The Excitement of Uninterrupted Power Supplies: UPS

Summer is a time for lots of construction and road maintenance and my neighborhood is no exception. We were notified that there would be occasional power outages during the times they work on our street and initially, I blew this notice off and quipped, “No problem as long as they give advanced notice of specified [...]

Has your antivirus subscription expired?

Security for computer networks comes in many forms.Often the most troublesome and frequently encountered are malware infections (viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, etc.). Unfortunately, during my initial meetings with prospective clients I still find workstations with expired antivirus software or no protection at all. Malware, like hard drive failures, can make workstations inoperable but all data [...]

Security: When was the last time you updated your software?

As SMB network system administrators we tend to focus on client “pain points”, i.e., “When did you realize that you needed help?” Was it when your hard drive failed and all data was lost? Did a workstation become infected with a virus or malware which prevented your staff from using the Internet? Or maybe you [...]

Whose Network is it anyway? Notes for business owners.

It is a good practice for business owners to outsource technical support to keep their minds focused on their primary responsibilities. Outsourcing saves not only time and money but also provides valuable expertise not necessarily available in-house… so good technology support should be your trusted technology advisor. Every business owner should take the time to [...]

Scamville – The Pitfalls of Social Networking

While Facebook can be an excellent tool for networking and expanding business, there’s also a dark side to the many applications offered via the social networking site. Michael Arrington of Tech Crunch explains the possible pitfalls while using applications via Facebook, and details some ways companies use the information garnered from games and quizzes to [...]

Create a Password You Can Remember

Say you have the most secure system in the world. How do you keep it that way? Passwords not only keep your system secure, but can limit access to certain people, be it employees, technical support, or a specific member of your team, such as the accountant. Do you remember the passwords to your server, [...]

Is Windows 7 a Network Solution?

I take my Lenovo X61 every where; it is the work horse of my day. I have had no caustic argument against Windows Vista in general, but as a work tool I found Vista slow and cumbersome to use for network discovery projects and it sometimes has difficulty moving between various Wi-Fi environments. I’ve been [...]

Network Maintainence is Crucial

Don’t leave network maintenance to chance. There will be consequences! What effect it would have on your business if your computers were removed? How would you go about your daily business if you arrived at the office and your computer system was missing and all the data was lost? A major computer network breakdown can [...]