Many businesses use wired connections to get their employees on the internet. There are a few good reasons for this, namely that most employees in any given office will be working on a desktop PC while there. Since virtually all employees are desk-based while at the office, even those with a laptop are easily and painlessly able to connect through a Ethernet cable without any real complaints, especially since wireless networks are often slower than their wired counterparts.
So for small offices, it can seem a bit pointless to spend extra on a reliable router and have someone who can maintain it and fix it if or when it breaks. There are, however, a few situations in which your business should consider hooking up a wireless router and ensuring it works.
First, you may want to have the wireless network for meetings with visitors. Often, visitors will have their own computers and will want to connect them to the internet in your meeting room. If you haven’t got an extra Ethernet connection for them, they can be left without valuable information that would enhance your meetings and end with the results you both want.
Secondly, your employees probably wouldn’t mind the extra flexibility that a wireless network would grant them. Laptop users might relish the ability to work away from their desks once in a while; a change of scenery can, not surprisingly, do wonders for their work rate. If your wireless router is good enough, your employees might even be able to work outside. Heading out on a sunny day is the perfect boost to happiness and thus productivity.
If you do intend to purchase a router, there are a few important things to consider before you buy. Placement of the router is an important consideration. Routers have only a limited range, so don’t place one too far away from your board room. It’s unlikely that you’ll find a router which will send out a signal throughout the entire building, especially if your office is particularly large, but aim for the one which is proven to project a fair distance.
It’s also worth having at least a couple of employees who understand how to operate it in case of problems. It shouldn’t be a big job to maintain the router, but it is important to know how to reset it if it stops working and what connection goes where. They should also be in charge of security, setting the passwords and keeping them safe for when your visitors do request internet access. You don’t want people to steal your paid-for office internet access, especially important when your office is located in a city and people will have plenty of opportunity to do so.
The router can also free up your office. If your employees have no need to hook their computers into ethernet ports, they can move about at will, say spending a day next to someone working on a project and the next day with someone else. Laptops immediately become the useful, moveable tools they were designed to be.
Large offices may struggle more, as most routers are incapable of sending a signal further than the range of an average house. These businesses may require external IT support to set up a wireless network that will cover the entire building and guarantee internet access for everyone.
If your office hasn’t set up a wireless network, even now that we’re ten years into the twenty-first century, it is time.
4.
Over time, PCs get slower. It’s inevitable; even uninstalled programs occasionally leave junk in your registry files, and as technology advances your computer can struggle to cope. If you install a lot of programs, it’s more than likely that a few of them continue running in the background, starting up with your computer and not stopping until you’ve turned it off for the day. The first thing you should do is access the startup folder, in your start menu, and actually look at all the programs that start when your computer does. If you don’t actually use them all the time, disable them. You can start them when you need them.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, defrag your hard disc – twice. You can find the disc defragmenter with a simple search. That should clear up many of the unnecessary files which are slowing down your PC. You should really do this and run a program like CCleaner on a regular basis once you’ve sped up your computer this time to prevent the problem happening again.
If nothing else works, you may need more memory. This can be purchased and almost always installed by you. Make sure you first find out how much memory your computer can hold (the maximum is 4GB for 32 bit PCs) so you don’t buy more than your computer can hold.
5.
If your sound suddenly becomes wonky or, worse, your screen shows up strangely or the display crashes often, your computer is not necessarily headed for the bin. The problem may be down to your sound card or video card, depending on the problem. There’s a simple fix for this that actually works most of the time. You’ll need to visit the manufacturer’s website and download new drivers. If you have a laptop and the sound or display cards are built into the motherboard, find the company from whom you purchased your laptop and ask them for the appropriate drivers.
If this fails, and you have a desktop, you may choose to replace your sound or video cards. Usually this is easily done; just find out the socket type for your PC and choose the appropriate, more powerful card. Keep in mind that a more powerful card will demand more of your PC, and as such if you’re making a significant upgrade it may be worth replacing your power supply as well.
6.
Older hardware and software often struggle to work on newer computers. With Windows Vista in particular, there are many cameras, webcams, and microphones that simply don’t work. Older games will also cease working on newer systems. If you fear that you have hardware or a game that won’t work on your new PC, you have a few options. First, if you’re running Windows 7, using Windows Virtual PC may solve all of your problems.
PCs running Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise can install Virtual XP mode, which essentially turns the computer into Windows XP and will work with all software that worked on that operating system. This is designed for businesses which normally use applications that worked well under XP, not consumers.
If your hardware doesn’t work properly, you may be able to find a workaround that helps. Popular equipment will have other users trying to make it work, and someone may have found a solution. If not, Windows 7 is designed to work with more devices than Windows Vista, so it may well be worth an upgrade if your equipment is essential and expensive to replace. There are websites which tell you precisely what equipment will work on the new OS. Don’t invest money on a fancy new camera until you can ensure it will work with your PC.
Believe it or not, you can often solve seemingly difficult computer problems on your own. Even poking around in a computer is not particularly difficult if you know what you’re looking for, so it’s often worth fiddling around inside your computer itself to see if you can fix the problem or at least identify it. Note that this only applies to desktop PCs, not laptops; it’s probably best to have an expert look at your laptop as many of the components are specially designed and difficult for the consumer to replace independently.
1.
If you’ve ever run a Windows PC, you know that crashes are virtually a part of life. There’s no chance that your PC will never crash. If it happens once or twice, there probably isn’t anything to worry about. When it crashes regularly, though, you may have a problem on your hands. Diagnosing the cause of a crash isn’t difficult. If you get a blue screen of death, note down every number on the screen. Often they’ll be the key to figuring out the exact problem. You can either Google them or use Microsoft’s website to find a potential solution.
If you’re not getting a blue screen, take note of what you’re doing every time the computer crashes. See if there’s a pattern. If so, there may be a program at fault using up too much of your PC’s memory. If that’s the case, an uninstall and reinstall should fix the problem. If it’s not, make sure to keep an eye on your PC’s virtual memory. Using too much will cause your computer to crash.
2.
Viruses sound scary and they are certainly a threat to your PC if you’re not vigilant. Some of them are surprisingly easy to fix, though, if you can tell when you have one. The most effective solution is actually to use an antivirus program. The number of people who don’t follow through on this simple task is absolutely astounding. Make sure it’s always updated and run a full scan at least once a week.
If a virus does hit you, disconnect from all of your networks and then run the virus scan. If your antivirus program doesn’t get it, download free trials of others. If no program detects it, have a look for suspicious processes. Technically proficient users will probably see the wrong files quickly; this may be the end of the line for some. If you’re vigilant, though, you shouldn’t have to worry about viruses.
3.
What if your computer just doesn’t turn on? This can be terrifying at first. All of your data now seems locked into this box that you can no longer access. Don’t worry. If the computer doesn’t work at all (and it’s plugged in), your problem is likely to be your power supply. These are readily available in retail shops and online. Measure your current power supply – you’ll recognize it because that’s where the plug connects – and get a similar new model, possibly with a higher voltage to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again.
Before you reach into your PC, though, make sure to touch metal and get rid of the static on your clothes. If you don’t, you risk ruining all the hardware – definitely not worth it.
In the wake of Google’s move away from using Microsoft Windows due to security concerns, many people are now wondering if they, too, should start using Linux or buy a Mac instead. In short, the answer is no, and I won’t hesitate to explain why.
Google has banned all usage of Windows company-wide. Permission to run the OS on laptops may still be attained, but from the higher levels of the company if at all. Google has blamed Windows for the China hacking incident of a few months ago and cites security concerns as their reason for the switch. All new employees are given a choice of Mac or Linux OS.
For most consumers with a bit of common sense, though, Microsoft Windows, particularly Windows 7, offers plenty of security features that will protect you should problems arise. Since Windows is the most popular operating system by a long shot, having anywhere from 80 to 95% market share depending on who you speak to, it’s naturally the target for viruses, Trojans and worms that can completely destroy your PC, necessitating a call to IT support.
So it’s true that in a sense, Windows users can suffer more from the actions of hackers. But that doesn’t mean Macs are invulnerable, and in fact if you use Safari you could quite easily fall victim to a virus, were criminals intent on targeting Macs. Of course, Google employees will be using Google’s browser, Chrome. If Macs gained a great market share, it’s undeniable that hackers would find holes in that OS as well, but at the moment it simply isn’t cost effective when the same amount of time can target 90% of the population instead of 10%.
Moreover, Google’s decision is not purely made with security in mind. In the coming months, the company plans to introduce its own operating system, Chrome. By switching employees (and persuading consumers) away from Windows, Google can effortlessly build up its market and quickly and easily switch its employees over to its own OS when the time comes.
That doesn’t mean you should switch. Using properly configured antivirus software, updating Windows whenever possible, and fully investigating and learning about Windows’s security settings will ensure your computer’s safety for years to come. No one appears aware of which Windows OS Google was using; apparently the China hack went through Internet Explorer 6, a browser which Microsoft no longer supports and no computer-savvy user would even consider opening.
If you enjoy using Windows, don’t let Google scare you away, at least not until they have a better product to offer. It’s almost universally acknowledged at this point that Windows 7 is actually quite good, with a large number of security, customisation, and optimisation features designed for the individual consumer as well as business users. Linux may be better in the end for those who really want to get into the details of their computer, but Windows simply works for many.
If you’re like most internet users, you Google something pretty much every day. Did you know that Google can – and does – store that information? If you’re a Google user, you can even see all of your searches for years by heading to Google.com/history and checking out your search results. You have to enable Web History to see it yourself, but Google stores the data regardless of whether you’ve enabled it or not. That’s how they give you better search results; these are nice, but do you really want anyone else to see all of the searches you’ve conducted?
If you don’t want all of these searches to be attached to your account, the solution is simple; sign out of your account before you search. Take care of your account business first then leave yourself signed out of your account for the rest of the day. If you’ve already activated Web History, you can deactivate it permanently. Google will still have your info, but at least no one hacking your account will. To get rid of this, head into Settings, then Google Account settings. Click edit, which is next to My Products in the middle of the page, and choose to remove Web History. If this doesn’t show up, then you never activated it in the first place.
Keep in mind, however, that Google will still track your IP address, browser, and operating system, which is probably enough for any hacker to identify you. If you really have to search for sensitive information, or if this just bothers you beyond belief, use a website that will shield your activity and make you anonymous. Many other websites beyond Google track you when you land on their websites, although many of them use Google Analytics to do it. They will record such information as your location, what site you came from, what search terms you used to get there, and how long you stayed on the site. So if you don’t want anyone to collect this information about you, it’s best to use a proxy website.
Many browsers will also allow you to set your browsing privacy levels. If you’re in private mode, the browser will delete all of your cookies, passwords and web history as soon as you close it. This is a good choice for shared computers, whether at home or at work, but it could be difficult to remember to change the privacy options before you do anything on the internet. You could also choose to block scripts, since most ads and tracking cookies run on JavaScript, but keep in mind that many websites will break if you implement this.
Finally, it’s very important to remember that nothing you put on the internet is truly secure. It doesn’t matter how many layers of security you think your data lies behind, because they can all be breached. Your password can probably be guessed, especially if you’re one of many users who use the same password in multiple accounts – and worse, choose a common English language word without any numbers attached. Most people’s passwords can be guessed just by someone that knows them, because we do all want to remember our passwords. Security in this respect is best gained by using different, varied passwords with letters, numbers, and case changes.
Do you have any tips for keeping secure on the web? Share them in the comments.