How to add websites to Internet Explorer 11's Compatbility List

[nerd rating: 3 out of 5 pocket protectors ]

Microsoft has recently released Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7.    There have been a lot

of good reviews of IE11 under the Windows 8 environment.   Microsoft has made some vast improvements to their flagship browser that makes it much more compatible with CSS and HTML5.   In fact, many of the benchmark scores for IE11 show it runs faster and is using fewer resources than Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. 

This post is not intended to be a review of IE11.   Personally, I have been quite impressed by a lot of things with IE11, but unsatisfied with other things.   Maybe one day, I will write my personal review of IE11...probably right around when IE12 is getting released. 

Rather, this post is intended to help with the biggest problem I am seeing with IE11 and that is accessing older sites that require earlier versions of Internet Explorer.  

There are many sites my clients are using that are not compatible with IE11.  Now, whether that has something to do with the technology required by the website or simply the fact the USERAGENT information in IE11 no longer reports that it is Internet Explorer, I don't know.   What I do know is there are plenty of site my clients can't get to using IE11 natively.    



IE11's new UserAgent string.   What happened to MSIE?

However, it is pretty easy to get your old site viewable in IE11.   All you usually have to do is add your site to the IE Compatibility List.  Here is how you would do that:
 

(1) Open up Internet Explorer and navigate to the website you are having trouble viewing in IE. 

(2) Click on the TOOLS icon in the upper left hand corner of IE.   This icons appears as a 'gear':

 

(3) Choose Compatibility View Settings:

 

(4) If it is not already populate in the input box, type the URL of your website in the input box that reads "ADD THIS SITE"  and then press ADD.

 

(5) The site should now appear in the list of websites that will open in compatibility mode.   Choose CLOSE and refresh your page to see if you can now view the site properly.

A great test for me was to use log into blogger.com.   When I tried to log into my account to create this post, I received this error message:

 

After adding blogger.com to IE's compatibility list, I can now open it with no errors.   Hopefully, this will help alleviate a bit of frustration when dealing with IE11.  If you have any problems or questions, please contact us here at Binkley IT Consulting.   We can help!

 

 

How to add an image to your email signature on the iPhone or Office365 Outlook Web App

[nerd scale:2 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

I have received a lot of questions recently about how to add images to email signatures on the iPhone and the Outlook Web App.   So, I figured I would use this week's blog to show you how you can accomplish this:

 

Outlook Web App:

 

-There may be other ways to do this, but this is the way I stumbled upon.

 

(1) First, you need to be able to access the image you want to add from a web browser.  Since we all have websites, it should be easy enough to upload you picture to your images directory of your website.   Once uploaded, make sure you can view the image by using a web browser to navigate to the image's URL.   My test image has been placed at http://www.binkleyit.com/images/eatup.png

 

This is what the image looks like:

 

 

 

(2) From within your web browser, right click on the image and choose COPY

(3) Log into your Outlook Web App.  The default URL is https://outlook.office365.com.  Navigate to the Gear Icon | Options | Settings

 

(3) Within the email signature text area, press CTRL+V to copy the image into your email signature:

 

 

(4) Check the box the reads 'Automatically include my signature on messages I send' and then click the SAVE button and you should be good to go!

 

 

(5) Now when you create a new email using the Outlook Web App, your signature should appear:

 

 

 

 

iPhone:
- I tested this on an iPhone 5 and iPad2, both running iOS7.

(1) Make sure your email account is already set up on your iPhone, and then email yourself the image you are wanting to use for your signature.


(2) On your iPhone, find the email you just sent yourself.   It should contain the image.  Initiate an email forward of this email.   You won't be sending it to anyone.  Scroll down the email until you see your image.   Press the screen until you can choose SELECT to select the image:

 

Once the image is selected, choose COPY:

 

 

Once the image is copied, navigate to SETTING | Mail, Contacts, Calendars | SIGNATURE

 

If you have multiple email accounts, you may want to change the Signature setting from ALL ACCOUNTS to PER ACCOUNT

 

 

Scroll to the account you wish to set up the new signature.   Add the appropriate text information and then press the screen until you receive the option to PASTE the copied picture into the signature:

 

 

The image should get pasted into the signature:

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Navigate back to your email and create a new email to verify your signature is appearing correctly:

 

 

 

That's it!  Not too difficult, but if you have any problems or questions contact Binkley IT Consulting.  We can help.

 

What are the IT issues that every computer should address?

I am planning for a series of radio interviews with the Experience Pros, a local radio show that dedicates their air time to talking about business.

We will be discussing the IT issues that every business needs to address, and I figured I should dovetail that conversation with my blog postings.

So, over the next few weeks, I will spend some time addressing these issues.    Here is a highlight of the topics we will be discussing:

 

Data Backup

 

A company can overcome almost any problem with their IT, but a loss of data could be a killer to most companies.   We will discuss solutions to ensuring that your data is well protected.

 

 

High Speed Internet

 

High Speed Internet is integral to business today.   We will discuss which ones are the best bang for your buck.

 

Virtualization

 

We will discuss the benefits of virtualizing your existing infrastructure, as well as how using new virtual technologies can help your business' bottom line.

 

Cloud Hosting

 

We will discuss the pros and cons of hosting applications, or even entire networks in the cloud.

 

Enterprise Class Email

 

We will discuss how to migrate from your old POP or IMAP mail services to a more modern enterprise class email system and the benefits it can provide your company.

 

Email and Desktop Security

 

We will discuss strategies to keep your company safe, or safer, from viral and malicious attacks.

 

Centralized Data Storage and Access

 

We will discuss strategies and benefits of centralizing your data either onsite or in the cloud.

 

IT Maintenance

 

We will discuss how important it is to have a trusted IT Admin who can make sure that all your technology is being taken care of properly.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



Are you still not backing up your files?

Last week, I missed adding a blog because my IT world exploded with problems.   One of the problems I experienced was my first exposure to the CryptoLocker virus.   When this virus infects your system, it downloads an encryption key and encrypts certain file types, which makes those file unusable.  Even after the infection has been removed, the files remain encrypted.   This is a smart virus.  Not only will it go after your local files, but it will search for network shares on which the logged in user has modify rights and will encrypt those files too.

The distribution of the virus is really not any different than any other virus.   In my client's case, it was delivered via a ZIP attachment in an email.

I took this attachment and emailed it to a bunch of outside test email accounts.  None of the email accounts detected and blocked the attachment.   I then open the virus on controlled virtual desktop environments running some of the most common desktop anti-virus software.   The day of release, none of them were able to detect the virus.  Scary!  After a day or two, the virus definition updates on most of the anti-virus software I was testing did indeed stop the infection.

The biggest problem with anti-virus software is that is always fighting yesterday's attack.   And if you are unlucky enough to be hit by a new variant of a virus, you are basically unprotected.

In last weeks attack, my client's public folder containing about 50GBs of shared data was all encrypted and unusable.  Luckily, we have a great backup system in place and we were able to easily and quickly recover the data. 

Today's blog is intended to be a reminder that if you are not backing up your data every day, you are putting it at risk.   Could your business survive if all your data files were suddenly inaccessible?   Most business wouldn't survive that.   It is easy and relatively inexpensive to make sure your data is protected.

The Backup Exec software continues to be an exceptional piece of software to protect server data.   Mozy and Carbonite both have great desktop products that will allow you to backup to local external hard drives, NAS devices and into the cloud for under $100 a year.

If you do not have a good backup system in place or if you want to make sure yours is working properly, contact us a Binkley IT Consulting.   We can help.

How to configure your website to detect mobile devices

 [nerd scale: 2 out of 5 pocket protectors] 

 

Is your website mobile friendly?  People are using their cell phones and other mobile devices to browse the web much more than in the past.  It is important to make sure that your website is easy to navigate from a mobile browser, otherwise the short moment of time that you have to make a good impression and capture a visitor's interest could be lost.

 

 

There are many ways of making your website mobile friendly.   If you are truly geeky, you might decide to let CSS be in charge of handling all our mobile reconfigurations.   Or you can create new web pages to which you can redirect mobile traffic.   Regardless of the way you decide to handle your mobile traffic, one thing has to happen:  your website needs to detect that a mobile device is accessing the web site.

 

 

Here is a great little javascript I use to detect a mobile device and forward the traffic to my mobile web pages:

<script type="text/javascript">
(function(a,b){if(/(android|bb\d+|meego).+mobile|avantgo|bada\/|blackberry|blazer|compal|elaine|fennec|hiptop|iemobile|ip(hone|od)|iris|kindle|lge |maemo|midp|mmp|mobile.+firefox|netfront|opera m(ob|in)i|palm( os)?|phone|p(ixi|re)\/|plucker|pocket|psp|series(4|6)0|symbian|treo|up\.(browser|link)|vodafone|wap|windows (ce|phone)|xda|xiino/i.test(a)||/1207|6310|6590|3gso|4thp|50[1-6]i|770s|802s|a wa|abac|ac(er|oo|s\-)|ai(ko|rn)|al(av|ca|co)|amoi|an(ex|ny|yw)|aptu|ar(ch|go)|as(te|us)|attw|au(di|\-m|r |s )|avan|be(ck|ll|nq)|bi(lb|rd)|bl(ac|az)|br(e|v)w|bumb|bw\-(n|u)|c55\/|capi|ccwa|cdm\-|cell|chtm|cldc|cmd\-|co(mp|nd)|craw|da(it|ll|ng)|dbte|dc\-s|devi|dica|dmob|do(c|p)o|ds(12|\-d)|el(49|ai)|em(l2|ul)|er(ic|k0)|esl8|ez([4-7]0|os|wa|ze)|fetc|fly(\-|_)|g1 u|g560|gene|gf\-5|g\-mo|go(\.w|od)|gr(ad|un)|haie|hcit|hd\-(m|p|t)|hei\-|hi(pt|ta)|hp( i|ip)|hs\-c|ht(c(\-| |_|a|g|p|s|t)|tp)|hu(aw|tc)|i\-(20|go|ma)|i230|iac( |\-|\/)|ibro|idea|ig01|ikom|im1k|inno|ipaq|iris|ja(t|v)a|jbro|jemu|jigs|kddi|keji|kgt( |\/)|klon|kpt |kwc\-|kyo(c|k)|le(no|xi)|lg( g|\/(k|l|u)|50|54|\-[a-w])|libw|lynx|m1\-w|m3ga|m50\/|ma(te|ui|xo)|mc(01|21|ca)|m\-cr|me(rc|ri)|mi(o8|oa|ts)|mmef|mo(01|02|bi|de|do|t(\-| |o|v)|zz)|mt(50|p1|v )|mwbp|mywa|n10[0-2]|n20[2-3]|n30(0|2)|n50(0|2|5)|n7(0(0|1)|10)|ne((c|m)\-|on|tf|wf|wg|wt)|nok(6|i)|nzph|o2im|op(ti|wv)|oran|owg1|p800|pan(a|d|t)|pdxg|pg(13|\-([1-8]|c))|phil|pire|pl(ay|uc)|pn\-2|po(ck|rt|se)|prox|psio|pt\-g|qa\-a|qc(07|12|21|32|60|\-[2-7]|i\-)|qtek|r380|r600|raks|rim9|ro(ve|zo)|s55\/|sa(ge|ma|mm|ms|ny|va)|sc(01|h\-|oo|p\-)|sdk\/|se(c(\-|0|1)|47|mc|nd|ri)|sgh\-|shar|sie(\-|m)|sk\-0|sl(45|id)|sm(al|ar|b3|it|t5)|so(ft|ny)|sp(01|h\-|v\-|v )|sy(01|mb)|t2(18|50)|t6(00|10|18)|ta(gt|lk)|tcl\-|tdg\-|tel(i|m)|tim\-|t\-mo|to(pl|sh)|ts(70|m\-|m3|m5)|tx\-9|up(\.b|g1|si)|utst|v400|v750|veri|vi(rg|te)|vk(40|5[0-3]|\-v)|vm40|voda|vulc|vx(52|53|60|61|70|80|81|83|85|98)|w3c(\-| )|webc|whit|wi(g |nc|nw)|wmlb|wonu|x700|yas\-|your|zeto|zte\-/i.test(a.substr(0,4)))window.location=b})(navigator.userAgent||navigator.vendor||window.opera,'mobilebink.html');

</script>

 

 

To most of us, this looks like a bunch of gobbily-gook. Basically, this script is just a Regular Expression that is interrogating the User Agent information that is provided by the web browser making the request to the web server.   What is most important is what you tell it to do if a match is found.   In this case, one of the very last lines of code contains 'mobilebink.html'.  This tells the script to navigate to the webpage mobilebink.html if a match is found, or in other words if a mobile device is detected.

 

If you want to use this, all you need to do is copy the script and place it after the <head> tags and before the <body> tags of your web page.  It will look something like this:

 

 

With this script in place, a mobile device will navigate from this page:

 

 

to this page automatically and instantly before the original page is rendered:

 

 

 

 

If you are looking for someone to help make your website more mobile friendly, contact us at Binkley IT Consulting.   We can help.

 

 



DIY In-House Instant Messaging Server

[nerd scale: 3 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

Recently a client had a need to allow their employees that ability to Instant Message each other

in order to increase productivity.   The client wanted to make sure the Instant Messaging system only allowed messaging within their organization and not outside contacts.   Also, they wanted it to be inexpensive.

 

After doing some research, and finding products such as a Microsoft Lync server that did not fit into their budget, I stumbled upon a cool little gem called OpenFire.

 

OpenFire is an open source Instant Messaging server that is free to use.  That is a big plus.  The server software and IM client can run on a Windows, Mac or Linux environment.  The software comes packaged with an embedded database, but can also be connected to external databases that run on MySQL, Microsoft SQL and others.  As well, it comes with an open source IM client called Spark, but can be used with other IM client if needed.

 

We chose to test this software on a virtualized Windows XP computer running on an VMware ESXi 5.0 server.   The install process could not have been easier or quicker.   The software comes with a very easy to use web interface for configuring users.   If desired, the software can be connected to an LDAP database and pull your users straight from Active Directory if you a running a Microsoft Domain. 

 

Out of the box, OpenFire has all the normal features of you would expect from an IM system, including file transfers.  But it also offers that ability use add-in modules to increase the functionality if desired.

 

With a simple firewall configuration and proper DNS changes, you can easily allow outside access to this IM system.   This can allow mobile employees to be able to use their IM clients from within the network and away from the network. 

 

This system is not designed to be use with hundereds of users, but for a small / medium sized business with a few dozen of users, OpenFire should perform really well.    I am interested to see if performance suffers as the database grows.  I will post updates as more information comes in. 

 

If your company needs to increase productivity by offering a way for employees to quickly communicate with each other in real-time, OpenFire just might be the solution for you.   If you need assistance getting this system in place, contact us a Binkley IT Consulting.   We can help.

 

 

For those interested, here is a short video of our first test of OpenFire:

 

 

 

An alternative configuration for Google Voice

[Nerd Scale: 2.5 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

 

A few weeks back, I posted a blog regarding creating custom voicemail greetings with Google Voice.  I received a lot of feedback from clients interested in using Google Voice.  Many of these clients had established phone numbers and did not want to port these numbers to Google Voice ( in the porting business, those in the know say once your port your number to Google Voice, you can never port it back)

 

For many, all they want is the ability to have their voicemails sent to their email.   This can be easily accomplished on most cell phones and internal PBX systems using Google Voice without having to port your phone number.   

 

Typically, the configuration for Google Voice is set to configure your Google Voice account to manage your phone number.    When a call is placed, it is sent to Google Voice, which then rings the phone(s) you have set the call to forward to.   If you do not answer the call, Google Voice initiates the voicemail and once the voicemail is recorded, Google Voice will send you an email notifying you that you have a new voicemail. 

 

Most phones and phone systems have a way of allowing you to perform an action if a phone call is not answered.   By default, this action is usually to send the call to voicemail.   However, you usually have the option to forward your calls to another number when it is not answered.   Instead of letting your cell-phone's service voicemail take over, or your internal PBX voicemail take over, you can set your phones to forward your missed calls to your Google Voice number.

 

If we configure our Google Voice account to automatically send all calls to voicemail, we have just created a situation that phone calls originating to our existing office or cell phones will forward to Google Voice when unanswered.  Google Voice will immediately send the call to voicemail and you will receive an email informing you of your new voicemail along with a URL to listen to the recording.   Now there is little need to purchase a new phone system that will allow you the voicemail to email functionality, and you have no need to change or port your phone number.   Just use what is already in place. 

In order to send Google Voice calls directly to voicemail, you must turn on the Do Not Disturb feature by navigating to SETTINGS | CALLS | DO NOT DISTURB

 

 

 

Each phone will have a different method to configure call forwarding.   For Android devices, you can navigate to someplace similar to  SETTINGS | CALL SETTINGS | VOICE CALL | CALL FORWARDING

 



 

 

If you need help figuring out how to configure your forwarding features on your phone, contact us here at Binkley IT Consulting.   We can help!

 

 



Time to remember

On September 10th 2001, I was just finishing up a trip visiting my then girlfriend ( now my wife ) in Los Angeles who was finishing up school at USC.   The entire plane ride back to Denver I sat in my chair fuming after watching Eddie McCaffrey break his leg during the Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.   Eddie Mac was one of the key players on my Fantasy Football team that year; a year where my chances had been really high to win the league.  That night, I went to bed grumpy.

The next morning, I woke up to phone call from my girlfriend who simply said "Turn on the news."  I turned on the television just in time to watch the second plane crash into the World Trade towers.  In that moment, thoughts of football and injuries where long gone and replaced by a confusion that I had never experienced before and hope to never experience again in my lifetime.  It was clear that something important and horrible had just happened, but none of us were able to make sense at what it was.

Like many others that day, I did my best getting myself together and headed into work.  Not a lot of work was accomplished that day.   I remember standing in the lobby of Spivack Vision Center, one of my clients at the time, surrounded by a sea of employees and patients; all staring at the television.   We stood there in silence and watched the first tower fall.  Nobody spoke.  Nobody knew what to say.  

As the days went by, we began to understand what had happened.  We had become witnesses to unimaginable cruelty and heartbreaking heroism.  In that day, we experienced the worst and best of human nature.  And for awhile, we were brought together as a community and as a nation, and showed each other our capacity to care and help and heal.

12 years later, we are charged with the responsibility to never forget.   Like generations before us who lived through the attack of Pearl Harbor, or the Kennedy assassinations or global wars, we are part of those in history that can answer the question "Do you remember where you were when?"   We have been given the burden and honor of ensuring that we remember that day, not as a slogan, but as a testament to those who display the highest qualities of human nature standing up against those who display the lowest.

It is a time to remember our potential for good when we unite.

And it is a time to remember that there are still people out there who continue to sacrifice.   To my wonderful clients Bunny and Frenchie Fransua whose son is getting ready to deploy on his 3rd tour to Afghanistan, we thank your son for his sacrifices and devotion and pray for his safety.

To all my friends, family members and clients who have served or continue serving to protect our way of life: we will not forget you!

Are your cloud stored files protected?

[Nerd Scale: 2 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

 

From time to time, I find it necessary to store files in the cloud that contain sensitive data, such as network passwords or account numbers.    It's not secure enough to just have a cloud based account that is password protected.  I need to encrypt the files in order to ensure the data is unreadable by those that should not be able to read these files.
 
On my laptop, my sensitive data is encrypted.  However, when I sync these files to most cloud sync services, the files are stored in plain text with the encryption removed.  This is a huge security risk.

I am now using a great software called Cloudfogger which allows me to encrypt my files and have them synced in the cloud without losing the encryption.   The software is free of charge and is quite easy to install and use.

Here is how you use Cloudfogger:

(1) Go to https://www.cloudfogger.com, create an account and install the software on your computer.

(2) Choose a file or folder you want to encrypt, right click on it and choose Cloudfogger | Fog file

(3) The file gets renamed with a .cfog extension and will now sync to the cloud without losing the encryption.

From then on, when you access your encrypted files, you will need Cloudfogger and your encryption key installed on the device you are trying to open it with.  Otherwise, the file will not be readable.   This allows us to make sure that our encrypted files are safe from others.   Cloudfogger has apps that work on iOS, Windows and Android mobile devices.

If you need more information about how to get encrypted files stored in the cloud, contact us a Binkley IT Consulting.  We can help.

Creating calm out of chaos using a Wall Mount Rack Enclosure

[Nerd Scale: 2 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

I love the feel of a server room.   The hum of running servers and the cool air of a climate controlled

room puts me at ease.  Add some passive noise cancelling technology and I have my own personal nerdy zen garden.

 

"Om"

 

But nothing can ruin the peace and tranquility faster than the clutter of patch cables.   It so easy for patch cables to become tangled and messy; destroying my inner calm.   This week, I had a client who was experiencing the same problem.   Their server room, or to be more precise, their server closet was visible for all to see and was cluttered.   Many of the employees were complaining, but more importantly, the office manager was not happy.  Our solution was to install a Tripp Lite SRW12U 12U wall mounted rack enclosure that would provide some needed cable organization, extra security and hardware concealment.

 

Here is a picture of the rat's nest of cables before:

 

 

 

And here is a picture of the cables after using cable organizers:

 

 

 

It is a small thing, but something that has a positive psychological effect on the people who have to see it everyday.

 

Now with the clutter minimized, I understand this client will be holding Tai Chi classes in their server room for their staff on Friday mornings.

 

If you need help creating calm out of the chaos, contact Binkley IT Consulting.  We can help.

 

 

 

 

How to create custom greetings on Google Voice

[Nerd Scale: 2 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

Are you using Google Voice?  Many of my small business clients are and I have

to tell you I am a big fan.   There are so many incredible features that Google Voice offers, including email/text notifications of missed calls or voice mails.  It is amazing that a free service exists that gives a small business many features that larger companies enjoy from their high-priced phone systems.

One of the features I enjoy the most from Google Voice is the ability to create customized voicemail greetings.  I am fond of the idea of creating customized greetings for each client you may have as a way of personalizing the voicemail experience.  Sure, it's not necessary, but kind of cool.

 

It's a bit tricky out of the box trying to figure out how to do this, so this week's blog will show you the steps:

 

(1) Log into Google Voice at https://www.google.com/voice

 

(2) Create a contact for the intended recipient of the customized greeting to your Google Contacts by choosing Google Contacts | New Contact | add new contact info

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3) Record a customized greeting by going to the GEAR icon | Settings | Voicemail & Texts | Record New Greeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(4) Add the customized greeting to the contact by searching for the contact's name in the search bar and applying the appropriate greeting to their contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, every time the client calls you from the numbers listed in their contact information and reaches voicemail, they will receive the customized voicemail greeting.   That could make the voicemail experience for you client just a bit more pleasant.

The hidden costs of higher speed internet

[Nerd Scale: 2 out of 5 pocket protectors]

 

 

Who doesn't like faster internet?  For me, installing a super fast internet connection for a client is a little like Christmas morning. It is nerdily exciting.

It is common now, especially in home offices, to be able to get speeds up to 50Mbps.  With that kind of bandwidth, files download in a blink of an eye, streaming Netflix displays in higher definition and viruses can infect your computer at a much faster rate than ever before.  It is all very efficient.

Or is it?  There are hidden costs associated with upgrading our internet service to faster speeds that most of us don't think about.   And it all has to do with wireless.   Wireless technology has made our computing lives easier, or at least more aesthetically pleasing.   We don't have to be tethered to a single location in our office or have unsightly wires strewn across our workspaces. 

It is important to understand when upgrading your internet speeds that a lot of the wireless technology that we have been using can't actually support the new high speeds.   This is not to say if you purchase a 50Mbps service that your wireless will stop working.  It means that your wireless may not be able to provide you access to all the bandwidth.

Most of us are probably using 802.11g or 802.11n wireless routers on our networks.  I don't intend to delve into the nuts and bolts of these technologies, or really discuss the theoretical vs actual performance of these technologies.  Using 802.11g, you will probably max out your connection at 20Mbps.  802.11n is supposed to be able to support these higher speeds, but I have seen plenty of 802.11n devices max out at 24Mbps.  This is usually due to using an early, or draft, version of the 802.11n hardware that really wasn't certified for the 802.11n protocol.   I have encountered more 802.11n hardware that doesn't support higher speeds than those that do.  

What you will need is an upgrade to the newer 802.11ac hardware.  The 802.11ac protocols have been out for awhile, but are still new enough that they are kind of pricey.  You may need to purchase an 802.11 AC router.  Most of the 802.11ac routers that I would suggest run in the $150-$200 range.   I have been really impressed by Apple's new Airport Extreme and some of the Linksys' AC line.

As well as the router purchase, you may need to purchase a wireless network adapter for each computer that needs access to the full bandwidth.   The costs range anywhere between $40-$100 for the wireless network adapter.   Apple has added 802.11ac to all their new laptops already, but the PC world has been a bit late in adopting the technology.   If you are purchasing a new laptop in the near future, you might want to think about upgrading the wireless network adapter to an AC version.

Most 802.11ac routers have dual-band technology that will allow the older 802.11g and 802.11n devices to connect, they just will have limited bandwidth (again, some 802.11n wireless network adapters will support higher speeds and some will not).  You won't have to upgrade every computer, just the ones that need faster internet.

At the very least, you would probably have to spend about $200 to fully take advantage of your new internet speeds.  So keep that in mind when you are calculating the cost of upgrading your internet speeds.

And if you need help installing the new hardware or deciding what you should purchase, please contact Binkley IT Consulting.  We can help.

Protecting your computer against viruses and malware

If you own a computer, chances are someday

it will get infected with a virus or malware.  Even with a corporate style anti-virus software running on your system, you are not protected against all threats, because those threats are always changing.   However, there are some things you can do to help lessen  the chance of getting infected or help recover quickly from an attack.

(1) Make sure you are running an anti-virus software and that you update it regularly.   I have never found one anti-virus software that protects against all threats, so it is hard to recommend which one would be the best.   On my personal laptop, I am using Microsoft's Security Essentials, mainly because it is free but also because it does do a really good job of protecting my system.  I have also had some great success with Kaspersky recently.   Regardless of which anti-virus software you use, you must make sure that the virus definitions are up to date.   Most anti-virus software allows you customize how often the software searches for updated virus definitions.   Back in the day, we use to set it to update once a day.  However, today the threats emerge so quickly that I have taken to running the updates every hour on some networks.   You have to be careful to understand your bandwidth limitations and how performing frequent updates could have an adverse effect on your network.  Referring to our last blog: Don't be a bandwidth hog.   But keep your system protected.

(2) Make sure to disable auto-run on USB drives.  Many viruses get spread by infecting a memory stick or usb hard drive.  If your computer is set to enable auto-run for these devices, the infection can easily get transferred to your computer.  To learn more about the auto-run function and how to disable it, take a look at this article by Microsoft:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967715

(3) Make sure to be careful to interrogate hyperlinks in websites and emails.  It used to be common that viruses were distributed in email attachments.  And although this method of delivery still occurs, it is much less common than it use to be, mainly because anti-virus software has become really good at protecting against that kind of attack.  What is more common today is to get an email with a hyperlink that takes you to a location that contains the malicious software.  Usually, clicking on the hyperlink will allow the site to install the payload on your system.   Here is an example of how to interrogate a hyperlink.   Take a look at this link:  http://www.google.com

If you hover over this link without clicking, your browser should report to you where this link is being directed.   Although the text the link display says it is going to www.google.com, if you hover over it you will see that it is actually going to direct you to www.binkleyit.com.   Now, our website won't infect your computer with a virus, but if we were up to no good we could be redirecting you to a location that could install a virus or malware onto your system.

 

(4) Get in the habit of closing pop up windows using the "red X".   A common method of tricking a user into installing malicious software on their system is by displaying a pop-up window that appears to be a dialog box containing OK / CANCEL buttons.   In reality, these pop-ups are usually just a picture of dialog box that has an action mapped to it that installs the malicious software when the image is clicked.   Instead of clicking on the image's CANCEL button, close the entire window by clicking on the window's close icon, usually depicted as a red X.

 

(5) Make sure your software is up to date.   Most attacks occur because an exploit in the operating system or a specific software package has been found.  Software companies will frequently release updates to fix these exploits.   Make sure that you have updates enabled and are frequently verifying that the updates are being applied.

(6) Be aware of what is going on with your computer.   It is rare to be infected with a virus or malware without it showing some sort of sign that you are infected.    These signs could be a slowing of the system, extra icons on the desktop or new toolbars in your browser windows.   Pay attention to these changes and don't dismiss them.   They are usually a sign that someone other than you has installed software on your system.   The quicker you can detect the infection, the easier it usually is to recover.

(7) Make sure that your system restore software is enabled.   This won't protect you from getting viruses or malware, but it can be a useful tool for recovering from an infection.  In a lot of cases, if the infection is detected quickly enough, you can run a system restore from the previous day and have the system restore to a point before getting infected.

(8) Make sure that you are backing up all your data frequently.   Again, this won't protect you from getting a virus or malware, but it will ensure that if you are ever attacked by a serious infection, your data will not be at risk because you have copies of it somewhere else.  Programs such as Mozy and Carbonite make it very easy to ensure that your data is safe.  Both OSX and Windows have built in backup utilities that make backing up to external hard drives very simple.   There should be no reason to not have reliable backups.

 

As always, if you need any help learning more about protecting yourself from viruses and malware, or if you need help recovering from an attack, contact Binkley IT Consulting and we can help.