Your business network is crucial, just think where you would be without your company intranet or the ability to share data with your colleagues. If your company has multiple branches and your work depends on sharing data between sites then considering your networking options is especially important.  Here we will examine two of the best networking solutions; VPN and MPLS, comparing them and listing their pros and cons to allow you to make informed decisions about the future of your business networking.

MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching)

A system linking all your business sites into one private data network managed by a central provider. By linking in this way you create a WAN (Wide Area Network) but MPLS differs from a traditional WAN in several ways. Implementing an MPLS involves setting up a path for the transfer of data packets, each of which is identified by a label. This makes data transfer faster than with a traditional WAN as the label is used to identify the destination, rather than relying on a router to look up the receiving address.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A network which uses the internet to connect nodes and provide access to your business network. Security protocols encrypt data before it is sent and decrypt it at the other end ensuring that, although data is sent using public networks, it is completely secure.  Through a VPN a company can share data and access network resources, printers, databases, websites and anything normally accessed through a server. A VPN can be used to support remote access to a company intranet, or to connect multiple intranets between the same organisation. VPNs can also join networks between two organisations, providing an extranet. We use Draytek routers to create VPNs, find out more about which routers we recommend here.

For more information and advice on choosing the best networking solution for your business contact us at sales AT flint-it DOT com or call 0845 3309680.

Managed IT support for small and medium companies in Aylesbury, Stevenage, Biggleswade and Hemel Hempstead.

THE PROBLEM

In our line of work we frequently come across users struggling with slow computers. We know how annoying this can be, especially when you’ve got a big deadline to meet. In the majority of cases this is easily fixed though, so if you are struggling with a slow computer don’t panic.

One of the most common causes we come across is an overfull mailbox. Having massive amounts of email drastically slows down your Outlook, and has a negative effect on your overall PC performance. You may be someone who always moves unwanted emails out of your inbox, but do you regularly empty your ‘Junk Email’ and ‘Deleted Items’ folders? Emails in here take up space in just the same way as those in your inbox, so it is important to do a regular clear up. It’s so easy to do and takes seconds, just follow the steps below.

THE SOLUTION

1. Open your ‘Deleted Items’ folder and quickly scan the contents to check there is nothing you need to keep.
2. Right click on your ‘Deleted Items’ folder and select ‘empty folder’ as shown to the right.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for your ‘Junk Email’ folder.
4. Note that this process permanently deletes mail, so don’t be tempted to skip step 1.

This will clear out all junk mail and leave your Outlook clean and tidy, as well as speeding up your PC.

If you are still having problems with a slow running PC feel free to give us a call. We are currently offering a free 1hour audit of your IT systems. There are no obligations attached and we will give you a free report on the health of your computers, servers and networks.

Related Blog Posts: 20 Tips to Clean-Up and Secure Your Email Inbox
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If you are a small business located in Luton or Milton Keynes, let us look after your IT systems while you get on with running your business.

The Broadband Dilemma

Choosing the right internet connection for your business can be tricky, there seem to be endless options available and every company offers different connections and different prices. We know how indispensable high-quality broadband is for any business and that is why we want to give you the know-how you need to make the best, most informed choices.

Traditional Broadband Options

The standard business broadband options open to you are ADSL, SDSL and Annex M. ADSL will give you maximum speeds of 24Mb download and 1Mb upload, however the speeds available to you will depend on your distance from the telephone exchange.

SDSL and Annex M are designed for companies who need to upload large amounts of data; download speeds are cut to give you increased upload capabilities.

VDSL2

VDSL2 will give you maximum speeds of 40Mb download and 10Mb upload, and is now available for the same price as traditional ADSL connections. The beauty of VDSL is in the way that you receive the connection; VDSL uses Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) technology. This means that broadband travels along copper wire from the BT cabinet in your street to you, whereas with ADSL it travels along copper all the way from the exchange. Clearly you are more likely to be close to a BT cabinet than you are to a telephone exchange, meaning that VDSL allows for greater coverage for businesses currently restricted by ADSLs distance limitations.

FTTC technology has not yet been rolled out across the whole of the UK, but BT are planning many more roll outs across the next year. To check if your area is enabled visit the SamKnows website, enter your phone number and postcode and click the BT FTTC tab.

EFM

Copper Ethernet, also known as EFM, offers speeds from 2Mb up to 35Mb and is the most reliable connection available. There is no need for a backup connection as EFM utilises a double copper core, effectively providing a built in backup connection and practically guaranteeing you uninterrupted connectivity. We believe that EFM – with its guaranteed reliability and throughput – is the future of broadband.

Through our broadband partners we now offer one of the UK’s widest ranges of business broadband services at competitive prices. For more details on the different types of broadband available from us, including all those mentioned above, download our free ‘Demystifying Broadband’ report here.

Flint IT can set up broadband and backup broadband for businesses in the Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire or Bedfordshire area

There are so many different scams, hackers, viruses and hoaxes out there on the internet now that you could be risking the security of your business every time you go online. Fortunately for every different threat there seems to be a different solution, offering you almost endless options of programs to protect your network whilst online.

One we use regularly at Flint IT is Open DNS; a cloud-based internet security solution which protects you whilst online and can also speed up your internet connection. The way it works is that you adjust your router configuration slightly so that you access the internet through their secure DNS servers rather than your own ISP server. The DNS databases have constantly updated lists of sites which are harmful, and know all about the latest threats. The DNS server then blocks your internet connection when you try to access harmful sites, or when they detect an incoming scam or virus.

A router configuration adjustment is all you need to do once you have registered for Open DNS; there is no software to download and this makes it an incredibly lightweight solution. In addition, premium Open DNS is free and will give you powerful protection from all types of malicious software no matter how big or small your IT network is.

One thing Open DNS protects you from is phishing; attacks where cyber criminals pretend to be a well-known and trusted program to get access to your personal details, credit card numbers or log-in credentials. Take the Open DNS phishing quiz now to find out how good you are at identifying phishing attacks, and learn what to look out for. It also acts as a good introduction to the functions of Open DNS and its ability to identify phishing scams by automatically blocking harmful sites.

For more details or if you have any questions contact us at sales AT flint-it DOT com or call 0845 3309680.

Flint IT provide 24/7 IT monitoring for businesses in Dunstable and Luton

This is the last of three posts about some of the new Windows 7 features, and it introduces you to ‘Peek’.

The Peek feature allows you to see through all your open windows back to the desktop, without having to minimise all your windows one-by-one.

If you need to see past open windows to the gadgets and icons on your desktop simply hover your mouse over the right-hand side of your taskbar as shown below, and watch all your windows vanish.

Alternatively press and hold Windows Key  and Spacebar to peek at your desktop, or use Windows Key  and D to minimise all windows and go straight to desktop. Repeat this key combination to undo the minimise action.

To learn more about the Peek feature watch this video from Windows.

For help setting up or using Windows 7 call Flint IT on 0845 3309680 or email sales AT flint-it DOT com

Find out more about our backup email solutions and keep your business connected

This is the second of a three-part blog series on the new features of Windows 7. You may have read the last one on how to Aero Snap, and this time we are looking at another Windows 7 feature; Shake.

Shake is a tool made with multi-tasking in mind; it allows you to quickly focus on a single window in the midst of a cluttered desktop. If you like to have multiple windows open at once and work on lots of things at the same time then this feature is perfect for you.

When you get to a point where you need to focus hard on a single task without all your open windows getting in the way, just grab the top of the window you want and give it a shake with your mouse. All other windows will disappear, instantly minimised. When you begin to miss your multitude of windows simply repeat the process and they all reappear.

If you prefer to use your keyboard, press Windows Key and Home to minimise all windows except the one you are working on. Repeat this action to restore all the windows.

Watch this video from Windows to learn more about using the Shake feature.

For help setting up or using Windows 7 call Flint IT on 0845 3309680 or email sales AT flint-it DOT com

Contact Flint IT to get a free IT audit for your small business

We all know that viruses are harmful and can do serious damage to your computer. Equally we know that malware and spyware can signal a major problem for your PC and are out there lurking on the internet ready to jump onto your computer and cause your working day to grind to a halt.

Most people are less aware what these terms actually mean. We hope that this post will make you more aware of what these threats are and, more importantly, help you to better protect yourself and deal with any problems that may arise.

Virus: A small software program which is designed to spread between computers and interfere with
routine operations. The most common way of spreading viruses is through email attachments
or instant messages. They can also be spread through the internet, hidden in software that
you may download.

Protect your computer from viruses by being vigilant; never open an email attachment if you
do not recognise the sender. If you recognise the sender but weren’t expecting an attachment
from them it is wise to contact them and check whether they meant to include an attachment.
Make sure that you are running the latest updates of all your software, and be especially
aware of any updates relating to your anti-virus software. Only the latest update will be
programmed to deal with the latest threats so keeping updated is key.

Malware: An abbreviation of ‘malicious software’, it is software that is designed to damage or
disable computers, servers or networks. Malware can track your browsing habits and use
links or pop-ups to direct you to harmful websites. Malware often comes with other
programs which you may download and use; file sharing software is one of the biggest
risks. Although you can get malware by visiting one harmful site, it is most commonly
downloaded by the user where it then multiplies. It’s so easy to do this if you are
unaware of the risks, but getting rid of it can often present a challenge.

Because malware is a relatively new threat, many anti-virus programs are not built to
defend against it. This makes it all the more important to constantly run the latest update
of your anti-virus program. It is also a good idea to download a dedicated malware
remover, even if your anti-virus does protect against malware. A good one is
‘Malwarebytes’ which is free to download and will find and get rid of malware on your
system. Once downloaded it is a good idea to run a scan every so often to makes sure
your systems are clean.

Malware is a general term for harmful programs and includes spyware, adware, hijackers, toolbars and dialers.

Spyware: As the name suggests, spyware sends information about you and your computer to
someone else. This could be information about your browsing history, internet shopping
habits or files you download. Login names, passwords, phone numbers and addresses can
also be picked up by spyware.

Adware: Places advertisements on your screen in the form of pop-ups, embedded in programs or at
the top of websites. These are usually only activated when you are surfing the internet,
and are often related to the pages you view.

Hijackers: Take control of your web browser and can redirect you to harmful websites or prevent
you from accessing others. Some will redirect you to their own search engine. Hijackers
usually target Internet Explorer.

Toolbars: You probably know and use toolbars such as Google and Yahoo, malicious toolbars exploit
this by emulating these harmless toolbars and can direct you to harmful sites or simply
slow down your computer.

Dialers: Set up your modem connection to connect to a 1-900 number which diverts money to the
number’s owner and leaves you with a large phone bill.

Now you know what some of the most common threats look like we hope you will be able to identify threats that may attack your own computer systems. These things are always more easily fixed if caught early so the best thing you can do to protect your computer is to stay vigilant whilst using the internet and email systems, keep your anti-virus software updated at all times and conduct anti-malware scans regularly.

This will ensure that any harmful software which does slip through your protection is identified and dealt with before it can do lasting damage.

For more details or if you have any questions contact us at sales AT flint-it DOT com or call 0845 3309680

Flint IT provides IT help for small and medium businesses in St. Albans, Milton Keynes and the surrounding area

Aero Snap is a new feature in Windows 7 which helps you manage windows you are working on. Drag the window to the edge of the screen and drop it – it will automatically resize to fit your screen and stick where you want it, allowing you to see and work on multiple windows at once as shown below.

Do this quickly with shortcut keys:

1. WIN+DOWN to minimise selected window
2. WIN+UP to maximise selected window
3. WIN+LEFT ARROW to snap window to left of desktop
4. WIN+RIGHT ARROW to snap window to right of desktop
5. WIN+HOME to minimise all but the current window
6. WIN+SHIFT+UP ARROW to stretch selected window to top and bottom of screen

Other useful shortcuts for Windows 7 are:

1. CTRL+SHIFT+N to create a new folder
2. CTRL+N to open new window
3. CTRL+W to close selected window
4. WIN+SPACE or WIN+D to show desktop
5. On dual monitor WIN+SHIFT+LEFT/RIGHT to move selected window to other screen
6. WIN+P to connect your laptop to a projector

If you would like a printable version of this document please email us at sales AT flint-it DOT com, and we will send you a PDF version for you to put up in your office.

Look out for future blog posts detailing more new Windows 7 features such as Peek and Shake.

Visit our IT website to find out more about IT support in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

‘No, we have all we need thank you’.

This is usually our reaction when we are being sold something; most of us are wary of investing in something new. This can be especially true in business; we know times are hard and money is tight, and you are probably happy to put up with the idiosyncrasies of your existing IT rather than fork out more money to replace it.

The Risks:

We know how much outdated or faulty IT systems could be costing your business; often we come across companies who think they are saving money although in actual fact they are losing time and profits by working on slow machines which constantly break down, reducing efficiency and potentially risking security.

We think it is important to push aside your first reaction to this question, just for a moment, to be honest with yourself while answering the following questions.

1)      How old are your current IT systems? Think about the technological advances made over the last 5 years – what are you be missing out on?

2)      How good are your current systems? Do they really meet the requirements of your business?

3)      How often do your employees complain about your IT systems? Are outdated systems making their jobs harder or more frustrating than they need to be?

4)      Do staff spend time trying to fix faulty IT, or on the phone to IT support instead of running the business?

5)      How much do you spend a month on IT repair?

6)      How much time and energy are your employees losing to unreliable IT systems?

7)      How would you cope if your current systems crashed and you lost important business data or access to email?

8)      What if outdated IT systems compromised security and important data was stolen or leaked?

Every company thinks server failure or IT outage will never happen to them, but unfortunately it frequently does where companies haven’t invested enough in their IT systems.

Why not take a few minutes at your next team meeting to discuss the answers to the questions above and formulate a plan for next year’s IT spend. Often you can improve performance and efficiency by investing in simple upgrades to the technology you already have.

Flint IT are now offering a free 1 hour IT audit for your company. Just give us a call on 0845 3309680 or email sales AT flint-it DOT com to book an appointment. Our technicians will give you an honest and unbiased report on the health of your current IT at no obligation and completely free.

Talk to us about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems for small businesses in Milton Keynes, Harpenden and St. Albans