Tech Lies Of The Rich And The Famous

What you do not know can hurt you. If you are considering computers and computer repair, there are many tech lies out there that can cost you money and cause frustration. If you know, the tech lies of the rich and famous, you can often have your computer back in your home in a shorter time and at a lower cost.

One of the most common tech lies has to do with the time required to complete a computer repair. Many customers hear that it could take six weeks or more to make a minor repair to their machine. What you are not told by the repair technician is that most of that time, your computer will be sitting on a shelf in the shop. Before taking your computer into a shop for repairs, make some phone calls. You will want to ask about the cost of the repair as well as the time it will take to complete. Many computer users find it well worth the money to pay a little more to have their machine back at their desk in as short a time as possible.

When you take your machine to the shop for repair, the tech may have a long list of programs and parts that they want to install on the machine. You may hear that the problems on your machine are due to out of date programs. Others may urge you to purchase unneeded parts so that you pay more for the repair. Just remember that you machine worked well for many months using the old programs and your goal is to restore it to its former working glory.

One way to save money is to back up your computer yourself before you take it into the shop. There is no need to pay a technician top dollar to complete a procedure you can do for yourself in a matter of a few minutes. In addition, be sure that you are not being overcharged for diagnostic fees or simple procedures. Once again, call around and ask for price quotes if you are unable to do the repairs for yourself.

Many times when consumers are looking to buy a new computer, the technician may stress the importance of a warranty. However, most computer repairs do not fit within the guidelines of the warranty so the consumer finds himself paying for the repairs out of pocket. Be sure that you know what the warranty covers before taking the machine to the shop.

Computer repairs often involve tech lies of the rich and famous. Consumers that are unaware of these lies often spend more money from their pocket to make the computer tech richer. Always know what cost and time is involved in restoring your computer to working order.

Computer Network Solutions for Small Plus Medium Business

Your company is increasing. As well as all employees are difficult about the increasing complexity of sharing files. Your statement database is on a computer which container simply be accessed by your managerial assistant, plus you are anxious concerning not having a central backup of the files life form saved on each workers computer. If this every one sounds recognizable, it might be time to realize a computer system. In this conversation, we'll appear major processor network solutions for little as well as medium businesses.

Networks start at what time two or additional computers are linked so that information can be shared. In arrange to attach to some type of network; a computer requires a system certificate plus CAT6 wire. If the computer has a wireless system card, broadcasting signals can be used in position of the cables. A network too requires an element of equipment called a control, which acts as a middle direction-finding center for the information life form collective. A button is type of similar to a mail room in a big corporation. It makes certain the addressed messages obtain to the correct receiver.

An additional ordinary type of network is called a client server network. This kind of network uses a middle server plus particular network software. The server is devoted as well as is merely used to store files plus run server tasks. The computers which attach to the server are identifying clients plus these are the equipment the corporation employees would use. The server acts as the "hub" of the network, as well as does the majority of the "after the scenes" preservation plus storage. Ordinary server network working systems comprise Windows Server or else Linux operating system.

The server supplies each of the common files for every user. Server runs the file backups which are able to be planned in the center of the nighttime, minimizing system interruptions. The server manages consumer safety, as well as insures that every users who admission the complex are official to perform so. Server manages copier allocation in addition to acts as a middle repository for the copier drivers plus settings. The server manages other common tasks such as internet right of entry, email direction-finding, Windows update as well as anti-virus meaning organization. The server is able to also share software applications absent to manifold users. The server preserve also give for an Intranet, an internal website which holds common corporation in order such as information announcements, HR policies, preparation ID, plus extra.

Extending Mobile Deployment With Mobile Apps

The Gartner's Magic Quadrant for ERP in the mid-market places Microsoft Dynamics AX at the top spot which is testimony to the growth of the ERP solution. Gartner's Magic Quadrant is basically a graphical representation of how selected ERP vendors measure a given ERP solution in terms of functionality, usability, and technology for a marketplace.

In terms of the trends we see for new initiatives for existing AX customers, most tend to fall into a small set of categories. These include extending AX functionality through the use of mobile apps or implementing real-time integration to other applications in the business. Additionally, the creation of BI dashboards and adding new business features through AX customization are also receiving attention and funding. Finally, with the rapidly impending release of AX 2012, many existing AX customers include an upgrade in their IT plans.

You can transform the business through mobility on the Customer side by identifying new intelligent products and on the Employee side through process innovation and new styles of collaborative work. Mobile apps help grow business by providing new channels and communities to Customers and by supplying role specific applications to Employees.

Lastly, mobile apps help you run the business by providing light weight communication options to your customer and also provide basic productivity tools such as mobile e-mail and connectivity to your Employees. Managers and Executives typically desire mobile apps on their smartphones that deliver information, including key performance indicators, dashboards, financial data and results, and compliance requirements.

When it comes to the sales force, the mobile imperative lies in order processing, inventory and price verification, customer profiling and customer relationship management. For Plant personnel, mobile apps may be used for order picking, inventory tracking, supplier relationship management and goods receipts. The Field Service team can use mobile apps for work recording, service execution, contract reference and route and travel planning.

Selecting the right platform for a smartphone depends on a variety of parameters ranging from library of apps available to native features and functionality. Additionally, you will want to consider ease of communication, design and performance factors, and security and reliability issues. As you determine your mobile app requirements, inevitably you must consider the question of whether you should buy a mobile app or build it. On the benefits side, you need to account for both tangible and intangible returns. Tangible returns include incremental revenue, repeat business, improved productivity, faster inventory turns, a reduced sales cycle and targeted promotions. Intangible returns typically include improved customer satisfaction, competitive advantage over your competition, improved reporting, and improved employee utilization, quality of life, satisfaction, and retention.

Do you know what That's MAC Address?

Computer networks are amazing things. They are a complex matrix of circuits and links forming webs of virtual communications. These networks give way to unimaginable and almost instantaneous virtual applications. Either through games, video streaming, chat, telephone or the internet, the link between the physical world and the virtual world sometimes seems like magic.

But how do computers bridge that gap between the two worlds. Where on the network does the physical realm meet the virtual.

How Do Computers Communicate?

Every computer or device that needs to get on the network to talk to another computer needs a network interface card (NIC). Most NIC's are either built-in, like a wireless connection, or are installed in the computer. When a NIC is made, the manufacturer permanently encodes a unique hardware address into it. This permanently encoded hardware address is stored in the read only portion of memory with in the card and is known as the MAC (Media Access Control) address.

A MAC address is a 48 bit hardware address that's used to physically identify the computer on the network. This 48 bit address is usually displayed in hexadecimal (base 16) as a 12 digit number.

This is an example of a MAC:

MM:MM:MM:HH:HH:HH

A real MAC would look something like this:

00:1b:21:44:eb:8d

The first half of the MAC, the first 6 digits (24 bits), of the address represents the vendor portion or manufacturer of the NIC card. Every network card manufacturer is assigned a unique identifier by the IEEE for all of their network cards. The last 24 bits (6 digits) are a unique identifier that represents the card itself. Each manufacturer will number their NIC's to be unique. No two MAC addresses are alike.

This entire 48 bit MAC address represents the physical computing device on the network. It is the bridge between the physical world and the virtual world of computing. It is the link between the physical hardware and the virtual operating system.

All computers communicate using the MAC address. Most people believe that computers use IP addresses to communicate. And they do, but beneath the IP address lies the MAC address and this is where the true communication takes place.

So the next time you need to find a computer on your network remember to look for the MAC address. Once you find the MAC address you will find the computer itself.

What Is an Ethernet Switch?

An Ethernet switch is a networking device that is used in almost all data networks to provide connectivity for our networking devices. Prior to the invention of the Ethernet switch, our Ethernet data networks used either Repeaters or Hubs to build Local Area Networks.

Before Ethernet Switches, a lot of networks used coaxial cable for local network connections, in a network topology that became known as a bus network. The most common bus networks used two early Ethernet cabling standards, which were the 10Base5 and 10Base2 coaxial cable standards. The 10Base5 networks were often referred to as Thicknet, while the 10Base2 networks were known as Thinnet. All network devices such as computers and servers were connected to a segment of cable in what was known as a "shared environment", or more commonly a collision domain. This type of network relied on data being broadcast across the media to all connected devices.

The invention of the hub made it easier for devices to be added or removed from the network, but an Ethernet network using a Hub was still a collision domain, where collisions were way of life. Ethernet network interface cards were designed to use CSMA/CD and detect and deal with collisions. Unfortunately collisions do have an effect of slowing down a network and make that network less than efficient. A Hub is said to be a Layer-1 device as it has no real intelligence, and in fact it is really just a multi-port repeater, with data entering one port being duplicated when sent out the other ports. The reference to Layer 1 is to the bottom layer of the OSI 7 Layer reference model.

The Hub was eventually replaced by the Ethernet switch as the most common device in Local Area Networks. The switch, which is a much more efficient device, is said to be a more intelligent device than a Hub because it is able to interrogate the data within the Ethernet Frames, whereas a hub just retransmits the data. With Ethernet, we use 48-bit MAC Addresses when labelling specific physical network interfaces, and an Ethernet frame of data contains both the Source and Destination MAC Addresses to enable data to be routed and switched from one specific physical interface to another.

An Ethernet switch has 3 main functions, which are:

Address Learning

Forwarding and Filtering

Loop Avoidance.

Address Learning

When a data frame enters through a port on a switch, the Ethernet Switch reads the Source MAC Address and adds that address to a MAC Address Table. This table is often referred to as Content Addressable Memory (CAM). Within the table the MAC Address is associated with the physical port on the switch to which the network device is attached. The switch now knows which port to forward data to when an Ethernet frame arrives from elsewhere in the network, because it checks the destination MAC Address, and looks for a match in the table. The Destination MAC Address is therefore used by the Ethernet Switch to forward data out of the correct port to reach the correct physical interface.

Forwarding and Filtering

When a switch receives an Ethernet frame, it will read the Destination MAC Address in order to determine which port to forward the data out of. When a switch receives an Ethernet frame with a Destination MAC Address that is not referenced in the table, it floods that frame out of all ports in an attempt to reach the correct physical interface. If the correct device responds, then the switch will now know where that MAC Address resides, and is therefore able to add that address to the table for future reference.

LoopAvoidance

Almost all modern switches run a protocol known as the Spanning-Tree Protocol, or STP. STP was originally a proprietary protocol developed by DEC, but is now an IEEE Standard known as IEEE 802.1d, which was later revised to IEEE 802.1w (Rapid Spanning-Tree Protocol). The role of Spanning Tree is to detect and manage loops in a network, which can be a big problem by allowing duplicate frames to be delivered, and cause the MAC Address Table to become unstable. In severe cases network loops will cause a network to be over subscribed and eventually be overwhelmed by the amount of data. Spanning-Tree allows network designers to build redundancy and resilience into a network, safe in the knowledge that any physical or logical loops created will be managed by the Spanning Tree Protocol.

You will hear the terms Layer 2 and Layer 3 Switch, what do they mean?

A Layer 2 Ethernet switch operates by performing like we described in the previous paragraphs. The Layer 2 name comes from the fact that it operates at Layer 2 of the OSI 7 Layer Reference Model. This Layer is often referred to as the Data-Link Layer, and it is the layer that Ethernet is described, and where MAC Addresses are used.

So what is a Layer 3 Ethernet Switch?

A Layer 3 Ethernet Switch combines the features and functions of a basic Layer 2 switch, with features normally associated with a Router. In fact, it is probably easy to describe a Layer 3 switch as a switch and a router combined. A Layer 3 switch will have either a number of fixed Ethernet ports that have layer 3 IP Addresses associated with them, or more commonly, configurable ports that can be Layer 2 or Layer 3 as desired. All but the smallest home consumer Layer 2 switches allow the configuration of VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), but are not able to directly route traffic between multiple VLANs. In order to do this, the addition of a Layer 3 device such as a Router would be needed. A Layer 3 switch can perform this function in addition to tradition Layer 2 switch functions.

When purchasing an Ethernet switch, you need to determine what its role will be in the network, and whether or not Layer 3 functions will be required. Normally a Layer 3 Ethernet switch will be more expensive than a comparable Layer 2 device, so it would be an unnecessary expense to employ a Layer 3 switch when a Layer 2 switch would suffice.

Ethernet switches have evolved since the first simple devices were introduced, and some have a lot of additional features and support a wide range of ever increasing network protocols. Some of these features and protocols will be discussed in future articles.

Would You Fall For IT Theft

Identity theft can be a big problem in today's world. It only takes a bit of personal information and the thief can open accounts in your name, access your own accounts and ruin your credit. Many attempts at gathering this information comes in the form of it scams.

The phishing email is a favorite tool of many would be identity thief. Some of these emails are more realistic looking than others are. Many may feature grammar or spelling mistakes. The email may have been composed by a non-English speaker and sent to thousands of recipients in order to find a few respondents. The email may include a threat to cancel one of your accounts and request that you log into a website to confirm your personal information. A link to a fake website using the logo of your bank or credit card may be included in the email. Once you attempt to log into the account, the scammer has your log in information and may be able to transfer funds from your bank account to his. The email may ask for personal information, including your social security number or credit card information. If you receive an email that you consider a phishing scam, it should be reported to the company the email claims to be from and to the local authorities. If you think your account security has been compromised by a phishing scam, it is important to contact your financial institution immediately.

A second scam that is becoming more popular is the fake antivirus software. These programs start with a popup while searching the internet. The popup may warn you that viruses have been discovered on your computer and that you need to click to install a virus cleaner. However, if you click the link, you have actually just installed a virus. It is important to have a good antivirus program and firewall on your computer. In addition, make sure to keep your browser updated to avoid malware. Never believe those popup ads. Make sure that the virus program you use is one recommended by the computer gurus. Individual users will find good no cost and low cost virus protection for their computers that can offer the protection needed. If your machine has a virus, it may be necessary to backup files and wipe the hard drive to restore the computer.

It seems as if those attempting to steal your information or harm your computer become more sophisticated every day. The best way to protect yourself from these and other internet scams is to have up to date software and antivirus protection on your computer. In addition, set the spam filter to high on your email so that many of the fake offers will be diverted to the junk email box instead of your normal inbox.

Role of Help Desk Services in Large and Small Organizations

In help desk services the queue managers as well as the issue tracking system play a vital role. The issue tracking system maintains the list of issues which have to be addressed by the managers time to time, who further prioritizes and does a follow up accordingly. Hence, these help desk services are of great use for the small and big organizations as well.

The help desk services are useful in providing information and also support which helps in solving issues related to computers and similar other products. Normally, the organizations offer the help desk services through internet, email or toll-free number. There are even certain in-house services to offer the similar kind of aid for the customers. Few of the educational institutions conduct classes for helping various sections of people to solve the issues. A general help desk has many functions. It offers the customers a unique source of contact through which they can address the various issues raised by their customers. It makes use of software which tracks the major issues which the customers request via a unique number provided mainly for help desk services.

Bigger help desk services manage various levels to address the questions raised by the customers depending on the intensity of the problem. At the primary level, the common problems raised by the customers are taken care of. If this problem is not solved at the primary level it will be passed on to the next level which may provide the necessary tools for solving that particular problem. Few companies maintain even third and another higher level to address problems relating to software.

These help desk services are performed by a team or a single person who is known as queue managers as well as queue supervisors. The manager of the help desk services has to prioritize the issues which come up to him/her through the tracking process. Usually people working in the larger help desks are very experienced professionals who have the capacity to take up challenges in various fields and problems. The queue supervisor gives each team an issue which they have to work out and come up with a solution. Certain problems are sometimes forwarded to experienced people or analysts who have knowledge on the particular topic. These analysts have certain functions to perform like taking up phone calls, replying to the questions asked through emails etc. but these functions are fulfilled by them only in a particular time limit everyday.