Category: Networking Page 4 of 7

Tips on Computer Networking For Small Office

On January 10, 2014

December 10, 2013

Small office computing differs from enterprise networks, in having modest computing and networking requirements. A typical small office network consists of about a dozen computers and a few printers or scanners. The key requirement of such a network is that it should allow the users to share information and peripherals. A small office network usually requires a single LAN with one or two servers, which can be managed by a single person with technical expertise.

Enlisted below are some basic tips for networking for a small office:

The most important step to establish a small office network is to ensure as strong foundation for the network. This includes investing in business-grade switches and routers for the network.

You will also need to ensure scalability for the network. This will make it possible to easily add or remove computers from the network, as per the changing needs of your company, as well as additional features and functionality as required.

It is a good idea to have built-in redundancy for your network, to ensure a good backup system for your network.

Opting for wireless access could enable a great deal of freedom for your small office network, through the use of devices like Wireless Laptops, P.D.A’s, printers, and cameras. It could also be useful in the event of having to set up a temporary office, where network access was not originally planned. The decreased use of cables also makes the office environment safer. However, wired networks offer the advantages of being more reliable, having a lower cost and offering faster connection speeds.

Some essential features that you should opt for include Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video surveillance, integrated messaging, and wireless applications.

It is advisable to use switches with inlet power, which will make them easier to install, use, and manage. While choosing features for your network, you should take into account their reliability and redundancy.

You can ensure prime security for your small office network by keeping the server room under lock and key, and ensuring that the VPN is administered internally. All the equipment and network gear should be password protected.

It is also advisable to use VLANs, which are LANs connected with a router. Public websites can be on a separate LAN secured by a firewall, and the servers can be on an individual LAN.

Tips On Planning A Big Office Network

By centexitguy

On October 11, 2013

In IT Support, Networking

October 8, 2013

The first step while planning a big office network is to evaluate the capacity needs of your current network. For this, you need to perform an inventory of all your network locations, which should include the available internet bandwidth, internet access type (VPN, DSL, etc.), and the location name. It is also important to take into consideration the building blocks of your office, which might influence the strength of a wireless network. You must consider the number of access points and bandwidth that your business will need to achieve the expected productivity gains. Along with this, you must also take into account the long-term maintenance of these access points, through centrally-managed controller appliances.

Once you have decided on the number of WLAN access points for your large business, you need to determine the power requirements of these access points, which is usually less than 15 watts. You can consider using power injectors placed along the line within 100 meters, as these provide greater flexibility than conventional power sources.

The next important consideration should be the security of your network. This is critical, considering that you depend on your network for a vast majority of your business functions, including communication, billing, inventory, sales, and trading. A network security breach could cost you heavily in terms of lost revenue and customer litigation.

While it is important to ensure that your network is highly secure, you must ensure that the security of the network does not come in way of its usability. Having a well-drafted network security plan is a good way to ensure effective network security. This should include all the major aspects of network security, such as email and communications activities, identity policy, remote access policy, encryption policy, password policy, antivirus policy, and acceptable use policy. Your network should be equipped with security technologies like firewall, Virtual Private Network (VPN), identity management, content security, and compliance validation.

Avoid interchanging home access points with multiple access points at the office. Even though these might be cheaper, they are likely to interfere with the seamless connection required at the workplace. Also, remember that just because an access point is at an easy location, does not mean it is the best location.

We at Centex Technologies design and implement computer networks for medium and large businesses. For more information call us at – (855) 375-9654

How Integrating Social Plugins To Your Portals Is Beneficial

By centexitguy

On August 16, 2013

In Internet marketing, Networking, SEO Marketing

August 17, 2013

The power of social media in the world of web marketing is undisputable, which is why it makes sense to tap this power for your business portal. Incorporating social plugins on your website/ blog is probably the simplest, quickest, and most efficient way to do this. Social media sites allow you to implement a wide range of social plugins into your portal, granting you access to the millions of users who remain logged on to these sites all day long while perusing the internet. The best part is that you do not have to be a coding maestro to integrate these social plugins on your website. All that it takes is some very basic knowledge of coding.

One of the most commonly added plugins are Facebook plugins, which can be attributed to the website being the leading choice of identity among users signing into sites, with a whopping 46% of users opting for their Facebook identity. The “Like” button on Facebook serves as a great plugin for user portals, as it is amongst the most well-recognized symbols of approval in the online world. You can choose to integrate this plugin on a specific URL, or on every page of your site. Along with serving as social proof of your content’s likeability, this plugin also helps you to connect with the entire social circle of every user who clicks on it.

Other effective Facebook plugins include Facepile, comments, recommendations, like box, activity feed, etc. Other social plugins like social toolbar help you to list all the social networks that you are on, such as Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, etc. at the bottom of your portal, encouraging users to follow you on these social networks. You can also opt for additional features such as a complete display of your latest tweets, and easy sharing options. Digg is another plugin that can help you integrate all major social buttons on your site, and customize their display.

If you actively post videos on your website, YouTube plugins are a great option for you. Integrating a plugin like Smart You Tube can help you at YouTube content on your site. You can further explore the world of plugins through your photos on sites like Tumblr, using tools like Tumblr Widget to add your Tumblr photos in a sidebar on your webpage. Those active on Twitter also have a wide range of options when it comes to social plugins, such as Tweetmeme, WordTwit, etc.

Centex Technologies provide Social Media networking and promotional services to clients across the globe. For more information, call at – (855) 375-9654

How To Reduce Network Congestion

By centexitguy

On July 21, 2013

In IT Support, Networking

July 21, 2013

Congestion in a data network has a direct impact upon speed, significantly slowing down the performance of each system in the network. A congested network has a high rate of latency, which is the term used to describe how long the data takes to traverse the network segment. This is especially undesirable in applications that are time-sensitive, where even short lags in the network speed can have a high impact on performance and end-user satisfaction. Here are some tips on how to reduce network congestion:

The first step is to analyze the trend followed by network congestion, with the help of network monitoring tools, which shall better help in effective troubleshooting. You need to know when the congestion is at its peak. For instance, this could be at the beginning of the day. It is also important to take note of when the congestion began- was it caused by an increase in the number of employees or other reasons? This data can help to pinpoint the most effective solution to reduce network congestion.

Another important consideration is in which segment of the network the major congestion occurs.. You could also consider increasing the bandwidth capacity of the affected segment.

If a small cluster of IP addresses is sending a large number of packets, this could be the underlying cause of network congestion. In this case, you might need to replace the malfunctioning network card, or turn off the service in the application that is responsible for generating these packets.

It helps to reduce the number of protocols being used in the network, and reduce the use of broadcast protocols. Using proper tuning techniques for the TCP/IP protocol can help to boost performance by up to 5 times.

Prioritizing the network traffic that you need can help to increase the performance of the data network. You can do this by enabling the QoS (Quality of Service) feature that is a part of typical small business networking nodes. In case of medium businesses, this can be achieved by reprogramming the network nodes like switches and routers, so that they give higher priority to the desired traffic.

Identifying the right solution for congestion in your network is a long process, that might require a significant amount of hit and trial, before you can choose the right approach to boost your network’s performance.

Centex Technologies provide complete computer networking solutions to businesses. For more information, call us at – (855) 375-9654

Using Unsecured Wi-Fi Hotspots

By centexitguy

On July 15, 2013

In IT Support, Networking, Security

July 15, 2013

Public Wi-Fi hotspots are trendy and popular, for the obvious convenience that they offer. No wonder most restraints, cafes, hotels, and other public places are jumping on the bandwagon and allowing visitors to freely access their Wi-Fi networks without needing a password. Despite how tempting it is to simply go ahead and connect to these networks, you need to be prudent while doing so, as you could unknowingly put your computer at a risk of getting hacked.

The following tips guide you on how to use unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots smartly, while keeping your computer protected:

Remember that Wi-Fi hotspots are always unsecured connections, even if they require a password to access them. This means that hackers can easily access your private information if you are not careful.

Some operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows have built-in security features that can protect your computer when you are accessing the internet through such a connection. Make use of your “Firewall” by checking the “block all incoming traffic” option. Another effective security measure is to disable fire sharing.

One of the most targeted personal information is passwords. Installing a browser add-on like LastPass could be effective in keeping your passwords safe. Normally, a hacker can easily view your passwords by accessing your Registry or viewing your keyboard activity through something like keyloggers. LastPass stores all your passwords in a cloud which means that neither do you have to type your passwords, nor will they be stored in your computer.

Websites that encrypt your activity are usually safe to use, since all the information accessed on these sites remains confidential. You can identify such websites either by looking for a padlock in the address bar, or checking the URL for https:// Even if a website does not have HTTPS, you can download an add-on like HTTPS Everywhere, which will convert the connection on most popular websites into an encrypted one.

Before accessing any public Wi-Fi network, you want to confirm from the owner of the venue that you have the correct name of the network. This is because hackers can create their own fake network with a similar name to the original, putting your information at a high risk.

Finally, even after taking all the above-mentioned measures, you still need to exercise some common sense while using an unsecured Wi-Fi network. Avoid activities that expose your private details, such as banking and online shopping.

Centex Technologies based in Dallas and Killeen TX provide Computer Network Security solutions. Call us at (855) 375-9654 for more information.