Think back to the day when your company purchased its first server.  Your company was at a turning point where it needed to streamline operations.  Implementing a server-based environment helped everything run smoothly and efficiently, while simultaneously making your employees more productive.  Data was consolidated to one central location, multiple copies of the same file were eliminated, and remote access allowed you to work from abroad.  Several years have gone by and that utopia of efficient computing has fallen by the wayside to intermittent problems and noticeable performance degradation.  This might be a warning sign that it’s time to upgrade your server. 

                Servers often sit tucked away in the back room, running day in and day out.  As a company and a network grows, so does the importance of keeping the network up and running.  Down-time equals lost revenue and clients for your company, not to mention lost productivity from the employees.  From the first day your server is installed, your server hardware is a ticking time bomb.  And for your business, that’s potentially an explosive liability.

                So how often do you need to upgrade your server?  Three years? Five Years? Longer?  Most small businesses tend to think of their server as a whole, which is to say hardware (the computer it runs on) and software (the application that powers the server, such as Windows Server 2008) are one.  Talk to industry experts and you’re likely to conclude that this holistic approach to a server is correct for most businesses.  Hardware and software generally age at about the same rate.  In other words, the machines need to be modernized at roughly the same interval as the server operating system is updated, give or take a few months.  To coincide with the major computer manufacturers’ warranties such as Dell and HP, an upgrade every three years is recommended.

THE WARNING SIGNS

Is your server ready for a once-over?  Here are eight signs.

1.  It crawls.  When a server gets slow, business as usual is affected.  Take a look at the disk and CPU usage on the server.  If these metrics are consistently at about 80% or higher, it’s time to start considering an upgrade.  Slow servers mean a less productive work force.

2.  It sucks up your time.  If you’re spending/wasting more time each week dealing with server problems than you are willing to commit, it’s time for an upgrade.  Ask  yourself:  If you weren’t dealing with/or affected by a particular server problem, how much money could you earn by doing something else?

3.  It’s noisy.  As fan drives and hard drives age, you will notice they will become nosier.  This is typically a good indicator that hardware failure is just around the corner.  Computers are like cars; they have only so much mileage before they start falling apart.

4.  It’s out of warranty.  If the manufacturer has stopped supporting the hardware and software - which means it’s more than three years old - then there’s a good chance you need some kind of an upgrade.

5.  Something doesn’t feel right.  Maybe your hardware specifications doesn’t match your vendor specs.  Maybe it takes longer and longer to do the same function.  Chances are, it could be ready for an upgrade of some kind.

6.  There’s no more room.  If the requirement of the software that runs on the server exceeds the servers’ specifications, then you need a new server.  Small-business users shouldn’t just try to manage a space or memory crisis in the short term, but think about the company’s long-term needs.  Will you be adding more staff that will need access to the server?  Will you be upgrading the software that runs on the server in the near future?  Planning is key to avoiding costly down time.

7.  Its performance is otherwise impaired.  Does the server seize up often?  Does the server have problems resolving conflicts?  Even if things run smoothly otherwise, these “hiccups” may be a sign that the server is running up against the limits of its performance.  Most small businesses have a hard time tracking these issues until it’s too late.

8.  The big one happens.  There usually isn’t a telltale sign that your server needs to be upgraded, in terms of hardware, until a catastrophic failure occurs.  After a meltdown, there’s normally a “scramble” to replace operating systems and applications.  Frequently, those are discontinued, or support has been discontinued, and that’s usually when a business discovers that it should have upgraded long ago.  It is much calmer to upgrade in a planned manner than to scramble at the last minute to resolve a crisis.

READY TO UPGRADE?

Deciding the right time to upgrade your server is never an easy decision.  As much as it is a productivity factor it’s also an economic factor.  In a small-business of only 5 users you could be throwing away over $19,500 worth of lost employee productivity each year, not to mention loss of business from server outages.  For example, if degraded server performance is slowing down employee productivity by one hour  each day for a company of 5 employees, that equates to 25 lost hours per week (5 hours daily x 5 days).  At an average salary per hour of $15.00, that equates to over $19,500 per year.

 Employees                                                                        5
Average Hourly Wage                                                    $15.00
Lost Hours per week per Employee (1 per day)               5
Total Lost Hours for Company (Weekly)                         25
Cost of productivity lost per week (25 x $15)               $375

Cost of productivity lost per year ($375 x 52 weeks)         $19,500

A good price range for small-business server is between $3,000 and $6,000.  Assuming a $4,000 server cost, upgrading your server will save a small business of only 5 users $15,500 per year lost productivity.

If it’s been a few years since that turbo-charged server has been installed.  Chances are, it’s time to reconfigure your current server for a less mission-critical role and save your company time and money by having your server running at peak performance all year round.

USB Flash drives have revolutionized transporting data, but these little pocket-sized devices are not just for storing your files anymore.  Let’s take a look at five new ways we can do more than simply move data.

1.  Boost Performance - If you’re running Windows Vista or Windows 7, you can use a USB flash drive to speed up your system with the ReadyBoost technology.  ReadyBoost can use the storage space on a USB Flash drive as an additional memory cache to aid the memory cache on your hard disk.  And because flash memory is more responsive than a hard disk, with its physical moving parts, the memory cache provided by ReadyBoost can significantly improve system responsiveness.

                Using ReadyBoost is easy.  You just insert your USB flash drive into your Vista/7 system.  The AutoPlay dialog box offers you the option to speed up your computer using ReadyBoost.  If you select this option, you can choose how much memory on the device to use for this purpose.

                When you set up a device to work with ReadyBoost, Windows shows you how much space it recommends you allow it to use for optimal performance. For ReadyBoost to effectively speed up your computer, the flash drive or memory card should have at least 1 gigabyte (GB) of available space. If your device doesn’t have enough available space for ReadyBoost, you’ll see a message telling you to free some space on the device if you want to use it to speed up your system.

2.  Lock your PC - Have you ever seen a movie in which a person in a secret government installation simply inserts and removes a card to log in and log out of a PC?  If only we could do that! Well now you can - kinda.  A new application out there named Predator aims to do just that.  Once installed and configured, this freeware utility will allow you to turn a USB flash drive into a key you can use to lock and unlock your computer.

                While the USB flash drive is connected to your computer, everything works as it normally would.  Once you remove the USB flash drive, your computer is locked down - the keyboard and mouse are disabled and the screen darkens.  To unlock your computer, you just plug in the USB flash drive and the computer will be unlocked and you can begin using it again.  To learn more about Predator, and/or to download it, visit the Predator website.

3. Connect to a wireless network - If you have a wireless network, you can use the Wireless Network Wizard in Windows XP or the Windows Connect Now (WCN) feature built into Vista/Windows 7 to save wireless network configuration information to a USB flash drive.  You can then use your drive to quickly and easily connect another computer or a WCN-compatible device, such as a printer or new laptop, to your wireless network.  To learn more about using the Wireless Network Setup Wizard, see the Help And Support Center, which is accessible from Windows XP’s Start Menu.  To learn more about using the Windows Connect Now Feature, see Windows Help And  Support, which is accessible from Windows Vista’s or Windows 7’s Start Menu.

4. Manage it - If all you really want to do with your USB flash drive is transport data, and you’re running Windows XP, you can do so more efficiently with the Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager.  Once you have installed the manager, you can easily copy files to and from your drive, back up and restore the entire flash drive to and from your hard disk, change the drive label, and even create and autorun.inf file to launch Drive Manager automatically when you plug in the drive.  To learn more about and download the USB Flash Drive Manager visit the Microsoft website.

5. Run portable applications - In addition to storing your data, you can run portable applications from a USB flash drive.   For example, OpenOffice, which is a complete office suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation tool, drawing package, and database, is available as a portable application.  Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome web browsers are also available as portable applications.  When you combine the office suite with the ability to surf the Web, you’ll be able to take your most vital computing applications with you wherever you go - right in your pocket.

A frequent question we are asked pertains to a Company’s Internet connection.  As Companies assess their telecommunication costs they are stuck with the decision of what type of Internet connection is the best, or right for their company.  That’s not always an easy answer.  Different computing and  networking habits help  to answer part of this question, but what about the core fundamental differences.  We see the advertisements that DSL is up to 1.54 Mbps, Cable boasts speeds up to 52 Mbps, and single T1 lines weigh in at 1.54 Mbps.  Then there’s the cost.  DSL and Cable advertise rates between $80 to $200 for business-class service, T1 lines generally fall in the $400 - $600 range.

There are several factors creating a premium price for the T1 over DSL and Cable, but the most significant factor is the quality of the portal through which each connects to the internet. In the case of a T1, a local access line connects the premise of installation to that of the Internet service provider being used. The local access line on their end will interface with a dedicated portal (also called a port) which is measured at 1.54 Mbps. This creates the most efficient and true delivery of 1.5 Mbps speed.

This method of delivery contrasts greatly with that of a DSL line, most notably because with DSL, the access line doesn’t connect to a 1.5 Mbps port like the T1 does. Instead, it connects to a DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer). This creates a bottle-neck effect in which the subscribers compete for the throughput available on the port.

Thus, the most common difference between a 1.5 Mbps DSL and a 1.5 Mbps T1 is that a T1 delivers consistent, uninhibited throughput via a dedicated 1.5 Mbps port. DSL may give you a speed of 1.5 Mbps over the access loop, but actual throughput onto the Internet backbone will vary based on how much traffic there is on the DSLAM. As general rule of thumb, the cheaper the price of the DSL, the more traffic will probably be experienced on the DSLAM. DSL providers drive cost down by putting more and more subscribers on a single DSLAM connecting to a single port. This is called oversubscription and it is a widespread practice among low-cost ISPs boasting cheap and fast DSL.

In addition to the price difference and type of delivery, a T-1 comes with a stronger commitment to deliver service. Almost all carriers provide a SLA (service level agreement) that guarantees uptime of your T-1. The SLA generally outlines a credit structure for any time that your T-1 is down. While some carriers provide an SLA for DSL as well, it is often not as assuring as a T-1 SLA. For example, if you were a customer with “Carrier A” and both your DSL and T-1 service were down, you would most likely get a higher level and faster response from tech support for your T-1.

Finally, keep in mind that DSL is a distance-sensitive service.  The distance for DSL is measured in cable length to a carrier’s Central Office. There are different limitations, depending on the ADSL and SDSL, but in general it is 15,000-18000 feet with some variation. T-1, on the other hand is readily available in almost all areas, business or residential where there is a telco or phone box. In the small percentage of remote areas of the country, it may be increasingly difficult to deliver a T-1 without incurring a cost for the buildout of the proper facilities. But in general, T-1 is available whether it is 10, 20, 30, 60 plus miles, whereas you will have little luck beyond 3 miles with DSL.

In conclusion,  in a business environment a T1 line offers the dependability and reliability that most companies are looking for in their Internet needs.  If you are currently paying $400 or more for your local phone service, long-distance service, and Internet service and are not on a T1 line it’s make sense to sit down and look at the advantages of a T1 line for your business.

Give us a call at 713-894-7844 and we can help you assess the right solution for you company.

When it comes to Internet security we are bombarded with a plethora of options, gimmiks, and “must-have” add-ons and programs to protect us from the growing security threat on the Internet.  Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera are all waging a war to win us over.  Are web browsers enough by themselves to protect us from online threats? 

This topic has come up quite a few times and we’re focusing this article on which new software out there best prevents online infections.  Most of the Internet browsers out there today have built-in security add-ons in the forms of pop-up blocker and phishing filters.  Is that enough? No.  Although they are heading in the right direction, no Internet browser out there today offers enough protection not to warrant a supplemental Internet security application to help fight online infections.

A big-factor in choosing the program that’s right for you is twofold.  The first factor is usability.  Let’s face it, as computers are progressing and getting more complicated we don’t want to spend our time trying to decipher complex menus and research terminology just to use our new applications.  We’re becoming a “set-it-and-forget-it” society.  Therefore the program has to be user-friendly.  The second factor is protection.  The program has to excel.  If the program doesn’t protect me, why buy it? 

With all of this in mind we’ve set our sights on four popular Internet security applications.  Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, Trend Micro Internet Security Pro, Panda Internet Security 2010, and Norton 360 All-In-One Security.  All of these products are in the $70 - $80 range.

Kaspersky Internet Security 2010
The installation was simple and even reminded me to uninstall my current antivirus software. (Most security software will not load if another security application is already installed on your computer).  After a quick test Kaspersky stopped us from several phishing websites, where hackers pose as legitimate service providers to steal your personal data such as bank account numbers.  The settings for Kaspersky were needlessly complex.  A user with a strong technical background might love this program, but the average user will probably walk away confused.

Trend Micro Internet Security
Trend Micro installed with ease and also uninstalled the previous antivirus software for me.  Its Web-browser extension evaluated my search results and highlighted safe sites in green.  The Network section, showed me at a glance what computers (wired and wireless) were on my network and allowed me to block freeloaders.  I did not see a noticeable difference in system performance with Trend Micro loaded onto the system.

Panda Internet Security 2010
This program has a great interace and even better customer support.  The program keeps a running tally of all of the viruses and other threats that it has found while protecting my system.  It also has a “virus-test” feature where it simulates a virus on your computer so you can verify the software is working properly.

Norton Internet All-In-One Security
Norton has a unique feature that actually makes you log in with a password before you can enter personal information on any website.  It also has a built-in data backup feature that will backup your information securely and store it on Norton’s server online.  The user interface is slightly more complex than the previous products and often seemed to refer to the same function with different names.  I also saw a noticeable system performance drop after installing this software.

Bottom Line:
Trend Micro and Panda overall lived up to our two criteria of usability and protection.  Out of those two I would recommend Trend Micro for its overall look and feel.  It’s menus were easy to follow and it offered superb online protection.  Kaspersky and Norton are great products, but their complex navigation and menu system left me wanting press the exit button.

“My computer is running slow”.  Five words that resonate with everyone that has to deal with a slow computer at work.  The great news is that there are a few simple steps that can be taken to alleviate your frustrations.  No – Don’t throw the computer out of the window yet!!

Why did the computer slow down in the first place?

A lot of factors come into play when trying to diagnose what is causing the computer to slow down.  As time marches on the operating system is constantly updating.  These updates are adding to the overall size of the Operating system.  The Operating system that came with your computer is not the same size as the Operating system 4 years later.  Also, in the normal course of using the computer you add software, delete software, add software, delete software.  Each time pieces of these programs are left on the hard drive and in the registry of the computer.  These “extra” pieces take up space and get in the way when the hard drive is trying to sift through the pile looking for your data.  Jumped on the Internet lately?  Chances are you’ve probably picked up some malware and/or spyware on your computer.  These types of infections can have a great impact on the performance on your computer.

Let’s take a look at some steps to help speed up our computer and breathe some much needed life back into it.

1.       Free Up Disk Space

 As stated before, as time goes on you accumulate more and more files on the computer.  Free up disk space by removing files that are no longer needed.  Microsoft Windows has a disk cleanup utility that is used to identify unnecessary files and safely delete them from your hard drive.   To use disk cleanup, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.  Choose the files to delete and press ok.

2.        Defragment Your Hard drive

What?!  Fragmentation of the hard drive is a process that slows down overall performance of the system.  When files are fragmented, the hard drive must search for files in different areas to find all of the necessary pieces of your file.  The Disk Defragmenter utility is an application that puts the pieces of files back in logical order so that the hard drive can find them more efficiently.  To use disk defragmenter, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter.  Click the Defragment button to start the disk defragmentation.

3.        Remove Spyware/Malware

Spyware is major reason why computers slow down.  These programs are designed to run on your computer in the background (and at the same time are using up your precious system resources) to do various malicious tasks.   Spyware is difficult to detect and often times can be even harder to remove.  To remove the spyware you will need to use an antispyware program.  Many great Antispyware programs are free.  We recommend using Malwarebytes’ Anit-Malware or Spybot Search and Destroy.

4.        Upgrade your memory

If you’ve had that computer a few years it might need a little jolt under the hood.  512Mb to 1Gb of memory was standard a few years ago.  That amount of memory in today’s business networks might not be enough to effectively run your computer.  To check how much memory your computer has, click Start, point to Control Panel, click System (point to Performance and Maintenance, then click System if using Category view).    Look at the Manufacturer’s website to determine the amount of memory your computer can handle and the type of memory.  We recommend using www.crucial.com as a resource for upgrading your memory.  Their menu-driven system is an easy way to get the correct memory for your computer and at a great price.

5.        Conclusion

This article is a resource to help speed up the performance of your computer.  By following the above guidelines, you can maintain your computer’s performance and keep it running smoothly. 

One of the most frequent questions that we receive involves network maintenance plans.  Do I need a maintenance plan?  What is a maintenance plan?  What makes up a maintenance plan?  You get the idea.

Most Companies have a computing system that addresses their day-to-day needs.  Whether it is server-based on non server-based, big or small, fast or slow, a computing system carries out tasks in the normal course of business.  These systems are investments in which the end-user expects a return on investment.  The idea of network maintenance plans is to maintain a consistent level of performance from your computer to provide you with the optimal return on investment in your network and overall IT investment.

Do I need a maintenance plan?

Just like an automobile, a network requires proper maintenance to ensure it is running at its optimal level.  Does everyone need a maintenance plan?  The larger your network is, the more likely it is that you need someone keeping an eye on it and making sure everything is working as it should.  If you have a network of only two or three computers that doesn’t mean you are ok and nothing needs to be done.  Millions of computers are infected with viruses, trojans, and spyware floating around the Internet each year.  These malicious programs can greatly reduce the performance of your computer and can also be stealing your data without your knowledge.

What is a maintenance plan?

Whether you use an IT company or you’re a do-it-yourselfer, maintenance can be as simple as running a quick hard drive defragmentation, a virus scan, and using compressed air to blow out all of the dust that has accumulated in your computer case.  Maintenance plans for larger networks (5+ computers) cover more areas and look at the more complex devices in your network.  Generally a maintenance plan is a set of defined objectives used to review and analyze your network on a regular basis.  These defined objectives can be 24/7 monitoring, or weekly, monthly, quarterly on-site visits. 

What makes up a maintenance plan?

Maintenance plans look at the overall health of your network.  They are designed to take a proactive approach to making sure the network is working as intended and to spot signs of trouble before they cause a major network outage.  24/7 monitoring is a service that is designed to keep a close eye on the network and alert the instant that something is wrong.  For example, a server can be monitored to alert if anyone attempts to log into the system and uses a bad password.    Other areas of maintenance plan are hardware maintenance and backups.  These are just a few areas of the large spectrum of services that can be performed on your network. 

For more information on the right maintenance plan for you network contact us at (713) 894-7844 or visit us at http://www.etechexperts.com

Building a business is not easy.  Building long-lasting business relationships is even harder.  Taking a proactive approach to reaching out to your clients in the good times and bad times establishes a strong foundation and relationship for years to come.  In this article we will talk about proactively servicing your clients as related to the Information Technology industry.

There are two facets to proactively looking after a client’s needs.  The first is as an IT service provider our job requires us to be on top of situations and able to respond immediately when systems and networks are down.  Establishing solid maintenance plans that monitor and keep a pulse on the network 24/7 and report back standard, critical and emergency information is key to effectively reducing downtime and increasing uptime.  This information helps to resolve computing problems before they occur or greatly reduce your down time in emergency situations.

The second facet is the relationship with each of your clients.  As a service provider and trusted advisor, take the time to listen to your client’s problems and make qualified recommendations to fit their business needs and goals.  These suggestions will allow the company to save money and build a scalable infrastructure that will meet their needs in the future.  In today’s rushed society this critical step is often overlooked.   Communication is key, whether it be by phone, email, or any other method.  Make sure you are communicating that their problems are being addressed and a resolution is on its way.