rapid_networks

7 Signs Your IT Infrastructure Is Out Of Date

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:09:59 GMT

The computer network infrastructure at your company is one of the most important aspects of how you do business. From data storage and client management to point of sales integration and inventory, to accounts payable and receivable, the strength of your network and IT infrastructure is the linchpin of almost everything you do, which is why you need IT services you can rely on. Don’t believe us? Take a moment and consider what happens when — or would happen if — your computers went down for just one hour. How much would that cost you? How much would it limit your productivity? How far behind in your work would you get?

At Rapid Networks in Denver, CO, we are IT specialists who help small and medium-sized businesses deploy and maintain secure, reliable, and fast networks and infrastructure through IT services that are as robust or as minimal as makes sense for your unique situation.

In today’s blog, we will examine seven telltale signs that your network or infrastructure are outdated or insufficient for your needs. If you experience any of these issues, contact us — the friendly, experienced experts at Rapid Networks to avoid downtime and loss. We can provide the right IT services for you quickly and effectively.

1. You Experience Compatibility Issues

One surefire sign that your IT solutions and equipment are out of date is that you begin to experience compatibility challenges with new software and hardware. If you think this is inconvenient now, you need to consider what will happen when you lose the ability to update even more programs, terminals, or devices in your network. This problem can start small, but if left unchecked, it can quickly spiral, leaving your company without the ability to conduct business seemingly out of the blue.

2. A Lack Of Storage Space

A lack of storage space or power will affect virtually every aspect of your networks ability to do its job. Furthermore, it can pose a serious risk to your ability to effectively backup your daily, weekly, and monthly data and records — something that could potentially put your company at risk in more than just a transactional sense. Important accounting, or even legally required records could be lost if your systems are not up to the task of running daily maintenance.

3. Slow Applications

Slow running applications are another sign that you are in need of better performing IT services and solutions. At a glance, sluggish programs and applications seem like more an annoyance than anything else. However, over time they begin to add up in terms of wasted time, productivity, and potential revenue generation. If you are experiencing consistently slow applications, don’t wait — contact Rapid Networks and get a free 10-point technology evaluation.

4. Software Crashes

If your software and applications are not launching properly or are crashing during use, you have a serious problem. A single program that continually fails might just be an isolated compatibility issue, but multiple programs going down is a clear sign of an outdated system or infrastructure that are in immediate need of professional help.

5. Increasing IT Costs

One subtle way that you can tell you have a systemic IT problem that needs to be addressed by a team that provides a wide range of IT services and solutions, is increasing IT costs. If you’re monthly or annual It service costs are increasing, it is a sign that your infrastructure is due for an upgrade. Continuing to pour money into an old, outdated system is a poor investment when compared to getting better equipment and software that won’t drain your bank accounts over time.

6. The Presence Of Cyber Security Threats

If your business network has been infected with spyware, malware, ransomware — you have already suffered the consequence of outdated infrastructure or software. If this is the case, it’s imperative that you get the IT services you need from a reputable, experienced IT company that can protect you, your business, and your clients.

7. Downtime

Besides instructions into your supposedly protected cyberspace, downtime is the single worst thing that can happen to your business. Downtime is not only indicative of IT infrastructure that is sorely overdue for an overhaul, but it can cost your business thousands of dollars an hour or more. If you are experiencing any kind of repeating or frequent downtime, you need to address your IT infrastructure immediately.

Get Help From The Pros At Rapid Networks

If your small business is struggling with any of these problems, you need professional IT services to address them before they get any worse. At Rapid Networks, we are committed to helping local small businesses along the Colorado Front Range get the quality IT services they need to remain productive, profitable, and to serve their customers well.

4 Questions To Ask Your IT Provider

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 15:53:29 GMT

Whether you are an established business or a brand new start up— big or small— your partnership with your IT company is one of the most important business relationships you have. A quality IT provider ensures that your network is up and running when you are doing business, that business operations run smoothly, and that your client’s data is protected. If any of these facets of what you do is compromised so is your reputation.

Rapid Networks is a Denver based IT company that has been serving Denver and the Front Range dutifully for the last 15 years. We know that choosing the right partner to meet the networking, security, and hardware service needs of your business is important. That’s why we’ve created this checklist of questions to ask any IT company you are considering doing business with. If you have any questions or would like to talk more about our services, give us a call and one of our friendly experts will take great care of you.

What Kind Of Service Can I Expect?

Not all IT companies are created equally. So what services does the company you are talking to offer? Denver has a thriving economy with businesses of all sizes and types. Many larger IT companies are well suited to provide managed enterprise solutions but are poorly equipped to handle a two-person operated flower shop. Rapid Networks specializes in working with small and medium-sized businesses in Denver, and has been helping them stay secure, up-to-date, and running smoothly for 15 years.

What Happens When There Is A Problem?

We all understand that an important part of your IT company’s job is to address technical problems, handle updates, and troubleshoot. But, what does that process actually look like? Is there a phone number to call or a ticket portal to submit problems to? Is their support service locally based, or outsourced? What are their answer rate and average response time? Making sure that you feel confident your IT partner will be rapid in their response is one of the most important things you need to feel comfortable hiring them.

What Kind Of Client Are You Best Able To Serve?

Rapid Networks is an excellent choice for small business IT support. But as mentioned above, not all IT companies are built to handle a wide variety of businesses, so make sure you spend some time discussing what you do, how you need to do it, and discovering what services an IT company can provide that will meet your needs. If we’re not a great fit for your company, we promise to make a recommendation you can trust.

How Do You Measure Client Satisfaction?

At Rapid Networks, we pride ourselves on our clients’ satisfaction with the service they receive. Being entrusted with the safety of reliability of someone’s business is a badge of honor, and we constantly work to make certain that our customers are happy, successful, and being well taken care of. If customer relationships and satisfaction isn’t at the top of the priority list for your current company, it might be time to consider making a change.

No matter what kind of business you have or what your Information Technology needs look like, Rapid Networks in Denver would love the chance to earn your business and show you why we’ve been the preferred small business IT support company along the Front Range for so long. Call us today for a free 10 point technology evaluation and see if your infrastructure is ready for you to grow.

Email Signatures

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Sat, 17 Jun 2017 20:12:34 GMT

An important way to improve your branding efforts

Email signatures are an easy way to get your company's brand in front of everyone who receives an email from you.

All of your employees should have uniform email signatures. You can update them periodically to inform customers about special deals, or whatever is new at your company. They also make it much easier for email recipients to quickly and easily call you back, without having to look up your phone number.

There are a number of free or low cost email signature generators available, such as HubSpot , Si.gnatu.re , and Code Two . Or call Rapid Networks, where we can get email signatures set up for your whole company!

How to Configure Email on Android Devices (Smartphone, Tablet)

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:01:19 GMT

Depending on which version of Android your device is running, the screens you see may look slightly different. If you are having difficulty, please call us at (303) 539-9397, and choose option 1 for support.

Step One:
Find the settings icon, and tap it. It will look something like this:

Step Two:
You should now be inside the Settings app. Tap on Accounts, which should be under the Personal section:

Step Three:
You should now be inside the Accounts section, which will list any existing accounts you may have already configured on your device. Tap where it says Add Account. It will look like this.

Step Four:
You should now be presented with a list of options to select what type of account you want to set up. Tap Exchange or Corporate.

Step Five:
Your device will now ask you for your email address. Please type in your email address.

Once you have entered that information, tap Next.

Next you will be asked for the password for your email account. Please type in your password. Please note that the password is case sensitive .

Once you have entered that information, tap Next.

Step Six:
Now your device will ask you to enter the incoming email server settings.

For Username , enter your username, which is the part of your email address before the @ symbol.

The Password field should already be filled in from when you entered it in the previous step.

If it asks about a Client Certificate , leave it set to None.

For Server , enter: mail.rapidnetworks.biz

Port should be set to 443.

Security Type should be set to SSL/TLS.

Then tap Next.

Step Seven:
Your device will now tell you it is verifying settings for a few moments, and then it will pop up a "Remote security administration" notifcation. This setting is required in order to connect to the server, and will enable us to remotely lock or wipe your device in the event it is lost or stolen.

Tap OK.

Step Eight:
You will now see a screen entitled "Account options." From here you can choose how frequently you want your device to check for new emails, as well as other options. We recommend you leave all of the setings at their defaults - unless you do not want to sync calendars or contacts for this account, in which case you should uncheck those settings.

Step Nine:
Your device will tell you - "Your account is set up" and give you an opportunity to name the account. You can leave the default name in place, which is simply your email address, or change the name to any name of your choice.

When you are done, tap Next.

Step Ten:
All done. Click your Home button to return to your main screen, and go into the Mail app to use your email account.

Office 365 Setup Instructions

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:01:17 GMT

General Information:
Server name: outlook.office365.com
User name: use your full email address
Use SSL: yes
Domain name: leave blank

Instructions to set up iPhones and iPads .
Instructions to set up Android phones & tablets .
Instructions to set up Blackberry phones .

Also, you can access your mailbox at the website portal.office.com for corporate accounts, or www.office.com for personal accounts.

Email hosted with Rapid Networks

Setup for Apple Devices

How to configure email on IOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod)
Depending on which version of IOS your device is running, the screens you see may look slightly different. If you are having difficulty, please call us at (303) 539-9397, and choose option 1 for support.

Step One:
Find the settings icon, and tap it. It will look something like this:

Step Two:
You should now be inside the settings app. Tap where is says Mail, Contacts, Calendars - like this:

Email Hosted with Rapid Networks Setup Instructions

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:01:10 GMT

Email hosted with Microsoft (Office 365)

Email hosted with Rapid Networks
Setup for Apple Devices
Setup for Android Devices

How to Configure Email on IOS Devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod)

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:45:01 GMT

Depending on which version of IOS your device is running, the screens you see may look slightly different. If you are having difficulty, please call us at (303) 539-9397, and choose option 1 for support.

Step One:
Find the settings icon, and tap it. It will look something like this:

Step Two:
You should now be inside the settings app. Tap where is says Mail, Contacts, Calendars - like this:

Step Three:
You should now be inside the Mail, Contacts, Calendars settings. Tap where it says Add Account. It will look like this.

Step Four:
You should now be presented with a list of options to select what type of account you want to set up. Tap Exchange.

Step Five:
Your device will now ask you for your email address and password as well as a description for this account. Please type in your email address and password. Please note that the password is case sensitive . For description, you may enter whatever you like to enable you to distinguish this account from any others that may be on your device.

Step Six:
Your device will attempt to guess the name of the email server where your email is hosted. Almost certainly it will fail, which is perfectly okay. Once it gives up, it will allow you to type in the rest of the settings it needs.

For Server, enter: mail.rapidnetworks.biz
For Domain, leave it blank
For Username, enter your username, which is the part of your email address before the @ symbol.

Then tap Save.

Step Seven:
Your device should think for a few moments, and then put check marks next to all of the settings on the screen. This indicates that your account has been set up successfully. It only displays those check marks briefly, and then it moves to a new screen, which allows you to choose what types of data you want to sync with your account.

You can choose whatever options you like. When you are done, tap Save.

Your device will tell you - Account Added, and go back to the list of Email accounts in settings.

Step Eight:
This step is optional, though recommended. If you want to make your Exchange calendar the primary calendar used on your IOS device, scroll down the list of Mail, Contacts, Calendars settings. Tap on Default Calendar, and choose the calendar associated with the account you just set up.

Step Nine:
All done. Click your Home button to return to your main screen, and go into the Mail app to use your email account.

Polycom VOIP Desk Phones

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 23:10:46 GMT

These Polycom phones offer outstanding voice and speakerphone quality and terrific reliability, at reasonable prices. That is why we have chosen to recommend them as our Voice Over IP phones of choice.

Polycom VVX300/310

6 buttons
Greyscale screen
100 Mbps PC network port (VVX300)
1000 Mbps PC network port (VVX310)
$3 (VVX300) or $4 (VVX310) per month from YipTel
$125 (VVX300) or $155 (VVX310) to purchase from Rapid Networks

Polycom VVX400/410

6 buttons
Color screen
100 Mbps PC network port (VVX400)
1000 Mbps PC network port (VVX410)
$6 (VVX400) or $7 (VVX410) per month from YipTel
$160 (VVX400) or $205 (VVX410) to purchase from Rapid Networks

Polycom VVX500

12 buttons
Color touchscreen
1000 Mbps PC network port
$9 per month from YipTel
$225 to purchase from Rapid Networks

Polycom VVX600

16 buttons
Color touchscreen
1000 Mbps PC network port
Bluetooth (for use with wireless headsets)
$13 per month from YipTel
$290 to purchase from Rapid Networks

Digital Video Surveillance Systems

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 22:30:13 GMT

We use high-quality, reliable equipment from Axis technologies .

Unlike traditional, analog security cameras, digital cameras from Axis are sharp and clear, and can easily record full motion video. Video can be recorded to regular PCs, and even viewed remotely over the Internet.

Cameras are available in many form factors, including secure cameras in protective housings, outdoor cameras, and wireless cameras.

Axis also makes equipment that can take advantage of existing camera infrastructure and digitize the video and make it available online, including over the Internet.

Antivirus Solutions

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 22:26:34 GMT

Background
Having an effective antivirus program on your PC is a bit like getting children vaccinated. It helps keep your computer running clean and uninfected, and it also helps everyone else, because your computer will never become a reservoir from which a virus spreads.

Current recommendation (as of 03-2015)
Based on recent (12-2014) results from AV-Comparatives.org , which is an independent lab that tests all available antivirus programs, my current recommendation for PCs is Webroot SecureAnywhere , and for servers, it is ESET File Security for Windows Servers.

Explanation & recent antivirus history
Prior to this change, I had been recommending Microsoft's Security Essentials for years. While Microsoft's antivirus solutions have never been as effective as their competitors, during the period from 2011 thru approximately June of 2014, they had been effective enough to do the job. Also in their favor, they are free, they don't slow down the systems where they are installed, and they run quietly, instead of constantly popping up with questions.

As recently as December of 2013, Microsoft's antivirus solutions were rated at 91.9% protective - and that mix of reasonable effectiveness, low impact footprint, and no cost made their solutions an easy choice.

During 2014, however, the performance of Microsoft's products declined significantly, until the December 2014 testing revealed a low, 83.5% protection rate.

At that point, I tested both Kaspersky and Bitdefender. Both have excellent reputations, and consistently score at the highest level on tests. But I found that Kaspersky, which highly effective, had too heavy a negative impact on the machines where it was installed, as well as frequently popping open windows asking if it could do this or that. Bitdefender was much better behaved, so it got the nod.

Free recommendation
For those looking for a free antivirus solution, my current recommendation is AVG Antivirus Free . As of 12-2014, it was found to be 97.5% protective. I have found that it has a significantly more negative effect on system performance than Bitdefender. It will occasionally pop up nag screens asking that you purchase the full product, and it will also want you to install the latest version frequently, during which time it will also try to get you to purchase the paid version. But despite these annoyances, it is an effective program.

Data Backup

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 22:18:14 GMT

Backup plans are essential for business networks.

While computer storage of data is far superior to paper storage, it is also potentially more ephemeral. If your systems suffer a bad enough failure, all of your data could be wiped out completely.

Backups protect against three types of failures:

Mistakes - such as someone inadvertently deleting an important file or folder.
Equipment failure - computers, even servers, can and do fail. We take proactive measures to prevent this, but over enough time, failures do happen.
Disasters - fires and floods are the most common failure of this type, but earthquakes, meteor strikes, tornadoes, are all possible causes. The probability of such a disaster occurring in any given year is extremely low, but if one does occur, you will really want a copy of your data off-site.

The solution is to keep multiple copies of your data, preferably in multiple physical locations.

We offer backups to USB hard drives, and to Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives, as well as online backups, which backs up your data over the Internet.

For local (in your office) backups, we recommend StorageCraft ShadowProtect or Macrium Reflect for drive image backups.

For Online Backups, we recommend iDrive .

Types of Video Ports

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:58:39 GMT

Pictorial List of Video Ports

For more information about computer equipment or small business IT services, contact Rapid Networks today!

>> Back to Rapid Networks Guides

Top Picks For Free Software

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:53:47 GMT

Utilities:
Piriform Recuvra Undelete - free, finds and recovers deleted files, also permanently erases deleted files by overwriting them. Works great. They've also got CCLeaner, and a defragger.

Mouse without Borders - free utility from Microsoft that allows mouse and keyboard sharing, plus file sharing. Basically a software KVM, best used when you have two PCs and two monitors on your desk, and you don't want to use two keyboards and mice.
Duplicate Cleaner Free - helps you find and delete duplicate files on your hard drive.
TreeSize Free - shows how much space folders are taking up on your hard drive.
EaseUS Partition Master Free - allows for hard drive partition resizing, moving, and split/merge.
EaseUS Disk Copy Home Free - allows for copying/cloning hard drives from a boot CD. Works well, but runs very slowly.
R-Drive Image - allows for copying/cloning hard drives from a boot CD or USB flash disk.
Eraser - securely deletes files from hard drives.
License Crawler - finds CD/product keys from most software programs.
Crystal Disk Info - all sorts of hard drive info, including rotation speed.

PDF creation:
Do PDF - installs as a printer, and allows you to print any file to PDF.
BullZip PDF - installs as a printer, and allows you to print any file to PDF, even in a Terminal Server session.
PDF SAM (Split and Merge) - the free way to split and merge PDF documents.
Nitro PDF - very fast PDF reader that replaces Acrobat and also allows you to create and manipulate PDFs.
Sumatra PDF - incredibly tiny PDF reader that can run, even without being installed.

Antivirus / AntiMalware:
Microsoft Security Essentials - it has no paid version, so Microsoft doesn't bug you to buy it.
Malware Bytes Anti-Malware - by far the best free malware remover.
AVG Antivirus - decent free antivirus program.
Avira Antivirus - small, lightweight free antivirus program.
PC Tools ThreatFire - this isn't a stand-alone antivirus program, but used in conjunction with a standard AV program. It greatly enhances the security of your PC. Unlike traditional AV programs (which use virus definition files), it looks for suspicious behavior, and stops those suspicious programs.
Kaspersky Rootkit Remover - free, removes rootkits. An invaluable utility. AKA TDSS Killer.
Adw Cleaner - free, effective.
RKill - highly effective at stopping malware processes.
Unchecky - automatically unchecks options during software installation that installs optional, unwanted programs.

Web Browser:
Firefox - fast, secure web browser provides improved experience, especially with the add-ons of IE Tab 2 and AdBlock Plus .
Google Chrome - Google's web browser.

Backup:
Macrium Reflect - terrific hard drive image backup program. You can also use it as a nifty disk cloning tool that works over a network, by booting using the "Rescue" CD or USB flash disk, which you can make using the software.
EaseUS ToDo Backup Free edition - I haven't actually tried this yet, but it gets great reviews, and you can't beat the price.
Microsoft SyncToy - synchronizes sets of folders. You can use this tool to keep two computers in sync, but if you set up one folder on a USB hard drive, it makes for an effective backup.
Mozy - online backup, provides up to 2 GB of over-the-Internet data backup.
iDrive - online backup, with up to 5 GB for free.
CrashPlan - lets you back up from one computer to another.

Cloud file storage:
DropBox - not just for backups, but for syncing files between PCs, smartphones, tablets & the web. Free for up to 2 GB, reasonable prices for much more storage space. Click here for a free account.
Microsoft OneDrive - 15 GB free.
Google Drive - 15 GB free.

PC Remote Control:
Log Me In - with this program installed on your PC, you can access it from any other PC anywhere in the world, through a web browser. As of 2014, it is no longer free. Still terrific, though.
Join.Me - quicker and easier than LogMeIn, because it doesn't require an install - start using it immediately.

DVD copying, ISO tools:
DVD Shrink - Use this program to overcome DVD file copy protection as well as strip out unwanted content (previews, anti-piracy warnings, etc) and create small, tidy ISO files.
ISO Recorder - Superb freeware for creating ISO files from unprotected optical discs. It also allows you to burn ISO files back onto physical discs.
Virtual CloneDrive - Utility for mounting ISO files.

Office:
Microsoft File Format Converters (enables Office 2003 and prior to read and write files using the Office 2007 file formats).
UBit Menu for Office 2007 & 2010 - restores the menus of previous Office versions to Office 2007 & 2010.
OpenOffice - free, and excellent. This is a great replacement for Microsoft Office.
Libre Office - even better replacement for Microsoft Office.

Media & Photos:
Paint .Net - digital photo editing software.
Media Player Classic - play DVDs and other media.
Image Resizer for Windows 7 - Windows XP had a great Power Toy utility that enabled you to resize photos by right-clicking them. Microsoft doesn't have it for Windows 7, but some enterprising people wrote a replacement utility with the exact same functionality.
Adobe PhotoShop Album Starter Edition - free photo management app.
Awesome Duplicate Photo Finder - silly name, but seriously useful. This app find and helps you delete duplicate photos from your PC. The same programmer makes a Duplicate MP3 Finder , as well.
Jing - use it to record videos of your computer screen. Ideal for software demos or training.

Virtualization Software:
VMWare ESXi - Extremely low profile virtual host.
VMWare Converter - Use to convert physical PCs or servers into VMWare virtual machines.
VMWare Player - Play (aka run) virtual machines.
Oracle VirtualBox - Alternative to VMWare, with features that rival VMWare's non-free Workstation product.
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 - Not surprisingly, Microsoft's entry is only suitable for running Windows, but it does that very well. And don't forget SP1 .

Advanced Software:
pfSense - Open-source router software, will run on x86.

Interested in IT services and solutions? Contact Rapid Networks today for small business IT support .

>> Back to Rapid Networks Guides

Top Picks for Free Web Services

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:53:16 GMT

We at Rapid Networks are experts when it comes to web hosting companies . Below are some of our top picks for free web services.

Encrypted Email:
OneShar.es - create private info that self-destructs.

Online Backup:

iDrive - up to 5 GB for free, plus user-friendly app.
CrashPlan - free backups to a friend's computer or between your computers.

Online file storage & sharing:
Dropbox - 2 GB free, and you can earn additional space.
Box.com - 10 GB free.
Google Drive - 15 GB free.
Microsoft OneDrive - 7 GB free.

Interested in learning more about the best web hosting company out there? Contact us today !

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Recycling Computers & Electronics

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:52:42 GMT

Everyone always feels badly about throwing computers in the trash. Unfortunately, it is surprisingly difficult to donate PCs, because the recipients want only PCs that are fairly new and fast. That way, they can do computer repair and resell the product.

Recycling a PC generally costs money, which is unpleasant. It seems like you shouldn't be punished for trying to do the right thing.

Fortunately, there are an increasing number of stores and companies that will accept old computers, monitors, and other so-called "e-waste."

Here is a link to the City of Denver Government website, listing local companies accepting e-waste .

And here is a link to the same website, where they list recycling drives , held a few times each year, where companies, like Dell, sponsor large-scale events where you can bring electronics to be recycled, either for free, or at a very low cost.

>> Back to Rapid Networks Guides

How to Avoid Malware Infections

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:48:54 GMT

What is malware?
Malware is a bit of a catch-all term that encompasses adware and spyware, as well as certain types of viruses, most notably trojans.

Antivirus software has virtually eliminated infections from old-school, traditional viruses - the kind that spread from PC to PC. But antivirus vendors are still playing catch-up trying to stop malware, most of which are "blended threats" that combine techniques used by traditional viruses and newer adware and spyware.

These malware programs are different because they infect your computer through your web browser. Once the infection is established, they don't try to spread themselves to other computers on your network. Instead, they disrupt your work, often with pop-ups telling you that your computer is infected and offering to clean the infection if you purchase their antivirus software. Of course, their "antivirus software" is just more of their virus, and paying them will not accomplish anything except give them your credit card number, which they will then use fraudulently.

Why do people create this malware, and what are they getting out of it?
The motive for creating malware is simple - people can make a great deal of money from it.

Once the malware has infected a PC, it becomes a zombie, or "bot" and the creators of the software can control it for any of several nefarious purposes. The people who control the swarms of bots, called "bot herders," lease out time on their networks of bots. The people leasing time can use the bot networks to send spam, launch denial-of-service attacks, launch hacking attacks, and host websites which will generate more bots.

How does malware infect computers?
Almost all malware infects computers through web browsers, specifically, Internet Explorer. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to visit porn sites, or other dark and dingy corners of the Internet to pick up such infections. Some infections can be caused by "drive-by downloads" which can infect your computer simply because Internet Explorer is up and running. Other infections can come through various websites that may have been hacked, or by poisoned ads on completely innocent websites.

What can you do to stop it?

Make sure that your antivirus software is installed, running properly, and up-to-date. Need help with your IT maintenance ? We can help !
Make sure that all available Windows updates have been installed. Just run Windows Update from your start menu.
Use Firefox as your web browser, rather than Internet Explorer.

During the install process, be sure to set Firefox as your default browser.

Once you have Firefox installed, there are two add-ons you should install.

The first, called IE Tab , allows you to specify that certain tabs in Firefox should use the Internet Explorer engine, rather than Firefox. This enables you to continue to use websites that do not work properly with Firefox - without having to switch back to IE. You might also want to chastise whoever owns and operates those backwards websites, and tell them to get with the program!

The second, called AdBlock Plus , blocks in-page ads. It is not required, but it makes browsing the web a much more pleasant experience.

If your PC is already infected, what should you do?
If you can still connect to the Internet, you can download, install, update, and run MalwareBytes AntiMalware . That is currently (as of July, 2010) the most effective program we know of for cleaning malware from PCs. You can use the free version, which is perfectly effective.

If you can no longer connect to the Internet, call us at Rapid Networks . We may be able to clean it from the PC by using some advanced tools and techniques. If all else fails, we will remove the hard drive from the computer, connect it to another computer, and run antivirus and antimalware scans from that second PC.

>> Back to Rapid Networks Guide

Email, Spam and Phishing

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:43:50 GMT

We at Rapid Networks can offer many types of email solutions to fit the particular needs of your company. These range from using one or several email addresses from your ISP (Internet Service Provider), to hosting your email for you, to recommending another company to host your email, to setting you up with your own email server.

We can also provide email filtering for whatever kind of email you are using.

Spam and Phishing emails could use some explanation and clarification as to what they are, how they are damaging, and how to avoid the harm they can cause.

SPAM:

One of the defining characteristics of spam emails is that if you reply to an email, asking to be removed from the email list, you will not only not be removed, the spammers will in fact redouble their efforts, because you will have just confirmed to them that there is a live person at that email address.

For that reason, you should never reply to a spam email. Also, you should never, ever, under any circumstances, purchase anything from a spammer. As incredible as it may sound, some tiny fraction of a percent of spam recipients actually purchase things from the spammers. This is enough to keep the spammers in business. If nobody were to buy anything from spammers ever again, they would stop spamming.

It is important to distinguish true spam from emails which are unwanted, or annoying, but which come from legitimate businesses. For example, if you are receiving unwanted emails from a reputable company like Target, or 1-800-Flowers, simply click on their unsubscribe link, and they will stop sending you emails. Because reputable companies such as those will in fact stop sending you emails when you request it, emails from those companies are not spam .

Once your email address gets onto the lists of email addresses that the spammers use, you will receive increasing amounts of spam until the end of time. For that reason, be careful with any new email addresses you may have. In fact, you may want to create one or two extra email accounts from one of the free web-based email companies like Google , Hotmail , or Yahoo to use in situations where you suspect that your email address may get onto a spam list - for example, entering contests, or making an online purchase from a shady vendor.

Spam emails are damaging in the time that they waste. If you have no spam filtering whatsoever, and each of your 20 employees gets an average of 20 spams per day, even if it takes only 10 seconds per spam to determine that they are spam, and to delete them, that adds up to 3.3 minutes per person wasted every day, or roughly 14 hours per year. If each employee is paid an average of $20 per hour, that comes out to $5,600 you are paying each year for your 20 employees to do nothing but delete spam emails. If your employees make more, or if you have more than 20 employees, or if they get more than 20 spams per day, then obviously the amount of money wasted is correspondingly greater.

Phishing Emails:
Phishing emails are considerably more devious than simple spam. Rather than trying to get you to buy something, phishing emails try to convince you that they are from someone you trust (your bank, your mortgage company, PayPal, EBay, etc.) and they try to get you to click on a link in the email, which takes you to their website (though it will probably be mocked-up to look like the website of whatever company it supposedly is) and attempt to convince you to give them your personal and/or financial information.

Phishing emails can be extremely difficult to detect, but here are some tips:

Look for spelling mistakes, or grammatical errors. Often phishing emails are written by people who are not native English speakers, so their syntax can sound quite strange and awkward.
If there is a link in the email, move your mouse cursor over it without clicking on it. The actual URL link address will show up in the status bar of your email program. If the actual URL of the link is different from the link text, that is a dead giveaway. For example if the link says security.yourbank.com the actual URL might say something like http://security.yourbank.com.russianmobsters.ru
Best of all, if there is a link in the email, don't click it at all. Instead, open your web browser and either copy the link from the email into the address bar of your browser, or better yet, type in the address yourself of the website of the institution the email purports to come from.
Sometimes a phishing email will have a phone number in it, and ask you to call them to clear up some problem with an account. Don't call that number. Instead, go to the website and find the number, or if it is a credit card account, call the number on the back of your credit card.

Take a test:
Follow this link to take a test by SonicWALL, a firewall and Internet security company. It shows you examples of emails, and asks you to determine if they are phishing emails, or legitimate. At the end, it will tell you if you got any wrong, and explain how you could have determined the correct status of the emails.

SonicWALL Phishing and Spam IQ Quiz

OpenDNS has a similar test that may be even more helpful in helping you learn to spot fake, phishing websites

OpenDNS Phishing Website Quiz

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Wireless Networking (Wifi) Guide

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:43:18 GMT

Types of wifi :

Wireless Ethernet, commonly referred to as wifi, comes in 4 types:

Wifi Type -- RF Spectrum -- Bandwidth -- Throughput

Wireless A -- 5 Ghz -- 54 Mbps -- 22 Mbps
Wireless B -- 2.4 Ghz -- 11 Mbps -- 11 Mbps
Wireless G -- 2.4 Ghz -- 54 Mbps -- 22 Mbps
Wireless N -- 2.4 Ghz and/or 5 Ghz -- 60 Mbps -- 130 Mbps

Wireless B was available first, followed very shortly by A. B was inexpensive, but not very fast, nor did it have terribly impressive range. A was designed for business use, and was vastly more expensive, but also significantly faster. When G came out, it offered significantly faster performance, and increased range, compared to both A and B.

A, B and G are currently (May of 2009) all very well-established standards. The new kid on the block is Wireless N. N offers significantly increased speed and range compared to all the other types of wifi, but it is still not yet a settled standard. Manufacturers have been selling Pre-N and Draft-N devices for several years, but there is still a possibility that there may be incompatibilities between devices from different manufacturers, since the standard is not yet set in stone.

Interference :
Wireless B, G, and N, which all operate in the 2.4 Ghz radio frequency range, can be interfered with by cordless phones and microwaves. I have not seen many instances of either of these causing problems, but the possibility is there. Also (and this is becoming an increasing problem, given the exponential rise in the number of wireless networks in operation), these networks can interfere with one another.

If you suspect that interference is a problem, using Wireless A or the 5 Ghz band of Wireless N is your best bet. Call us at Rapid Network with any questions you have. We are happy to walk you through your options!

Equipment :
To use a wifi network, you need a PC or laptop with a wireless network card. That wireless network card connects to a Wireless Access Point (WAP).

Many manufacturers make devices that incorporate a WAP into a device that can also do wired and wireless network routing, which makes the device a wireless router.

Inexplicably, many wireless routers are actually less expensive than plain wireless access points, even though they have more functions. With most wireless routers, you can also use them as simple WAPs if you already have a router and don't need a second one. Call us , and we can tell you how to accomplish this.

Encryption :
Over time, it has become increasingly important to secure wireless networks, and several different standard encryption schemes are available.

The first was WEP (Wired-Equivalent Privacy), which used 128-bit encryption, and HEX encryption keys. The WEP encryption scheme was quickly cracked, however, and today, a WEP-encrypted wireless network is considered to not be secure at all.

After WEP was defeated, the next scheme was WPA (Wireless Protected Access), which was vastly more secure, and is still a viable encryption method in use today (2009).

WPA-II is also available, which further increases the protection of the network encrypted using that method.

Since encryption is dependent on hardware, some very old wireless network cards, old laptops that incorporate them, and old WAPs can only use WEP, while only the newest can use WPA-II.

Encryption is important because, unlike wired networks, which require someone to come into your office and plug their laptop into a wall jack, with a wireless network, somebody could connect just by being in or near your building.

Once someone connects to your wireless network, they have access to your server, all of your PCs, and they will be able to use your Internet connection.

Manufacturers :
WAPs and routers fall into two broad categories - inexpensive and unreliable, and expensive and reliable.

Manufacturers such as Linksys, D-Link, Belkin, Netgear, and many others make very inexpensive WAPs. The problem is that their quality varies widely - not just between manufacturers, or models, but even from one actual device to the other. So one person might purchase a Linksys WAP, and another person might purchase the same model of Linksys WAP; one will have no problems with theirs, and the other person might have to be constantly (daily or weekly) rebooting theirs to make it function reliably. It is entirely possible to get a very reliable device from these inexpensive manufacturers, but there is also a good chance of getting one that is very unreliable - and you never know until you start using it how reliable it will be.

Manufacturers of the expensive but reliable class of WAPs include Cisco, 3Com, and HP/Procurve.

In addition to the reliability factor, the manufacturers of the less expensive WAPs incorporate the latest new technologies into their products as soon as those technologies appear, while the manufacturers of the expensive WAPs typically wait until those technologies are proven. In this case, the technology that is still not yet officially mature is Wireless-N. It is widely used, but still not an official standard. It provides for faster speeds over greater distances.

Conclusion / Recommendation :
If you need an inexpensive WAP, get either a D-Link or a Linksys. They can be had for $150 or less, and will incorporate Wireless-N. If you can afford it, and want to be certain that you will not have to worry about reliability problems or having to reboot or power-cycle your WAP, go with a more expensive device from Cisco. Those will likely cost in the vicinity of $400.

If you need IT consulting for any of your small business needs, reach out to us today . We are happy to help answer any questions you have.

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Desktop Buying Guide

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:42:08 GMT

(updated 12-10-2009)

Brands:

Top tier laptop brands: HP (but not their Pavillion line), Dell, Lenovo
Second tier laptop brands: Acer, Gateway, Toshiba

Lines:
Each computer manufacturer has different lines of computers, and each line is intended for different uses. Sometimes it really doesn't make a difference, but at times there are good reasons why the manufactures build machines for distinct purposes. In general, the machines designed for business use are slightly less high-performance, but are more reliable (they break less often).

Dell Alienware: Gaming
Dell XPS: Gaming
Dell Studio: Home
Dell Dimension (desktops only): Home or Home Office
Dell Inspiron (laptops only): Home or Home Office
Dell Vostro: Small Business
Dell Optiplex (desktops only): Large Business
Dell Latitude (laptops only): Large Business
Dell Precision: Workstations
HP Pavilion: Home
HP Presario: Low Cost/Home
HP Business Desktop: Business
HP Business Notebook: Business
Lenovo ThinkPad: Business
Lenovo IdeaPad: Home
Lenovo ThinkCentre: Business
Lenovo IdeaCentre: Home

Processors (also know as Central Processing Units, or CPUs):
The CPU is the engine of your computer. It is the chip that is actually doing all of the computing, all of the calculating that is making your computer actually function. The CPU is the single most important component that will determine how fast your computer runs.

The are two companies that make CPUs - Intel and AMD. Intel processors are more expensive, but have better performance. Machines with AMD processors have slightly lower performance, and lower prices. Each of those companies, though, have their higher-performing CPUs, and lower-performing CPUs. Of course, the better-performing ones cost more.

Here is a list of CPUs from Intel and AMD in order of performance, with the fastest at the top working down to the slowest:

Intel Core i7 - 4 Cores
Intel Core i5 - 4 Cores
Intel Core 2 Quad - 4 Cores
Intel Core 2 Duo - 2 Cores
Intel Core i3 - 2 Cores
Intel Pentium - 1 or 2 Cores
Intel Celeron - 1 or 2 Cores
AMD Phenom II - 2, 3, or 4 Cores
AMD Phenom - 2, 3, or 4 Cores
AMD Athlon II - 2 Cores
AMD Athlon 64 - 1 or 2 Cores
AMD Sempron - 2 Cores
AMD Turion (laptop only) - 2 Cores

Our advice at Rapid Networks is to avoid these processors in red. They are inexpensive, sure, but you will hate yourself for going with the cheaper option as you sit and wait for your PC to slowly chug through whatever task you are working on.

A word about cores :
A core is a processing engine. In the old days, each CPU chip had only one core, and the processor companies focused on making that chip run as fast as possible. Around 2004, they hit a wall, and needed to find a new way to increase performance without having to make their chips run faster and faster. So, they started combining multiple cores into each chip. Almost all processors made today now have multiple cores.

AMD's CPUs have an X2, X3, or X4 included in their names, which indicates the number of cores they contain. Intel has a little less variety.

Operating System :
Vista : All laptops built for home use and sold before October 22, 2009, will have Windows Vista on them. Vista is a huge, bloated operating system that requires significantly higher system resources to run at the same speed as XP. Also, Vista is less stable than XP, and there are still compatibility problems with drivers and programs - even though Vista has been around for over 3 years.

Windows 7 : Windows 7 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. It is basically a streamlined version of Vista, with all the rough edges sanded off. Unlike Vista, I can recommend 7. If you will be using your new desktop at home, or in any environment without a Windows Server, you will be fine with Windows 7 Home Premium Edition. If you will be using your desktop with a Windows Server, you definitely need Windows 7 Professional. If you get Windows 7 Ultimate, you can't go wrong either way.

PCs for business can still be ordered from distributors with XP as of December, 2009. All PCs come with either Vista or Windows 7, but some can be "downgraded" and will have XP installed on them. That is because Microsoft has required all vendors who sell their operating systems to include a copy of Vista or Windows 7 with every machine they sell.

Memory (RAM):

If you get a system running Windows XP, 2 GB of RAM is recommended, but 1 GB will do just fine.
If you get a system running Vista or Windows 7, you need at least 2 GB of RAM, and more is better. 4, 6, or 8 GB is strongly recommended.
Need help figuring out these details? Contact us at Rapid Networks today. We're happy to help!

Graphics chips :
This isn't much of an issue for general small business IT, but you may see some systems boasting that they have "discrete graphics," while most systems have integrated graphics. In a nutshell, discrete graphics have vastly better performance than integrated graphics, but unless you are playing a game, doing video, or extremely high-resolution photo editing on the machine, you will never notice the difference.

Hard drive capacity :
For general business use, 160 GB drives (which are about the smallest you will see) are more than enough - especially if you have a server where you will be storing most of your data. For a small increase in the overall price of the system, though, you can go all the way up to 1 TB (terabyte), which equals 1000 GB. You can even go up to 1.5 or 2 TB if you really need space.

To learn more or ask about small business IT services , reach out to us at Rapid Networks today .

>> Back to Rapid Networks Guides

Laptop Buying Guide

dmaloney@rapidnetworks.biz (David Maloney) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:41:20 GMT

(updated 8-18-2010)

Brands :
» Top tier laptop brands: Lenovo (formerly IBM), HP (but not their Pavilion line), Dell
Sony makes very good quality laptops, but I personally am not a big fan because of the huge

amount of custom software that they pre-load on their laptops.
» Second tier laptop brands: Toshiba, Acer, Gateway

Processors (CPUs):
Laptops with Intel processors are generally more expensive, but have better performance, machines with AMD processors have slightly lower performance, and lower prices. Each of those companies, though, have their high-performance CPUs, and lower-performing CPUs. Of course, the better-performing ones cost more.

Good CPUs:

AMD: Athlon II, Phenom II
Intel: Core 2 Duo, Intel Core i5, Core i7

Not good CPUs (avoid these):

AMD: Turion
Intel: Celeron, Pentium, Intel i3, any CPU with a model number starting with U or SU (These are ultra low-voltage CPUs that are very under-powered.)

Operating System :
Windows 7 : Windows 7 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. It is basically a streamlined version of Vista, with all the rough edges sanded off. Unlike Vista, I can recommend 7. If you will be using your new laptop at home, or in any environment without a Windows Server, you will be fine with Windows 7 Home Premium Edition. If you will be using your laptop with a Windows Server, you definitely need Windows 7 Professional. If you get Windows 7 Ultimate, you can't go wrong either way.

Windows XP : Laptops for business use can still be ordered from distributors with XP as of August, 2010. All laptops come with Windows 7, but some can be "downgraded" and will have XP installed on them. That is because Microsoft has required all vendors who sell their operating systems to include a copy of Vista or Windows 7 with every machine they sell. There is no longer any reason to buy a machine with XP on it, unless you have some program that absolutely will not work properly with Windows 7.

Memory (RAM):

If you get a system running Windows XP, 1 GB of RAM will do just fine, and even 512 MB is okay.
If you get a system running Windows 7, you need at least 3 GB of RAM, and more is better. 4 or 6 GB is strongly recommended.

Hard drive size :
Most laptops will have at least 250 GB hard drives, and many will have 320 GB or 500 GB. Unless you plan on working with video, or installing lots of games, the size of the hard drive is totally unimportant.

Graphics chips :
This isn't much of an issue for general business use, but you may see some systems boasting that they have "discrete graphics," while most systems have integrated graphics. In a nutshell, discrete graphics have vastly better performance than integrated graphics, but unless you are playing a game, or doing video or extremely high-resolution photo editing on the machine, you will never notice the difference.

Screen :
The displays are important, since that is what the user will be looking at all the time. Pretty much all laptops these days have widescreen displays. Personally, I prefer the old square aspect ration screens, but those are no longer available.

The only real options are to get a screen that is bright but subject to glare and reflections vs. a screen that is less bright with a matte finish and anti-glare. Pretty much all the "home" systems have extremely bright coatings on their screens. It makes them look great when playing a DVD movie in a dark room, but in bright conditions, such as using the laptop with a bright window behind you, you can get some extreme reflections off the screen. Unfortunately, most laptops of any sort have gone with the bright type of screen coating - even many laptops intended for business use. It's not too bad, just something you have to live with. If this is a big deal, though, I can track down models with a matte/anti-glare and anti-reflective screen.

Docking options :
Less expensive laptops have no docking port, which means they can never be attached to a dock. Docks are really great if you want to travel frequently with the laptop, but it is also your main system. A dock lets you plug the laptop into one connection, and from that have an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, network, and power all connected. I like docks a lot, as they can be super-convenient. Docks usually cost between $50 and $150.

Battery life :
Pay attention to the number of cells in the battery. Cheaper batteries have lower number of cells, such as 3 or 4, more expensive batteries and laptops have much higher numbers, like 6, 8 or 9. The more cells, the longer the battery will last.

Laptop bags :
If you're looking for a nice laptop bag, I recommend www.ebags.com . You can use their laptop bag finder - just put in the dimensions of the laptop, and it will show you all the bags that it will fit into.

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Voice Over IP

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 04:13:11 GMT

Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol, or VOIP (pronounced voyp) is the general term for the family of transmission technologies that allow for the delivery of voice communications over the Internet or other packet-switched data networks. Using this new technology, voice data such as phone calls can travel over the same data networks that computers use, instead of using dedicated phone cabling.

There are two main uses of VOIP technology:

IP PBX - uses network-connected phones, which communicate to each other and to the central PBX using your network wiring, rather than separate phone wiring. In this scenario, the phones are essentially small single-purpose computers, which gives them all sorts of capabilities that traditional phones never had.

VOIP phone lines - replace your conventional phone lines or lines dedicated from a T1 with a service from company like Vonage or Level(3). This means that your phone calls, especially your long distance phone calls, travel across the Internet before reconnecting to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) in the close vicinity of the number you are calling. This technique avoids long-distance charges.

You can use either or both of these VOIP solutions to add flexibility and features to your phone system as well as to lower your costs.

One VOIP service that is particularly well-suited to small businesses is a hosted (or virtual) PBX service. For more information , give us at Rapid Networks a call or send us an email .

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