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My Laptop’s Ethernet Port Isn’t Working. What Can I Do?

If the Ethernet port is damaged, purchase a USB to Ethernet converter.
The laptop Ethernet port is integrated into the motherboard, which makes it hard to replace only that part without swapping out the entire motherboard.

Since it just doesn’t make sense to throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water, just make it possible to plug into another port that is undamaged with a USB to Ethernet converter.

Fortunately, these converters are relatively inexpensive, so there’s no need to despair. Converters are available at virtually any store with an electronics section and there isn’t much difference between converters.

One thing you may wish to consider is to purchase the latest model of adapter, even if your current laptop is not new.

These converters are backward compatible, so the latest USB 3.0 to Gigabit Ethernet adapter works with even the oldest computers with older USB ports.

With the latest version as part of your arsenal, you can still use it in the future with a newer laptop.
These adapters have another great feature which is that they don’t require any technical knowledge, saving you time and money for installation and troubleshooting in case of problems.

Simply plug it in the USB port, and it’s ready to deploy your Ethernet connection, getting you back online without any hassle.

Windows automatically detects the adapter and the operating system installs the appropriate drivers for you.

Remember to use an in-line surge protector on your Ethernet cable, particularly if you travel frequently.

Considerations When Buying A Home Wireless Router

Wi-Fi Router vectorChoosing and buying a router for your wireless internet at home can be a frustrating experience; you want speed, performance and coverage as well as longevity in the life of your upgraded router.

It’s not an easy task if you add to it the complexity of all those numbers attached to the router and the knowledge required to install it.

So, here are few considerations that will help you choose your next wireless router:

What’s the end goal?
Ask yourself: why am I buying a router? If it’s simply to build a wireless network at home and have access to the Internet, you could probably get away with a router at under $200.

However, if you want extra features, such as added security, parental controls, the ability to connect USB printers, and added external storage drives for data sharing, you need to search for a higher end router.

Also, you may not even need to have a wireless router in your house, especially if you use a PC or laptop that is already connected to a cable or DSL modem and there are no other devices that need to be connected wirelessly to the internet.

Should you go for a single or dual band?
Bands are the frequencies in which wireless communications operate. A single-band is geared toward simple wireless networks and a dual-band router operates on both the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies.

Although a router that sustains the 5 GHz frequency will work great for gaming and online streaming, it is not as good as the 2.4 when it comes to distance. So, consider the distance you need to cover when choosing the required band.

Further considerations
When buying your next router, remember that soon enough the 6th version of the Internet Protocol (IPv6) will be here, so you will need a router that supports this transition.

Another consideration is extra features that a router may offer, such as SD card slots and USB ports for printers for example.

If you want to future-proof your investment, make sure you get an 802.11 AC router, which is fast becoming the standard in wireless networking.

Finally, even with home networks, the more security, the better!

(Image Source: iCLIPART)

The Internet: Employees Are Wasting Your Money

By Tech Experts Staff
With today’s tight budgets every business is making cuts in some fashion. One interesting fact is that, in the United States, businesses waste some $760 billion every year on unproductive payroll.

If companies could find a way to cut back on this waste, then they would not need to cut as much elsewhere.

What do employees do to waste almost a trillion dollars a year? According to numerous studies, employees waste an average of just over two hours per day on unproductive or non-work related activities.

If you take that average and multiply it across your workforce, how much money could you be saving if you knew how? Fortunately we can help!

Internet Abuse Costly
While we don’t have a way to solve all of your company’s time wasting issues, we do have several solutions for the number one time waster by employees: Internet abuse.

Internet usage is the cause of nearly 50% of wasted time in the workplace! That adds up to 364 hours of wasted time per employee per year.

This is an incredibly easy fix, technically, and there are numerous prevention measures you can implement.

Acceptable Use Policy
The first prevention measure to help to prevent misuse of company time: Let your employees know what is – and is not – acceptable on your company network.

While most employees know that being online and goofing off is not right, if they haven’t been told they tend to not think twice. Implement a comprehensive acceptable use policy in your employee handbook.

Employees should be told what is acceptable and what consequences are in place should the acceptable use policy be breached.

Implement Filtering
The second way to keep employees from misusing the company network is to have proper measures in place to prevent unauthoroized use.

Most higher end routers have the ability to add websites to a filter and block them. This is a great way to prevent employees from having access to unauthorized or unnecessary websites.

If you don’t mind employees having access to websites such as Facebook during certain hours of the day, say lunch for example, then a policy can be put in place to allow access to these websites only during the specified hours.

While we don’t recommend access to websites such as Facebook on company networks, due to the possibility of easily accessing infected websites, ads, or popups, there are some companies that allow this.

Some companies have smaller networks where it is harder to justify the cost of a high end router, but still want to be able to control their employee’s network use.

For companies like this, there are other options. For example, there are some DNS providers that specialize in blocking non-work access. You simply point your router to the service to block the websites you don’t want employees to have access to.

One other option for those on a tight budget is to manually block websites by turning on the content advisor within each computers Internet settings and allowing only those specific sites an employee needs to complete their work.

Monitor Compliance
The final step is to have some sort of monitoring system in place and let your employees know it is being checked. Letting your employees know their usage is being tracked and monitored is generally an effective deterrent.

There are many different monitoring systems that can be installed on a user’s workstation and that run silently in the background. These systems can monitor everything on a user’s computers from keystrokes to taking screen shots of a user’s computer.

If you would like to speak with us on steps to improve your businesses productivity and cut down on wasted time give us a call. No matter what the size of your business, there are steps that can be put in place to help combat this rampant problem.

Making Use Of Google To Help Your Day Run Smoother

The Internet is a very big place. Anyone who wishes to use the Internet in an effective manner needs to be familiar with search engines.

Google has become the primary choice for millions of users, although there are some others.

One of the main reasons for Google’s popularity and general reputation as being the best of the search engines is that they keep on coming up with new methods for surfing the Internet.

For instance, if you wish to look up a news story or current event, then http://news.google.com allows you to instantly have access to news stories that are literally just a couple of minutes old.

Anyone who is looking for a picture of just about anything is almost sure to find it at http://images.google.com, which is quite possibly the largest image search engine in the whole world.

If you’re looking for map or address information, check out http://maps.google.com – hundreds of thousands of addresses now have street view, showing you the actual view from a car in front of the building you’re looking for.

Google also has specific search engines for books, videos and even stock market developments.

Are Discount-Promoting Sites Right For Your Business?

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

“You’ve undoubtedly heard about Groupon, the Internet company that sells discount coupons for everything from spa visits to cosmetic surgery. Their IPO last November was the largest since Google, and raised about $700 million.

You might wonder if adding a Groupon or Groupon-like promotion to your marketing mix makes sense.

There are dozens of companies that provide these types of promotions (Groupon isn’t the only game in town), including our local newspaper – see http://dailydeals.monroenews.com (offered as illustration only, and not endorsement).

Personally, I’m skeptical of both the marketing value and the business model. Don’t get me wrong! As a small business owner, I’m not really a fan of discounting, but I understand that it can be a powerfully effective marketing tool. I do, however, question its viability when used on a mass scale for new customer acquisition.

The Groupon model
Groupon’s model, in particular, has some quirks that make me skeptical.

After a deal goes out and coupon buyers pay for the deal upfront, Groupon doesn’t pay out the merchant’s portion immediately.

Instead, it pays out in three equal installments over a period of up to 60 days.

In contrast, Living Social and Amazon’s Local service pay out 100% to merchants within 15 days. Google’s service, Google Offers, pays 80% within four days and the rest within 90 days.

Smaller businesses that are always concerned about cash flow can really get into a bind, since they have to honor the coupons immediately and then wait to collect their portion from Groupon.

The whole “I take your money now, and I’ll give you your cut later” thing strikes me as a bit Ponzi-like, especially since almost two months go by before the merchant is paid.

Mass discounting
It makes sense to take a step back and examine discounting and coupon in the larger context of a small business marketing plan.

The first consideration, of course, is targeting. Small companies don’t have the budgets or luxuries afforded to large companies. Food manufacturers, for example, are very effective at using coupons, the Sunday paper being a perfect example.

The reasons they’re effective are mass distribution – they print hundreds of thousands of coupons, offering untold amounts of cash discounts – and mass appeal. Their target market is essentially anyone that goes to the grocery store or buys food.

Small business promotion
Discount promotions like Groupon are quite a bit different when used by a small company. You don’t have the option to target your audience, and targeting is the most important part of a promotion when budgets are low and risks are high. I don’t think you’d argue that a 50% discount is a potentially high risk marketing expense.

Groupon’s emails go out to everyone in a specific geographic area, and you have no ability to target your reach.

The concern, particularly for smaller, locally-based businesses, is that you attract not only customers that really aren’t right for your business, but the type of consumer that is only motivated by price slashing.

The Bottom Line
Be very careful about using daily deal mass discounting to acquire new customers.

Think about how it can downgrade the image of your company to your current clients, damage your brand, and attract a group of clients whose only interest is in a “deal.”

You can quite likely do much better with laser targeted promotions to your ideal type of customer. Easy and cheap marketing is rarely the profitable marketing.

Internet Security: What Are They Surfing At Work?

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

A recent survey of business owners and IT managers found that employees are using company computers, Internet access, e-mail, and other resources to conduct hours of non-work related activities.  And the problem is on the rise.

Some of these activities simply waste time, like day trading and monitoring eBay bids. However, some of the activities are malicious and can cause serious issues with a company’s server and network.

Here are a few incidents that were reported by the IT managers that were surveyed:

• One employee was caught running a gambling website and acting as a bookie for his co-workers.

• To bypass the company’s web filter, one employee was caught using his desktop computer as an FTP server for the other employees. He had downloaded and saved over 300GB of material, all on his work computer, using his company’s Internet connection and undoubtedly slowing down their systems.

• One employee was caught giving away confidential information such as price lists, contracts, and software code for application development.

• Another employee had a pretty lucrative side business stealing and selling company inventory on eBay.

• One woman was caught running an online “outcall” service from her desk.

• One employee was caught renting the corporate IP address to hacker friends to attack other company’s computers and networks.

While these scenarios seem outrageous, they are not uncommon. Of the 300 companies surveyed, almost one-third have fired an employee in the last 12 months for violating e-mail policies, and 52 percent of companies said they have disciplined an employee for violating e-mail rules in the past year.

Educating your employees through an acceptable use policy is simply not enough. If the requirements are not enforced, employees will accidentally or intentionally violate your rules.

That’s why every company needs to invest in good e-mail and web filtering software. Just having it in place will act as a deterrent for such activities. If something really is going on – like an employee leaking confidential information to a competitor or sending racial or sexist jokes through your company’s e-mail – you’ll be able to catch it and resolve the issue proactively, instead of reacting to it after the fact.

Additionally, a good web filter will prevent employees from accessing inappropriate material online, wasting time on non-work activities, downloading viruses and spyware, and using up company bandwidth to download photos and music.

Top 5 Ways to “Break” Your Computer

Here are the top five most common ways to “break” your computer. The reason break is in quotations is because no matter what happens to your computer we can almost always fix it…it just doesn’t make sense sometimes from a financial stand point to do so.

My computer won’t turn on
This very common situation and can be caused by many different things.

One common cause, however, that IS preventable is the computer overheating.

The first step to preventing this issue is to put the computer on an elevated surface instead of the floor if you have the space to do so.

The reason you want to do this is normal everyday foot traffic around or near the computer kicks up a lot of dust and debris that can coat the insides of a computer and cause the processor to not be cooled properly.

The other step you want to take to prevent this issue is to take a can of air and blow out the computer on occasion.

We do NOT recommend open­ing the case and doing the interior yourself as it is possible to cause damage to components.

My computer is running really slow
Yet again another common scenario we hear almost every day.

Unfortunately, there is no way to completely avoid this, but there are some ways to slow it down.

As your operating system instal­lation ages, and depending on how much it is used, the operating system, and software files in it can become damaged or corrupt, which slows your computer down.

The best way to combat this issue is to make sure that your uninstall­ing unused programs through the control panel, and simply keeping unused junk files clean off of your com­puter.

The more you keep your computer and OS the way it was when you pur­chased it the better it will run.

This can also happen if you shut your computer down improperly. Always go through the Start Menu/ Shutdown process when powering off your computer.

Constant popups are interrupting me and making my PC slow
Almost always, this very com­mon issue is caused by a virus or spyware on your computer.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any fool-proof methods of preventing a virus or malware attack.

The best thing you can do to help prevent an infection is to have anti­virus software installed on your PC, but keep in mind, even this does not guarantee you will not get a virus/ malware infection.

The other step to help prevent this is to only go to websites that are considered to be “safe,” meaning they are legitimate websites that its owners would not be trying to gain access to your PC or have any reason to infect your computer.

The most common place for users to get viruses and malware is from browsing the web for free items such as software, movies, music, etc. or even from emails.

Unfortunately, if you do end up be­ing infected by a virus, they’re very difficult to completely remove.

The process used to properly remove a virus is complex and if not done properly can damage your computers operating system and/or cause data loss.

That being said even if you bring the computer in it is possible for a virus to attach itself to a file and damage it permanently so even we may not be able to recover all of your files in the event of a very bad infection.

In most cases we are able to remove all viruses/malware from a system and the user not even notice that they ever had one. There are times, though, where the virus does irreversible damage.

My computer can’t get online
This is another common issue, and is most often caused by the above issue – viruses or spyware on the computer.

Viruses, spyware and malware have all kinds of different effects on the computer. When that is not the cause there are several other issues that may come into play.

As long as other computers at your home/business are able to get online the issue is more than likely due to a setting on your computer itself.

The most common instance I can think of with laptops is the user ac­cidentally switches the WiFi switch to the off position (and doesn’t realize the laptop even had a WiFi switch).

In a desktop, however, as long as the connection issue has not been caused by failing hardware, it is usually caused by a setting changed within the computer.

Connection issues encompass a number of possible settings on the computer, so it’s hard to give you all the information to properly troubleshoot this issue in a small newsletter article.

When it comes to connection issues your best bet is to give us a call and let us diagnose the issue for you.

We troubleshoot many connectivity issues here in the shop as well as onsite. So, no matter where your problem lies, we can get you back online.

Windows told me I had some updates so I installed them. Now my computer won’t boot
Windows updates are almost always important, but they can also be complex in how they interact with your operating system and installed software.

Unfortunately, since most of the updates address serious security risks they must be installed.

The best practice regarding updates is to review them immediately, and perhaps even download them to the machine, but wait a few days in case there are issues with the updates.

If Microsoft finds that there are is­sues with a patch, even though they do test them to begin with, they will pull the update off of Windows updates until the issue is resolved.

This will help prevent you from getting an update that can cause a problem.

Hardware driver updates are by far the most common type of update that “breaks” the computer.

We generally don’t recommend downloading them unless you are having a problem with your current driver, or there’s a serious security issue with the current driver.

With hardware sometimes it’s better to go with the “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broke” sentiment. If you do mistakenly update and then are unable to get into Windows, bring your computer in and we can get the issue corrected!

These are a few of the common is­sues that we see every week. Hope­fully this short list can help keep your system running smoothly, and help you solve basic issues.

Featured Article Written By: Tech Experts

How To Ensure A Safe And Virus-free Internet Experience

Visiting websites like Facebook, Ebay, or Youtube at work may keep you busy while there’s “nothing to do.” However, if your computer system isn’t properly protected, you run the risk of a virus or malware infection.

We’ve put together some of our best tips in this “safe browsing habits” article. Following these general guidelines can help protect you against Internet based threats.

One of the dangers faced by users when they browse the Internet is a hacker or infected computer accessing the browser’s cookies. Cookies are small text files saved on the computer by the server of the page the user is visiting.

The information cookies contain is usually related to the page being visited, which can include user names and passwords, browsing preferences, etc.

Java Applets and JavaScripts can also put users at risk. Although the majority of these programs that are run on the user’s computer at the request of the server are harmless, they can be designed to steal system information and send it to a malicious user.

Another threat that is becoming one of the most dangerous threats on the Internet is phishing. This technique involves tricking users into thinking that are visiting a legitimate web page, when they are actually visiting a malicious page.

This technique is particularly dangerous when the malicious page simulates an online banking page. Web pages that perfectly imitate the appearance and functions of well-known banking entities are becoming increasingly common-place on the Internet and entice users into entering personal data that will fall directly in the hands of unscrupulous cyber criminals.

But that’s not all. There are also viruses that are capable of getting into computers when users browse the Internet. To do this, they usually exploit vulnerabilities that allow them to install themselves on computers without the user realizing.

The malicious code that have the capacity to do this include many Trojans designed to steal confidential information from affected computers.

Online banking
When making transactions on the Internet, check that the process is carried out through a secure server. Several characteristics identify these types of servers. One of these is the address that appears in the address bar in the browser, which starts with https://.

What’s more, a padlock or key icon will appear in the browser window. If the padlock is closed or the key is complete (not broken), the server is secure.

Disable cookies
Another recommendation is to disable the cookies from the toolbar in the browser you are using. Although they must be enabled in order to access some web pages, they can be enabled temporarily.

Even though it may be tiresome enabling and disabling the cookies, it can prevent a lot of serious problems.

Double check the URL
To avoid falling victim to phishing scams, make sure that the page you are visiting is legitimate. To do this, copy the URL of the website you want to visit and paste it in the address bar of the browser. It is also advisable to identify and monitor the Java Applets and JavaScripts on the system to avoid any nasty surprises.

Raise your security level
Raise the security zone in the browser to ‘medium’ or ‘high.’ This can be done from the toolbar in the browser you are using.

Anti-virus is key
Finally, make sure that you have a reliable antivirus installed, which is updated at least daily. This will prevent malicious code from slipping into your computer while you are browsing the Internet.

Why Internet Predators Love Social Network Sites

Internet predators have become a fixture of sorts on many social media sites which necessitates the need for users to exercise caution.

Since the advent of the Internet “instances” of cyber crime have evolved into regular and expected occurrences.

Now the growing popularity of social network sites has cyber criminals taking direct aim at them with their Internet scams.

What is it that makes the social networks such an attractive target for this type criminal behavior?

Here are 3 very “inviting” reasons:

Casual Atmosphere
Social network sites are meant for just what they imply and that is to socialize.

This type of atmosphere is casual and relaxed therefore people for the most part are NOT expecting devious behavior.

It is just this type atmosphere that cyber criminals depend upon and thrive in. Their ability to manipulate others is based upon a “blind” trust or having others believe in their own sense of security.

Ease of Use
Most social media sites by and large are set up to be easy to use and navigate. This allows even the less than ‘tech savvy’ to become involved, but they also bring along their own naive nature relative to Internet security issues.

This makes them even easier prey since they are unaware of or unfamiliar with many Internet scams.

This ease of use on the other hand has also made it just as convenient for the “sinister online element” to gain access to their unsuspecting prey.

There are no security systems to work around or advanced coding to decipher therefore the “door” is wide open for the criminal element to gain easy access.

Popularity
As we all know crime always seems to gravitate towards the largest population bases offline and this remains true online as well. The very popularity of social media sites has put them in the “cross hairs” of the devious minded predators that lurk on the Internet.

Safety in numbers is NOT something innocent site members can count on when interacting within online social communities.

Internet predators have settled in quite comfortably on many social media sites to the point that they have almost become accepted “fixtures” to users.

For the 3 reasons we have spoken of above cyber criminals are attracted to many of the online communities.

The structure of these sites offers the perfect opportunity for the criminal element to successfully implement their Internet scams.

For the users they must simply be aware that cyber crime does exist and will continue to do so calling for the need to exercise caution when socializing online.

 

Strong Passwords Keep Your Personal Information Secure

A recent ZoneAlarm survey revealed that 79 percent of consumers use risky password construction practices, such as including personal information and words.

The survey also revealed that 26 percent of respondents reuse the same password for important accounts such as e-mail, banking or shopping and social networking sites.

In addition, nearly 8 percent admit to copying an entire password found online in a listing of “good” passwords.

Given these numbers, it’s no wonder that 29 percent of respondents had their own e-mail or social network account hacked, and that over half (52 percent) know someone who has had a similar problem.

The first step a hacker will take when attempting to break into a computer or secure account is try to guess the victim’s password.

Automated programs are available to repeatedly guess passwords from a database of common words and other information.

Once a hacker gains access to one account, almost 30 percent of the time that information can be used to access other sites that contain financial data such as bank account numbers and credit card information. To ensure you stay safe online, here are a few tips for creating a strong password.

Use Unique Passwords For Each Account
Choose different and unique passwords for each account.

Passwords Should Be Eight To Ten Characters Long
Choose a password that is at least eight to 10 characters long. This should be long enough to prevent brute force attacks, which consist of trying every possible combination of a password until the right one is found.

Avoid Using Personal Information
Make sure your password is difficult for someone to guess. Do not use names of any kind, including your login name, family member’s name or a pet’s name. Also avoid using personal information such as a phone number, birthday or place of birth.

Avoid Words In The Dictionary
Avoid words that can be found in the dictionary. With the availability of online dictionaries, it is easy for someone to write a program to test all of the words until they find the right one.

Avoid Repeating Characters Or Sequences
Stay away from repeated characters or easy to guess sequences. For example: 77777, 12345, or abcde.

Use Numbers, Letters And Special Characters
Choose a password that is a mixture of numbers, letters and special characters. The more complex and random it is, the harder it will be to crack.

Use Word Fragments
Use fragments of words that will not be found in a dictionary. Break the word in half and put a special character in the middle.

Frequently Change Your Passwords
Change your passwords often. Even if someone cracks the system password file, the password they obtain is not likely to last long.

Cyber crime is on the rise. Taking the time to actively choose secure passwords will protect your identity, banking information and personal information. And remember, writing your password on a sticky note on your monitor isn’t secure!