Now is the time for Windows 7

I’ve been using Windows 7 for over a year at this point and after Vista have been quite pleased. Standard practice for many independent IT pros has been to recommend delaying installing new operating systems until many of the kinks had been worked out. In addition, Windows XP does not have a natural migration path [...]

Online Backup Vendors: Major Players Lists

In preparation for my last article on online backup, I asked some of my peers what online backup tools they preferred; my intent was to compile a list of most favored by local small business IT support professionals. In true tech fashion I got two suggestions: a reference to other lists and a question regarding [...]

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 [...]

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 Audit

Network Infrastructure and Configuration What type of network is in place? What type of switch is being used? How may ports total? How many ports used and unused? Is the topology expandable and able to handle a load increase? Is there a hub being used? Why or why not? Is there an active firewall in [...]

Network Assessment

A Network Assessment is an intensive diagnostic and planning service designed to check the critical components of your computer network for security, reliability, and performance. To make sure your network is running at peak performance and protected from data loss, downtime, viruses, and security breaches, this audit should be performed at least once a quarter. [...]