The mobile device market is evolving so much it’s hard for anyone to keep up. We are at the over saturation point with Kindles, Samsung’s model of delivering in every shape and size, Apple’s jedi mind tricks of “you will like this”, and then there is everyone else, right?!?!?
Not exactly, Microsoft finally got something right with its Surface Pro and just released Pro 2. They have had a series blunders with every other desktop operating system release. The latest WTH were you thinking is Windows 8. The tile format simply doesn’t work well in the desktop arena. Unfortunately, that product release has overshadowed their mobile device market.
Pick up an Nokia phone and you see what I’m talking about. It’s beautiful. However, this post is not about phones but rather the Surface products. Microsoft in its attempt to compete with the Apple iPad released the Surface RT. Think the Apple “app store” without all the apps for the Microsoft Store placed on some beautifully designed hardware.
This is where the the Surface PRO and the Pro 2 come in. The Surface Pro line of products supports legacy Windows products running on Windows 8.1. This may appeal to a lot of businesses because while they like the mobility of an iPad or Android device and an onslaught of apps are released every day. The reality is most corporations still live in Windows world, with domain credentials, locked down file/folder security, and the browser based apps may be reliant on Internet Explore rendering the iPad useless as a fully functional corporate device.
“Yeah but everyone is going to the cloud. Microsoft cloud infrastructure is lame” Yes but Microsoft is the one organization that still has built outstanding trust in the IT world that your enterprise data is secure. They offer Office 365 and a slew of other products. You will have a lot more difficult time trying to control your data with any of these other big players. That’s not to say there are secure, warm, fuzzy, and agnostic players like Box.net but again I digress.
Anyway, check out the Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, or competitors like the Sony Vaio Tap. One thing to note if you do take the plunge, the confusing Microsoft branding of Surface line of products does not automatically come with a keyboard. For that, you need to purchase the Type Cover for like $130 or is already included in the Sony package.

The post Laptops vs iPad vs Surface branded markets. How do corporations or small businesses choose? appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

You are starting a new business or are currently moving into a new location, you have a staff of five to ten people, and you’re interested in the cloud but not fully committed to a cloud environment. Here are some products and services that should make some wise choice to setting up a small business network.

Router – Sometimes the router is integrated with the package but I would consider a Sonicwall if it’s not. Despite being bought by Dell, their customer service remains top notch and VPN is a basic function that can be integrated into your office.

D-Link Access Point and Switch – This not only provides your premise more coverage but contains multiple ethernet cable outputs for adding additional wired devices to your network. Make sure lock down your hot spot or contact your IT consultant to have it done for you.

CAT 5e Ethernet Cables – These cables are the standard for those guys that come in and do your cabling. This is worthy of mentioning because if you are short, you are going to pay an arm and a leg to get these cables at the local store. A 7’ cable is a good all-around cable but 3’ cables are perfect for patching into the closet

16 Port Network Switch – A critical piece towards providing a stable and speedy network is to provide each device their own dedicated network drop. The 16 port switch should be more than enough ports to connect all the devices in a ten user or less network environment.
Choose Your Ideal Switch
Remote Support or Telecommute Software – The best cloud base software by far is Logmein.com. They support up to ten workstations for free and get you and your employees out of a lot of jams with it.

Phones – Forget the bell packages. VoIP offers so much more flexibility and for a very competitive price. Be careful what you commit to. Some VoIP do not work as advertise and you may need an unbiased consultant to provide you the best solution for your office needs.

Printer or MFPs – These multifunctional devices are so intuitive now and cheap that leasing makes no sense whatsoever. My latest favorite is from Kyocera. The FS-1135 MFP. A sound solution is receiving faxes into your email inbox while faxing out hard copies from the Kyocera. These also come with configurable shortcut buttons for one push, send to desktop scanned PDFs.

Scanners – Every front desk person needs one especially medical practices when performing patient in-take. The Fujitsu FI-6130z is the latest from a long line of excellent Fujitsu scanners that are capable of scanning IDs and large stacks of documents, single sided, and duplex.

Internet – This may vary depending on how bandwidth intensive your office but having synchronous bandwidth of 2 megs with the potential of 10 is ideal. Though, I have seen it a newer commercial districts 35/35 megs is approximately a $100. This is a great price considering on old school T1 of 1.5 megs can sometimes be $500. Anyway, do your homework, try to get the most bang for your buck, and do not commit to any lengthy contracts.

File Server – Some environments require more control and flexibility but a low cost NAS may fit your basic redundant file storage needs.

The post The fundamentals of getting your office network started. appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

A lot of the last minute local calls we receive from Chula Vista, as far east to Lakeside, and all the way up to Carlsbad are inquiries IT office movers for computers.  There are things to consider for when you perform your move from an IT perspective.    This will save a lot of time and grief when you prepare right the first time.

Moving day is fun!

NETWORK ETHERNET CABLING

Your Ethernet is old and out of date.  This is a no brainer to replace.   Ethernet cable is cheap provided you get it from a cheap source.  Cat 5e is the typical choice in most new networks

SCALABLE SWITCH

The switch you may use for most office may vary but a 16 port switch is ideal for a business with ten or less users

OLD EXPENSIVE ROUTER OR CHEAP NEW ROUTER

Yes you may have a fancy router but is more than 5 years old and cost effective to maintain?  Perhaps, replacing it with a Sonicwall will you get you rolling without all the expensive up keep?

WiFi HOT SPOT or ACCESS POINT 

Need a stable and reliable Access Point that serves as a switch too?   Again, this is a very cheap option that has a lot of upside for security and easy to maintain.

PRINTER and MFP

Is your current printer killing you on toner and your copier lacking on ease of use?  Look at a low cost alternative from Kyocera.  Their MFP gets you away from the expensive copier lease option.

CABLE GUY

Need a cabler to wire your office and possibly setup some shelves for your server and other gateway devices?   Contact us and we will help facilitate this service for you.

PHONES

PBX phone systems are not practical for today’s telecommuting environment.   Uploads speeds are never considered when migrating to VoIP phones.  100k per phone is a rule of thumb.

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER

One of the most neglected yet critical pieces to your move is the quality of the internet.  Slow speed will limit your company to some phenomenal services provides through the web.  Think about it.  Webinars, steaming audio and video, remote support, VoIP, and even Skype become incredibly frustrating to use if you lack a stable and fast internet connection.  Pertinent questions should be asked about having a symmetrical of dedicated pipe but are typically too expensive to provide for a small business or simply asking if there’s fiber to the premise.

HOSTING

A lot of services being hosted through the web require a static IP address.  Make sure your business receives a static address for network devices such as your phone system, fax server, and or VPN.  Plan ahead so your SaaS provider is aware of the move.  Do you know where your website is being hosted?  Is it possible you’re paying too much on hosting and upkeep?  Look into hosting companies like Bluehost and Content Management Systems like WordPress to make web edits yourself.

SERVER

Is it time for an upgrade or are you ready for a cloud environment?  Google Apps aka Drive, Box.net, and Dropbox offer a lot of apps and services that may allow you to cut the cord on expensive server maintenance.

SOFTWARE

Maybe it’s time to shelve your ACT! Software and start using a CRM that’s more powerful and web based.  Consider products such as www.capsulecrm.com to improve your workflow.

REMOTE IN SOFTWARE AND REMOTE IT SUPPORT

Some of the best products are free.  Take for instance www.logmein.com.  It allows up to ten computers to have centralized access dashboard for any of your users or IT guys to remote in and support you.  Perhaps, this is the perfect opportunity to look into Managed IT Support at the same time with some SLAs in place for prompt and proactive IT help desk.

For as low as $395 we evaluate your options, create a network assessment, and perhaps migrate your network to something more affordable, flexible, and easier to maintain.  Check out some of the hardware from our prior post to get a ballpark figure on new IT expenses.

The post Office Movers for Computer IT Hardware have a Delicate Task appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

The post HIPAA Security Risk Myths appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

Get your Risk Assessment today!

Medical practices have a daunting task of meeting HIPAA compliance.  An annual risk assessment is necessary, but many medical practices are just now getting acquainted with the process.   NetworkAntics’ and its partners intimate understanding of healthcare information technology perform complete and accurate risk assessments to help you achieve and maintain HIPAA compliance.

While our consultants can assist in completing the risk assessment, the medical practice will not only have to be able to present approved HIPAA policies, written approved HIPAA procedures, and IT network documentation but also prove they are active and effective.  Alternatively, this material and services can be purchased through NetworkAntics to meet baseline prerequisites.

Mitigation is a separate matter but once complete, your baseline risk assessment will place your practice on the right path towards prioritizing the practice deficiencies and resolving them from one year to the next.

Additional Resources:

Meaningful Use

HIPAA Security Risks and Myths

The post Complete your HIPAA Risk Assessment with our Health Care Consultants in 4 Hours appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

A suggestion to anyone who wants to have the outward appearance that you are well organized and prepared for the immanent arrival of your IT guy.  This will save you time and money.
 

Mainpine Fax modem

1)       Anyone in the tech industry who deals with fax servers knows to always go with a Mainpine Modem.  Choose this workhorse and you won’t be disappointed.

2)      Fax servers can easily run on Windows 7 but choose a Microsoft Server product when utilizing more than one line fax line.

3)      Replace your hard drive to ensure if there’s any incompatibility with your new server OS you can always revert back to the legacy drive.  I recommend a solid state drive because the price has dropped; they are fast, and stable.


4)       Hard drive docks are great for transferring data.  This will be helpful once you replaced the hard drive.

The post 4 simple steps to upgrading your Fax Server appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

Need some help troubleshooting eClinicalworks?  Here’s some tips:

• Upon last check, Windows 8.1 does not work with eClinicalworks
• eClinicalworks is dependent on Internet Explorer.  Make sure every user profile IE settings has “never” set under “website data settings” located in tools, internet options, browser history settings.
• Make sure UAC is turned off
• Disable windows personal firewall or at the very least verify the “network location” is not set to “public”
• Grab an Office 2007 CD and install the tool for document imaging.
• Re-register the DLLs when eCW starts acting a little wonky.
• Restart processes on the eCW server when no one can login into the eCW system.

1)      Stop Tomcat then MySQL

2)      Start My SQL then Tomcat

• The “faxserver”  is usually the file stash location for all things eCW.   Look for batch files that re-re-register DLLs, client setup installation files, and office 2007 tools for viewing tiffs within eCW

·         Upon last check, Windows 8.1 does not work with eClinicalworks

·         eClinicalworks is dependent on Internet Explorer.  Make sure every user profile IE settings has “never” set under “website data settings” located in tools, internet options, browser history settings.

·         Make sure UAC is turned off

·         Disable windows personal firewall or at the very least verify the “network location” is not set to “public”

·         Grab an Office 2007 CD and install the tool for document imaging.

·         Re-register the DLLs when eCW starts acting a little wonky.

·         Restart processes on the eCW server when no one can login into the eCW system.

1)      Stop Tomcat then MySQL

2)      Start My SQL then Tomcat

·         The “faxserver”  is usually the file stash location for all things eCW.   Look for batch files that re-re-register DLLs, client setup installation files, and office 2007 tools for viewing tiffs within eCW

The post IT troubleshoot & support FAQ for Medical Practices running eClinicalworks appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

The google Migration Tool for Exchange and Outlook are key components to migrating from your old outlook data.  The migration of data will upload all your folders and inbox to Google’s webmail for use there.  While this tool is important, it can also be detriment to your internet connection and completely unnecessary depending how much email needs to be recalled from the past.  My recommendation is to archive as much of the data from the past by year as you possibly can into PSTs if you are going to retain Outlook.  Many people still like Outlook for its excellent email retrieval system, group collaboration features, and its ease of use.

Google Apps sync is used in this circumstance where users still want Outlook for all its simple pleasures but need all the benefits of Google Apps plus Gmail as its central hub.  The biggest benefit will be finally being able to sync all your devices.  This is easy if you never had to deal with Outlook or any email program using the POP protocol but it’s a pain if you have.  There’s an incredible amount of redundancy emails and syncing is not possible.

Be sure to download or “receive” the latest email off your mail server during off hours.  Then prepare the archiving of email followed by wiping the email on the webserver.   This will ensure all your data located in one central place and organized in the way you wish it to be.  Begin with the Google Migration tool once you are completed with the organizing of data on Outlook and wiping data from the webserver.

Google support for the paid version of Google Apps can help you along the way.  The final touch is to migrate your “cached” email contacts into the new profile by copying your old NK2 file.  This will ensure your “to” field when composing an email will autocomplete the email address you wish to send to.

The post Setting up Google Apps Sync for Outlook with the Google Migration tool. appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

Wasp Time clock system for employees plus biometrics cost around a $1000 and is great for complying with HIPAA. WaspTime version 7 Standard does not include automatic email reporting of Time and exporting. You must login into the system to extra reports.

Videos

Wasp Time Introduction

-includes viewing reports

Wasp Time Setup

-This is for initial configuration of WaspTime like user setup. Please designate an admin in setup for user enrollment as discussed in documenation

Documentation

WaspTime CD

-Include setup information for Biometric clock under “documents”

The post Wasp Time Introduction, Benefits, and Configuration appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

Who wants the liability of retaining customer banking information, maintaining it, and all those related merchant fees? Not I.   Here’s a quick look at some payment system options.

Credit Cards

Stripe

It can easily be integrated into your website. No monthly fees, no retaining of client payment information, just 2.5% per transaction, and wait two days later for the money to appear into your checking account.

Square

This is the same concept as Stripe but typically used for face to face transactions. I’m not sure of the turnaround time but I’m sure it’s very similar.

Checks

Intuit Payment Network

This is perfect for recurring payments except the user authorizes the payment with one click of the button to withdraw funds from their checking.   It’s similar to ACH through your bank but no monthly charges. It’s just 50 cents per transaction and the payment arrives in your account two days later. You can also embed a URL for the client to browser to submit payments. https://ipn.intuit.com/pay/NetworkAntics

Why not these guys?

• Dwolla – No one likes submitting their driver’s license for the application process.
• Amazon – They know too much about you already
• PayPal – Clunky, they haven’t evolved as much as the players around them
• Venmo – Owned by Paypal. It’s not really suited for business to business transactions.
• Bank ACH – Still the best way to automatically deduct funds from a client but this post is dedicated to offering new solutions against a stodgy old banking system.

The post Quick, affordable, and Easy Payment Systems with no Client Privacy Overhead. appeared first on Network Antics | EMR Implementations | Small Business IT.

For the record, I’m not a fan of Windows 8.1 as a desktop or laptop operating system. Surface Pro is another story. My first recommendation for a business with a desktop or laptop is to remove that operating system and install Windows 7 Pro because of 8 high learning curve and incapability to many legacy windows applications. With that said, downgrade to 7, wait for Windows 10 if you can or get a Mac but here are some solid Windows 8.1 support questions answered if you are stuck with it.

Windows 8 Support

• Windows 7 never required you to sign up with the cloud when setting up your windows user account profile.   In Windows 8 you feel very inclined to do so or you may be missing out but on what? Microsoft created a hooptie version of Apple’s app store and Time Machine.   Anyone coming from the Apple environment knows the App Store by Apple has a bazillion apps and it makes the iOS very fun for the consumer and productive to a business professional. The Time Machine does an excellent job of recovering not only your data but your applications for both iPhone and Mac OS upon restoring your device or Mac.   These are all under the umbrella of icloud.com.
  I call Microsoft app store hooptie because the apps in the “metro app interface” are simply not there or deficient for most people’s needs like Google’s Play and Apple Apps Store. I’m quite not sure of the branding of Microsoft’s version of Time Machine but it does a very poor job if there are trying to perform similar backup results. It backs up the app store apps “metro apps” that no one uses, the desktop background, favorites, and Sky Drive.   You are pretty much SOL on legacy windows 7 documents, picture, video, and desktop data. Make sure you download something like Mozy Home Free Edition to cover your backup to the cloud needs. Bottom line, create the Microsoft App account but it is not necessary for most of your computing needs. The alternative is simply creating a “local account” and cruise around like its windows 7.
• Is Windows behaving crummy for whatever reason? I recommend downloading the ISO of the windows 8.1 and burning it to DVD. This actually really cool because the most basic version of windows 8.1 does not require the factory Windows recovery DVD. It uses something called SLIC BIOS in combination with UEFI to install without you having to input a license but I digress.   Downloading and burning the ISO will allow basic troubleshooting such as…

-Allows for a system refresh
-Transfer data to backup when the computer won’t boot.
-Built in safe mode for windows if the computer won’t load.

Alternatively, safe mode comes up if you power off and power on back on midway through the boot. Not recommended but a quick way to get to safe mode.

• Change BIOS to load CSM for enabling the ability to load legacy OS DVD and bootable CD utilities. CSM may also be labeled as UEFI. Feel free to disable that for troubleshooting purposes. UEFI works differently in that does not load the OS from the boot sector of the hard drive. Feel free to google more on that subject.
• Be prepared if you are a user of Windows 8 and would like to upgrade to 8.1. Some device drivers may not work and therefore something like your wireless network card or you keyboard may stop working. Back things up prior to the upgrade for minimal down time.
• Microsoft Security Essentials is a pretty good free virus protection program you can download for Windows 7. There’s no need to download and install this program for Windows 8. Windows 8 uses defender that is basically rebranded Security Essentials.
• It is extremely advisable that you download Classic Shell to regain a similar look and feel as Windows 7 start button.

Hopefully, this helps you navigate the relatively new operating system. Microsoft has done a poor job mixing tablet features and cloud apps all while trying to maintain their old windows client base. Understanding these quirks will help you avoid future problems.  Based in San Diego, Network Antics’ can assist with help desk and Managed IT Support needs nationwide.  Call us today!

The post FAQ Windows 8 Support Questions appeared first on Network Antics | HIPAA Compliance | Managed IT Support.

Risk Assessment Support Findings

• Our Outreach
  -Consultations with Medical and Dental professionals
  -Risk Assessment and Review Engagements with both Dental and Medical practices
  -Consultations with many industry consultants and suppliers

• Findings
  -Inertia on behalf of personnel responsible for risk assessment and review
  *untrained, not qualified to do certain tasks, overloaded
  -Providers – think everything is in great shape

• Easy misconceptions
  -No written or insufficient policies
  -Unable to demonstrate procedures are followed consistently
  -Unaware of risky activity

>ePHi using Outlook
>Unsecured paper files/old hard drives
>No review of logs for intrusions
>No employee screening or terminations discussions
>All staff use the same log-ins and passwords

-Staff unware of the capabilities of the EHR software
-And lots more

Risk Assessment Support Recommended Solutions

• 3^rd Party Risk Assessment
  -Quick, knowledgeable (HIPAA guidelines/IT/Contingency mgt/process mgt) assessments
  -Produce punchlists of deficiencies
  -Assistance of clear deficiencies, upgrade systems
  -Complete the work that the staff cannot do

• 3^rd Party Periodic Reassessments

• Manage ongoing compliance with a software solution such as Network Antic’s recommended multiple mandate software.-Set up the all future compliance tasks (check controls, collect and store reports, ensure recurring processes follow policies and procedures) – email, notification engine, dashboards, calendars, etc. Each year’s tasks can be initiated in > 1 hour.
  -System of record to support all compliance activities (questionnaires, contracts, reports, policies, electronic signatures, document versioning)
  -Alerts if compliance tasks are completed on a timely basis (task, resp. party)
  -Contingency management – execute predetermined DR plan with Network Antic’s recommended multiple mandate software.

Additional Resources:

Risk Assessment Support

Steps to HIPAA Compliance

Meaningful Use Audit Support

HIPAA Risk Assessment Software

Understanding HIPAA Security Audit Risks and Myths

The post Risk Assessment Support Findings appeared first on Network Antics | HIPAA Compliance | Managed IT Support.

NetworkAntics provides Synology IT support in San Diego. Our consultants can configure the basics or advise on more advance configurations. Here’s a little quick guide to get you started or contact us for on-site technical support today!

Discovering your Diskstation on the Network

Go to http://find.synology.com for discovering the device and initiating setup. Defaults include:

• Create user admin account that is not “admin” and possibly a backup admin account to that. IMPORTANT: Disable “admin” for security purposes
• No share folders on setup on the volume unless default packages are installed

Required Packages for Media and Syncing

• Videos Station – Installs “video” share folder containing home video, TV shows, and movies.  *Create a service account called “media” if you plan to install this.  The service account will be used for network devices that will connect to the Synology.
• Cloud Station – Creates file and folder sync. It requires you enable “user home folder” service

Creating Users

• Add two administrator accounts as a CYA measure and disable the default admin.
• When adding users, do not assign to groups, shared folders, and applications unless they are already setup.
  Notes for later:
• Assign share folder permissions to “homes” with “read-only” permissions
• Drop “everyone” from folder permissions of user’s “homes” folder

***The admin account has a strong possibility of getting hacked as you enable more remote services. Please limit your remote services and create additional admin accounts as a backdoor. Two Factor authentication will also help secure each account but reduce ease of use for the end users.

Groups

• Groups are not assigned to shared folders upon initial setup because shares should not be present.  Same goes for Applications.
• Once groups are set, add new users to place in the corresponding groups.  Administrators will need permissions to access Group folders.
• Go back to “users” to add to the correct “groups”

Folders

Enable user homes service to create a personal home folder for each user, except for guest. All users can access their own home folder via CIFS, AFP, FTP, or File Station.

Users belonging to the administrators group can access all personal folders located in the homes default shared folder. The name of home folder is the same as the user account.

To enable the user home service:

1. Check Enable user home service.
   *Users, advance tab… 2-step verification located there too.  It’s great security but annoying and sometime unreliable login process.
2. If there are multiple volumes, select where you want the homes folder to be stored.
3. Click Apply.

Additional Folder created:

• Homes – Personal user home folder
• Home – It’s a link to the user homes folder. Do not give readable permissions for users to “homes”

*The User Home feature automatically creates a “home” folder for every user account (except “guest”), which not only provides each user with a private space to store data that is only accessible by the user and DSM administrators, but also eliminates the time and efforts spent in repeatedly creating “home” folders for all accounts.  More folders are created under each user name as more services are installed that require personal access.

Documents folder is added for windows folder redirection.  This works well in a desktop environment but can be a mess in a laptop environment.  Microsoft Folder Sync in a workgroup environment does not help the remote cause just simply adds more frustration.

Remote Accessibility and The Most Secure Options

There several options to connect remotely:

1) https://ip:5001
2) https://custom_DSM_name.synology.me
3) https://QuickConnectID4) https://custom_DSM_name.your_domain_name.com

Three is the easiest but does not secure your data.  Four is the most secure and intuitive naming convention if you purchase the third party SSL mentioned above.  2) Is the free and relatively secure option.  The web browser still prompts you with that scary “this server is not secure” message but otherwise you are good to go.  It doesn’t confirm with a third party database saying this is indeed the server you should be talking to and not some crazy man in the middle attack.

• Enable services like DynDNS or Synology.me in control panel, external access, DDNS.
• DSM – Disk Station Manager – Allows users to remote in on their desktops from a remote location.
• QuickConnect:

Register QuickConnect ID. Quickconnect is essential service for avoiding poking holes in the firewall. ***Please Note***
QuickConnect is not encrypted. Sensitive data could be exposed.

Enabling QuickConnect triggers the following services active:

• Cloud Station and DS Cloud
• Mobile Applications accessibility

Cloud Station

• Privileges – Services Account enabled. Deem one user account for Cloud Station purposes.
  *change to read/write for service account
• Folders – Share and sync specific folders (see picture below) to be shared amongst Synology devices

Note: Cloud Station app runs poorly on the PC. Files on the diskstation are located /homes/username1/cloudstation

Cloud Station

Share and Drive Mappings

Create shares not NFS files and folders unless necessary.

• Share data or contents shouldn’t be revealed unless authenticated \\diskstation
• User home folder appears under \\diskstation\home (windows) if authenticated with that user and is a link from path /homes/user_names on Synology
• \\DISKSTATION\home

-Remove credentials in windows manager

-From command line, check net view

-From command line, check net use. Net use * /delete to remove legacy network connections

• Map below after all old network connections have been removed. Diskstation_name\user_name

Backup Options  ***Complete command line instructions and http authorization

Crashplan and Synology Backup – Not recommended

Option 1

iDrive Backup – Synology iDrive App

If you have logged in to the System as a different user other than Admin, you could face this issue. You should go to vi /etc/passwd file, change /sbin/nologin to /bin/sh corresponding to your username, and then refresh the application browser. Read more.

Key Points:

• Enable admin account for a moment while using root access.   SSH and Admin should be disabled after making command line adjustments
• You should be a part of the http user group and ensure the read/write permission is enabled on the web folder.

Option 2

https://www.synology.com/en-us/dsm/5.2/software_spec

But do catch – Why can’t I perform network backup from an rsync compatible server to my Synology product? https://www.synology.com/en-us/knowledgebase/faq/372

Security – Measures for consideration

– Maintain latest s/w patch release and timely hotfixes rollout including software (firmware) of your Modem/Router, web service and DiskStation.
– Use your administrators account to administer and use an user account to use your DiskStation.
https://www.synology.com/en-us/knowledgebase/tutorials/615
– Strengthen authentication with strong passphrase – can see my EE sharing
http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/18309/Choosing-an-easy-to-remember-strong-password.html

Restrict connectivity
e.g. Open only the ports on your Modem/Router that are required by the services you are going to provide. If you stop the service, close the ports immediately.
e.g. Open a port that is not an internet default port (being used by users with unknown origin) you have to use other ports on the internet than the default for the specific service. Use the NAPT to translate the port internally
e.g. Enable the firewall on your DiskStation and configure it to only allow traffic that you want to have. Decline all other.
e.g. Only allow encrypted connections to your DiskStation to eliminate eavesdropping. Your DiskStation already has a certificate installed to be able to encrypt traffic.
e.g. For gaining remote access to delicate services you should use VPN instead of directly opening ports to the services from the internet.

Security Quicksheet

• Disable the default admin account permanently
• Enable 2 factor authentication
• Enable HTTPS and Redirect HTTP
• Enable DOS attack protection
• Enable port forwarding – portforward.com
  Note: Change external port # for increased anonymity of the port service

Remote Access Security

Synology remote access requires a key component called a SSL certificate for securing your data.  Webpage warnings can be avoided by adding the domain as a security exception, allowing you to access DSM normally. However, to verify the identity of the Synology NAS and ensure the connection is truly secure, you will need to a third-party certificate from a trusted certificate authority.   The less secure alternative is a self signing cert.  Below is instructions for a third-party certificate authority such as GoDaddy.

To obtain a third-party certificate for your Synology NAS, please make sure you have a registered domain name. You must also pay any expenses required by the certificate authority.

Certificate Setup:

• Note the import cert is as below. Indeed they are the .key and gd issued crt, and you need the gd1 intermediate bundle.
• On the Import Certificate screen, click browse and import the following files.
  Private Key: Select the server.key file that you saved on your computer earlier
  Certificate: Select the signed certificate that you received from the certificate authority. The file name should be something like server.crt or yourdomainname.crt.
  Intermediate Certificate: This field is optional. If the certificate authority provided an intermediate certificate, please import it here

Detailed Certificate Setup Explanation

Get the CSR
1.      Download server.csr to your computer. *Save the Synology Zip as Synology_CSR.zip
2.      Open server.csr with text editor and copy the text

Obtain a Certificate (GoDaddy Specifics)

Take the CSR to a Certificate Authority (CA) such as Godaddy.
Purchase a SSL Certificate (CRT).
Request or generate the CRT; you will need your CSR.
Godaddy requires that you request the CRT and will prompt you for your CSR. Paste in the text from the server.csr Godaddy has a certificate manager page when you log in to your account on their website.
*Make sure you have the correct common name.   ie diskstation.domainname.com   It may show up under the key but there may be an extra step to enter the FQDN.
Download the CRT.
*This is either through an email or DNS text record edit.

You may receive some additional files, but the CRT is the one that you really need.
The files may be zipped. If so, expand the files.

Download the server.key you created earlier to your computer.  *GoDaddy account retains zip for the length of certificate

Log in to DSM->Control Panel->DSM Settings->HTTP Service Tab
Click enable HTTPS connection
Click import certificate
Private key enter location of server.key
Certificate enter location of domain.crt you received from GoDaddy
Intermediate certificate enter location of the gd_bundle.crt you received from GoDaddy
Click OK
Click Apply

More Packages 

Surveillance Station *Service won’t work unless ports are open.  Surveillance Station is a web-based application that can manage IP cameras to safeguard your home or office environment.    It can watch and record live view videos, schedule,  and playback.

Cloudstation Sync for Windows and Mac *Service won’t work unless ports are open

• Enable TCP port 6690.  DDNS will work properly once enabled.

PhotoStation *Service won’t work unless ports are open

• General, Enable personal photo station service under admin and select HTTPS Redirect
• Enable Person photo Station server under options of DSM for regular user account (this creates \home\photo folder for that particular user
• Add https web services and certificate

Again, this is no easy task getting the Synology up and running. Purchase below and contact Network Synology IT support in San Diego today!!

The post NetworkAntics provides Synology IT support in San Diego appeared first on Network Antics.

As the office network evolves from one hosted on-site to everything in the cloud,  IT is still called upon to resolve issues that are difficult to avoid when you have individuals using  XP, Windows 7, Mac, iPhone, and Android Operating Systems on the network.

The ones we get dispatched to resolve of late are print issues.  Printing can be pretty straight forward in small shop of a couple users.  However, you may soon notice you quickly outgrow the $150 ink jet printer and go for something like a Kyocera MFP that can do 9000 prints (pages) all on a $60 toner cartridge.  Not to mention the way more intuitive functionality of its built-in fax and scan capability.

Network attached printer.

As your company expands, printers are no longer a simple trip down to the local Staples.  Not only is the hardware a concern but the compatibility of all those devices on the network.  A print server can mediate a lot of that.  Managing print drivers for 32 or 64 bit compatibility can be accomadated through the print server console.

NetworkAntics provides Network Printer setup in San Diego.  Contact us for on-site technical support today!

The post Network Printer Setup in San Diego appeared first on Network Antics.

Too many businesses assume that just building a site, customers will come.  Read these five steps will either make you ponder your current setup and whether its ideal for the business or light that fire you need to get your business of the ground.  Either way, you will appreciate the amount of internet marketing support is involved to generate the most basic traffic to your website.

1.  Pick a domain name from a domain registrar.

GoDaddy is the preferred or most well-known website. They are called the domain registrar but try to up-sell you on services like:

• web hosting
• email
• security certificates
• web privacy

2.  Choose a web developer that’s reasonable, reliable, and you get along with.

We use the team over at Stegosource to provide assistance with my marketing, coding, web dev needs. The alternative to designing a complex website is heading over to SquareSpace. They are like the iPhone of web Content Management Systems.   It still requires time and effort but most people that understand their iPhone functionality will understand this site and how to create your own web site.

3.  Pick a web hosting company. *Not needed if you go with SquareSpace

Site Ground has great support and special deals on pricing. Other popular ones include Bluehost or get one of those all in one bundle packages. I prefer to separate things out before specials and who provides the best services is always changing.

4.  Choose a webmail hosting company.

Webmail hosting company are a dime a dozen. Typically, you get free webmail hosting when you choose a domain from your registrar. The most main stream one these days that I actually prefer is Google Apps for Work. Alternatives include, Office 365 and Yahoo! Small Business.

5.  Advertise the website

First, get a Google Voice number (part of the benefits of having a Google Apps for Work email account) that forwards to your cell phone and others so you can filter unnecessary calls. Then start posting to all the free sites like Yp.com, yelp.com, Google Places or whatever they rebranded it as this month. Finally, spend time to get 101 lesson on Google Adwords. Ignore, all the businesses claiming to be Google and guaranteeing that you will be ranked #1. It’s all mumbo jumbo that will burn a hole in your pocket.   Perform a google search for “google adwords 101”   It’s the first link for your Google search. Learn, live, and breathe all the videos.   Fill in the worksheets.   Give adwords.google.com a call when you feel confident to create your own Adwords campaign.

Bonus: Start optimizing your landing pages for your Adwords campaign here and track all traffic through Google Analytics.

Congrats! You are now have an established business presence on the web and we grant you the honorary title of internet marketing guru.

The post 5 Steps to Establish Web Presence and Providing Your Own Internet Marketing Support appeared first on Network Antics.

Sometimes the AT&T Router is problematic and or insufficient for many people’s needs.  AT&T does offer tier 1 support for resolving many basic problems but that level of support can be infuriating for most of the internet savvy public.  

AT&T does offer for basic internet packages a second tier level of support called ConnecTech that you must pay $50 for one time support.   Call 1-866-294-3464 during the hours of 8 am – 11 pm Central Time, 7 days a week.

However, these tips below may help avoid petty upselling of services.  Check them out if you wish to perform some basic troubleshooting, downgrade your router to a modem, and install a legitimate router.

The default IP for U-verse Internet is typically http://192.168.1.254   You can view the status of your internet connection upon entering this web page for your AT&T router.  Grab the device access code off the AT&T router box for system configuration.

I’m personally not a fan of the cheap U-Verse router/modem that they provide.  Add your own personal router is not recommended unless you know what you are doing.

Things you may encounter if you misconfigure:

• Poor Throughput due poor setup of Ethernet connections
• Double NATing
• Internet Vulnerability

ATT router setup for passive mode is very well hidden.  Enable IP passive mode or bridge mode will avoid double NATing.  The only two devices that should have an Ethernet connection to the ATT router is your laptop and additional router daisy chained of the ATT router.  To reconfigure the ATT Router for passive mode for the ATT Router model 5031NV-030 and other similar models go to:

• http://192.168.1.254
• Settings tab
• Firewall tab then click “Applications, Pinholes and DMZ” and select a computer and save.

The computer you are selecting in this case is actually a network device, specifically whatever router you purchased.

• Edit the firewall settings for this computer or in this case router and select the radio button below to “Allow all applications (DMZ Plus mode)” and save
• Now go to LAN tab at the top of the page. Click “IP Address Allocation”  You should see Device:  (and the name of your 3^rd party router)
• Firewall drop down: disabled
• Address Assignment drop down: Public (select WAN IP Mapping)

WAN IP Mapping:  Router WAN IP Address (defauilt) and click save

The post AT&T U-Verse Internet Troubleshooting and Setup Tips appeared first on Network Antics.

My curiosity of the internet and telephony began during the Netscape, Compuserve, and AOL days of the mid 90s.  It was a 1200 baud, later 2400, and finally 1400 kpbs modem that took the copper wire or plain old telephone service dial tone and rung out to a bullet board service someone could host out of their house.  AOL and Compuserve were the big BBS at the time hosting fun chat rooms and original content.

The internet took over the moderate to avid computer user crowd around ’95.  I remember researching the local Bay Area computer magazine for dial up internet hosting providers.   Then you go home and sift through several pages of documentation to get the dialup protocol to work with your computer’s Netscape browser.  

Apparently, building computers, setting up a home network, dialing other friends to play doom, and establishing an Internet connection were respectable enough credentials to get me a job at local big name software company in their telecommunications department.  We setup RAS equipment and later ISDN equipment for the Bobs.  RAS is short for remote access servers.  U.S. robotics sold us these big hunking box that card slots filled with modems not to serve a BBS but internet and Lotus Domino email for many large corporations.

Cheaper and faster technology that we all know and despise called cable and DSL modems, all but eliminating the need for a 2 channel ISDN circuit.  Speed doubled overnight but T1 circuits (displayed above)  were still mainstream for most businesses.  Fiber infrastructure has built out in most metropolitan cities to improve these technologies but the last mile is still older copper technologies limiting the potential for extremely high speeds.

Fiber offers from local providers in metro  areas can be found now replacing the old T1 1.5  megabit circuit.  It could be found a decade ago for $1400.  That same price can get you now a 250 megabit both up and down fiber circuit.  Obviously, the legacy T1 circuit has dropped in price to about $200 or $300. It’s popular for voice SIP trunking and stable data connection but should be at the sunset of its career if they telco carriers got their act together.

You should know your options whether you are a residential customer being offered services backed by fancy marketing in otherwise mostly deficient setup known as U-verse or a business upgrading your lines for both voice and data.  There’s a lot out there left to be desired.  Talking to the sales person will get you a very limited and distorted view of your options.  U-verse MO along w many other carriers is to increase margins without spending a dime more on the last mile for residential unless there’s competition from the likes of Google Fiber.  Business can be a different story.   The providers will subsidize the cost if they can get enough businesses in the area to agree to long term contracts.  I can digress further but this informational post will then become a rant.  It’s best to call a good IT consulting company for internet and phone line support in San Diego, also known as a site assessment or discovery before committing to any long term contract that you will regret immediately.

Below is your quick sheet of terms or lingo used in the industry:

Pairs

Pairs typically means the potential for dial tone from a copper (POTS) line.  However, a dry pair was originally used with a security system but more recently used in DSL and PRI circuits.   New building require pairs from the street to provide dial tone and therefore internet connectivity.  A T1 can connect on a single pair to the NIU (card in the glass box you always see in a server room)

Circuits

T1 (Ethernet over DS1) internet circuit.  T1 also come in PRI interface with 24 channels for up to 23 outbound/inbound calls from an organization at a time.

Fiber is the faster but more expensive alternative to the T1.

Fiber  Circuits

• 1 pair = 1 circuit
• Dark Fiber is unused fiber

Running Fiber

• Single Mode is mean for much longer distances than multi-mode.   Typically runs at 10 gigs speeds and connect to switches.
• Multi-mode fiber is faster but runs less than a half mile or 2000’.

ISP Fiber

• Time Warner Cable Fiber Metro E while not end to end or point to point if you lay your own fiber does offer fast of 250 meg up/down for around $1400

Phones

Polycom is the standard in managed VoIP.  PBX setup calls but phones communicate directly once setup.

Legacy PBX and RAS equipment

Connect to PRI T1 circuits.  Legacy PBX are very limited in functionality.  Leased T1 lines maintains the ability to call extensions rather than dial out.

Hosted PBX AKA Hosted Voice

This eliminates the need for an IT guy to manage or administrate another network device.  Contains Edgemarc Networks edge device.  Edgemarc is a voice router or proxy.  It routes traffic to a PBX in the cloud.  The phones talks to the Edgemarc using the SIP, a voice protocol.  The Edgemarc talk to the hosted PBX again using SIP.  Hosted PBX typically lacks Unified Communications.  Megapath’s website said Hosted Voice now bundled with Unified Communications will be available in a week.

SIP Trunk

IP PBX is on-site.  Manage your own PBX or lease one from your provider.  Reduce the cost of the internet circuit by getting two DSL dry loops for an under 5 user environment.  One for SIP and one for business internet traffic.

With SIP service, you purchase only the trunks you need based on the maximum number of concurrent calls your business requires. SIP Trunks are significantly less expensive than analog lines, further helping businesses reduce costs.

With SIP Trunking, the internet replaces the traditional trunk (a line/link that carries multiple signals at once, connecting centers and nodes in a communications system). In doing this, users are able to communicate with both fixed and mobile subscribers all over the world.

SIP gateway-  This is where outgoing/receiving calls originate from.

Popular Types of WAN Connections

T1 – Voice technology that’s been around since the early 70s that later introduced data traffic on the circuit

Ethernet over Copper  – 20 megs down option.  More expensive than T1

Cable Internet – Cheaper but less reliable.  No QOS

DSL – Cheap.   Setup SIP Trunk to reduce cost for under 5 users environment.  Order one DSL for internet, one for SIP.

SIP gateway-  This is where outgoing/receiving calls originate from.

Fiber – OC3 is a popular choice.

The following list shows some of the common line designations:

• DS0 – 64 k­ilobits per second
• ISDN – Two DS0 lines plus signaling (16 kilobytes per second), or 128 kilobits per second
• T1 – 1.544 megabits per second (24 DS0 lines)
• T3 – 43.232 megabits per second (28 T1s)
• OC3 – 155 megabits per second (84 T1s)
• OC12 – 622 megabits per second (4 OC3s)
• OC48 – 2.5 gigabits per seconds (4 OC12s)
• OC192 – 9.6 gigabits per second (4 OC48s)  Fiber

Bring Your Own Bandwidth BYOB

Cable SIP Trunking and Hosted PBX can be standalone options. You don’t need a bundled ISP player.

Additional Lingo

Cable Internet:

Medical Practice Telephone Infrastructure Example:

Modems contain 12 (aka channels) phone lines coming into the office for voice.

8 lines on  modem 1

4 lines on modem  2

Modem 3 contains segmented internet connection.  25/2 meg

 Internet and Phone Line Support in San Diego Future

Depending if you are a business or residence your future varies.  ATT continues to look at more and more wireless options to avoid paying hard wired infrastructure upkeep.  Look no further than the DirecTV deal.  There are joint trenching projects in around the community to give fiber roll outs a chance to be deployed close and closer to your house.  Cox has been good to the business community.  They are aggressively deploying high speed infrastructure to small and large business if the math works.  To give you an idea of that math, it’s $30,000 to trench across the street for laying fiber and whatever else.  It will be tough them to push it out much further in older communities unless more competition is available.

References:

http://getvoip.com/blog/2013/01/24/differences-between-sip-trunking-and-hosted-pbx

The post Internet and Phone Line Support in San Diego: A Telephony Service Guide appeared first on Network Antics.

A good backup is the most critical component to your disaster and recovery IT infrastructure.   Not having an intuitive process where you can test, verify, and later, use for when a disaster occurs can be very problematic.  Small and large businesses take note. We will discuss how to take immediate action and then create a long term plan.

Get a Full Backup Today

You can get rolling with your backup today and have a little more piece of mind that you have an encrypted backup of your network data with IDrive.  Click on the link and select the 5 gig free plan.   Don’t worry about the size limitation.  Most businesses consume a lot more space than 5 gigs for their data.  The real value here is the IDrive software that comes with your 5 gig free package.  Download and install the iDrive and software on to your workstation.  Then purchase a moderately sized (TB) external hard drive for $60.    Hook the hard drive up, run the software, and adjust the settings to reflect your locally attached hard drive that you are using for backup.

External Drive Backup

Data can be found in a mapped drives location typically in a client-server environment.  Mapped drives are drives mapped to the server shares.  It is displayed in the second pic as the H, W, Y and Z drives.  Apple has similar shares called SMB shares usually linked on to the Mac desktop.  Review the illustration and select the appropriate mapped drives for backup.  Obviously, this is not the most optimal solution but it is perfect for when you are in a pinch, you have some doubts about your current backup setup, or you simply haven’t chose an appropriate backup solution for your organization but a backup is needed nevertheless.

Idrive Map Drive Selection

How To Develop A Long Term Backup Solution

Disasters come in many sizes.  It’s possible the latest revision of a document wrote over all the content you wrote.  Shadow copies of files and or warm archives are important to have in this situation.  The end user tends to have access to these backups without IT support intervention by right clicking on file in windows and viewing the previous versions.  Many businesses lack this feature because:

1.  They don’t have a windows environment
2.  The windows environment is lacking the domain server environment to enact this feature

Alternatives to this come in the way of cloud based backup that allow users to recover data.  Perhaps, that’s not option too due to limited user rights.  Fortunately, a lot of what we promote is the flexibility of the Synology Diskstation.  The Diskstation allows a web console for users to login into for access to their previous version of files called Diskstation Manager.

But wait, there’s more….

Warm archives are on on-site using some hardware form of a file server or archiving backup server.   It is common to have a SAN as a Enterprise file server solutions.  They are stored in a secured server room and may have off site replication at the colo aka the data center.

An end users initial reaction may be you’re in good hands if a SAN has redundant hard drives, stored in a secured location, and replicated to another offsite location.  Bit Locker and other viruses prove otherwise.  Backup to disk offers the third and final solution for ensuring a complete disaster and recovery infrastructure.

I can’t recall how many times I’ve encountered a new client where they thought they could recover from a disaster only to discover that no one performed test recoveries for the backups.  These test recoveries should be done periodically throughout the year.

Smaller businesses most likely can’t afford a SAN but can enjoy some of the great benefits with a NAS or a stereotypical file server.   These file servers tend to run 1 to 3k while entry level NAS for 5 to 20 users is 500.  The extra 2k or so for a file server requires more setup time and maintenance if you enable a lot more features.  Regardless, it’s your first tier of redundancy just like the enterprise solution.  Securing and making it fire safe may be good enough for some businesses.  However, purchasing your own basic level backup to disk solution will be the next step for server backup support San Diego.  This comes in the form of a terabyte hard drive.  Run an encrypted backup and storing it in a secured offsite location every now and then will save you on on subscription cost for cloud storage.  Again, this data must be tested and verified to prepare for a disaster/recovery scenario.

With the advent of cloud services such as I drive and Amazon Glacier, businesses are discovering alternatives to tape backups and the courier services like Iron Mountain for storing offsite.  They are simply shopping around the web for the cheapest most intuitive cloud based backup infrastructure to meet their business needs.

Server Backup Support San Diego

Cost, security, functionality, intuitiveness, and accessibility are all very important factors when considering a backup and recovery solution.  The final thought is avoid local hardware infrastructure all together and shift to almost completely cloud based solution such Box.net.  This may be practical for some young startups and small businesses but not an organization with a lot of legacy software applications that need to continue running. Also, large files from programs such as Autocad may not work if you have limited bandwidth.  Whatever the case, give it all some thought and consider what works best for your organizations workflow.  Then pull the trigger.   In the meantime, BACKUP.  Consult your favorite IT experts for Server Backup Support San Diego if you’re stuck and need further assistance.

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Business IT networks have evolved a lot in the last 30 years to the point where it’s almost gone full circle for some businesses. We went through a period in the 80s and early 90s where business professionals were on a thin client and a PC was just a novelty item.  The cost of deploying one computer, let alone a network of PCs or Apples was just too much for it to be a viable option.   Software and hardware businesses sprouted up in what were very lucrative niche markets that we all take for granted because products and services are now bundled in one seamless item.

IT Networks

Novell Networks seized the market once thin networks or dumb terminals started giving way to PCs.  Personal Computers were not always attached to a network.  They were computers working independently of each other.  The novelty of simply owning a PC gave way to productivity software such as WordPerfect and Lotus 1 2 3.  However, file sharing created what was deemed a Sneaker Net for passing around files created by these fancy programs via floppies.  Novel Networks excelled in bringing all those PCs together and storing the files on their own relatively low cost file servers. However, it wasn’t until ’96 where affordable PCs and Network Interface Cards started flooding the network.  This is coincided with the same period as the Internet boom.

The Internet boom

Intel and Microsoft excelled in this period w the constant consolidation of products. For instance, the hardware for the Network Interface, video, and sounds cards were separate components mounted on to a motherboard.  Now they are integrated into one piece of hardware.   Same goes for software.   Novell made network software that included user and groups plus permissions and Microsoft swallowed up that niche as their operating system included more features and created their first Windows server OS.

Introduction to Network IT Support in San Diego

Cheaper PCs created a race to the bottom as hardware became commoditized.  All those PCs required someone to network them together and maintain them.   This created a whole suite of IT positions.  Network IT support comes in many forms.  There are network engineers that manage high end switches and routers.  A full time network engineer is not required with a user base of under a couple hundred.  However, constant budget cuts have required a network administrator who handles the network server OS, email, and the maintenance of all users, computer, and devices is also handled by the network administrator.    Phones, routers, and switches maintenance are no longer handled by a telecom specialist and network engineers.   Network administrators and their IT Managers have been burdened with the task to maintain all this equipment due to constant budget cuts by small and mid-sized corporations.

The Demise of Network IT Support in San Diego

The last recession created skeleton crews and their staff never quite rebounded for a number of reasons.   Smaller businesses do not have the funds for more staff is the biggest reason.  However, the iPhone gave way to cloud based apps and therefore subscription based services.   Larger organizations still have legacy software and equipment to maintain.   Reducing IT staff creates loss of productivity for the whole organization.  Smaller organizations with users under 200 people are a lot nimbler and can easily take advantage of all the significant IT innovations  within the last 8 years helping them make do with less.  This obviously creates an important role for whoever you designate as technology strategist or CTO.

Network IT Support in San Diego Chief Strategist

Smaller organizations do not typically have someone with the insight to provide them with a long term vision.  The unintentional plan of maintaining the status quo will catch up to them. Here are some of the important questions that your appointed strategist of all things IT should be asking.

• How much local server/system redundancy (backups, high availability, and virtualization) do you need to keep your business and data safe?
• Do you have clear and secure documentation that lists important administrative passwords, IP addresses, and service contracts/SLAs?  Does more than one of your employees have access to that information?
• How much technical staff redundancy (cross-training, documentation, primary/backup) do you need?
• How protected is your data from theft or catastrophe?  Do you have thorough and well tested backup and restore procedures?
• Do you have offsite replicated copies of your most important data?  Are the replicated copies encrypted (and should they be)?
• Do you have a patch management system in place to prevent your devices/network from being compromised from malware, hacking, or system instability?
• Do you know how much Internet bandwidth your business really requires?  Did you know that inadequate speeds sometimes create significant loss in workforce productivity?
• Are your remote office or mobile workforce employees using the fastest and most secure remote access methods to get into your corporate network?
• Did you know that you can use an app on your mobile phone to make and receive business line phone calls?
• Have you given much thought to using less expensive alternatives to standard desktop PCs?  If the majority of your employees are performing simple tasks such as writing email and filling out time sheets, those tasks don’t require heavy computing resources.  The use of tablets or thin clients may alleviate the burdens of high replacement costs or update and support issue inherent with PCs.

As you can see, it’s important to keep a solid game plan as the job of Network IT support in San Diego gets more and more parceled out to various outsourcing firms. Obviously, the individual who assists with computer repairs may not have the vision, skill set, and or know how to scale your organization. Do your research and understand just what exactly you are getting as network IT support person.   Jot down your levels of expectation for the position and determine just how you will fill the missing pieces to the IT puzzle.

The post Network IT Support in San Diego appeared first on Network Antics.

Managed IT Services in San Diego caught on in a big way after the recession hit in 2008.  Corporate execs wanted a way to expand and contract their workforce without the hassle of employing a large IT staff, training, and providing benefits only to find them gone 3, 6 month, or a year later.   Depending on how large their organization is, they may retain or employ someone full time with the vision for the direction of technology within the organization.  However, this is not always a feasible option.

RMM Services

Clients who receive or are in the market for Managed IT Services in San Diego failed to understand or appreciate the value that Managed IT Services brings to the table.  The onus is on providers to communicate effectively on what they do.  With that said, Managed IT is not for everyone.  The most significant difference the client would see is Managed IT will be more proactive rather a break and repair reactive role.  The Managed IT services deploys RMM (Remote Management and Monitoring) Agents that provide real time information as to what is going with the workstation, servers, routers, and managed switches throughout your network.  These failure notifications can notify Network Operations Center of critical issues such as internet down, low disk space, and non-responsive servers.

• Continuum
• GFI Max
• Labtech

PSA

Professional Services Automation (PSA) integrates all resources together everything from billing to ticketing.   This is critical for help desk, on-site staff, and one off projects to tally their hours and enter in a detailed description as to what is going on.  Those billable hours are tied into Quickbooks and other bookkeeping software to invoice the client appropriately.  Additional add-ons include CRM functionality that could offer the ability to track the sales cycle and for the help desk team’s phone system to pull up your information when you call like current and prior tickets, contact information, etc.

• Autotask
• Connectwise
• Kaseya
  

IT Support Staff

The next piece of manage IT is the actual staff that supports you.  Who do you see and how often do you see them?  This varies from Managed IT firm to Managed IT firm on their workflow.  There will always be a tier 1 support that takes call but it varies how visible your IT support team to you.  Sometimes companies agree to have someone onsite a certain number of hours per week for always having a pulse of the issues going on w the company.  However, it’s possible that managed IT simply sends replacement hardware or hot spares and you never see on-site IT.

Additional IT Services

Managed IT Service companies have relationships with many different partners.   Some are for selfish reasoning in that they may not provide the best services but it’s good residual income for the IT company.  Some of these service come in the form of:

• Backup Disaster Recovery
• Phone VoIP System
• Copiers and Printers
• Cell Phone Providers
• Internet Service Providers
• Website Hosting

Determining if Managed IT Services in San Diego is right for you

These are all things that must be discussed before agreeing to Managed IT services in San Diego.  Whatever the case, do your homework before pursing any Managed IT services in San Diego.  Everyone will be better off for it.  Seriously, the last thing anyone wants is a toxic relationship that lasts a year.  That’s the typical time span for a contact with Managed IT Services in San Diego.  It’s cheaper if its 3 year but that will seem like doing time if you are paired up wrong the wrong IT team for your needs.

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