select Network Settings from the drop-down menu.
2. Select Student Selection.
3. Click the Connect to Students in Room(s) option and enter the required room.

4. Click OK.

Note: Room mode can also be set up in the Class wizard.

Step 2 – Configure the NetSupport School Student

1. Open the NetSupport School Configurator on the Terminal Server {Start}{Programs} {NetSupport School}{NetSupport School Configurator}.
2. Select Room.
3. Click This Computer is always located in the following room and enter your room name.

4. Click OK.

Note: If your Terminal Server hosts student devices located in multiple classrooms, you can use the ‘Room Lookup file’ option of the NetSupport School Student to ensure the correct room name is supplied.

To enable the ‘Room Lookup file’ option, select Terminal Services within the NetSupport School Student Configurator and click the Use lookup file to set room option.

For more information on how to use the ‘Room Lookup file’, please see the following article: How to use the Room Lookup list in NetSupport School.