ntdsutil (included with Windows Server) is plenty capable of doing backups and restores of AD data. Microsoft has lengthy documentation on the subject, including how to properly prepare and what to do when the feces hit the oscillator.
A few documentation links:

• Performing an Authoritative Restore of Active Directory Objects
• Performing a Nonauthoritative Restore of a Domain Controller
• Active Directory Backup and Restore General Guidelines

Also, you do know that ntbackup.exe is "a VSS aware backup program," right? Bonus: It's included at no charge from Microsoft.

In short, RTFM and STFU.


--Whizzmo

Active Directory is mature, well-understood and well-supported. MS will answer the phone at 3:00 am when you call. While FOSS alternatives have come a long way, many are still under heavy active (ha, ha) development.

Questions you should be asking yourself:

• Who will maintain this when I'm gone?
• Does this solution offer 24/7/365 phone support? (If you don't have a phone support contract, MS will usually charge you $250 if the issue is your fault, and $0 if the issue is a bug in their software. (IANA MS rep, YMMV))

One more question: Why not just combine the two AD forests into one tree, with the student account domain as a child domain of the teachers' domain? (There are many other arrangements here that may better fit your needs.)


--Whizzmo

... which is why god created NetStumbler :)

--Whizzmo

You can't fix everyone else's access points, but you can change yours. As several people have mentioned, 5Ghz may be the way to go. 5Ghz offers considerably more (usable!) channels than 2.4 Ghz. Combined with 802.11n channel widths, you should be able to get plenty of bandwidth anywhere in your house.

Example: Netgear WNHDE111

Bonuses:

• "WPA2-only" mode. Combined with a good password, this should keep out nearly all undesirables.
• Transmit power adjustment (low/med/high). No need to broadcast at high power if all you need is low or medium. Lower power = lower chance of interference to others, lower chance of discovery by sniffers.

--Whizzmo