IT disasters – A Bakery with a corrupt MYOB backup and Faulty NAS Drive
A real account of a recent incident experienced by a Bakery known to us in the Perth, Western Australia (December 2015.) A local baker using a single PC to run his business came to us with a failed HDD on his laptop. He needed his laptop up and running ASAP as he ran his entire business out of MYOB account package and could not invoice clients or chase clients for money without his MYOB data. We replaced the HDD, installed a fresh operating system and a new copy of MYOB from the support site. The Baker was confident he had a recent backup of his data on his NAS (Network Assisted Storage) drive and that he would be back and running soon. On attempting to restore from the NAS drive, we noted that the time stamp of the MYOB file was 5 months old. The NAS drive turned out to have a fault and had not been accepting any data to be written to it for 5 months. The Windows backup program had been reporting the daily backup as being successful and not receiving any error messages from the NAS drive. MYOB data for the last five months was completely missing. The baker had no alternative but to employ a bookkeeper for many months, to manually re enter every transaction and receipt to bring him back up to date so he could recommence invoicing his clients and processing payments. A cloud backup of his MYOB data files or monthly checkup of his local data would have saved him thousands of dollars in book keeping fees and lost time. Prevention is ALWAYS better than CURE and this can be achieved by. Using monitored Anti Virus software such as AVG Cloudcare. Use Local backups rotated and checked on a regular basis (PC’s and Servers) to NAS drive. Offsite/Cloud backup updated daily such as CrashPlanPro or ReadyCloud All email accounts setup on hosted-exchange platform such as Microsoft Hosted Exchange. Upgrading Internet to NBN or Fibre to facilitate quick cloud backup and restore. Our Preventative Maintenance Plans start from $66 per month, we offer 4 plans: Cloud Backup Plan – setup and installing cloud backup only, we monitor the cloud backup monthly.¹²³ Basic Remote Backup Plan – monthly remote checkup of your local backup¹²³ Onsite Backup Plan – monthly site visit to check computers and servers and local backup¹²³ Comprehensive Backup Plan – monthly site visit to check computers, servers, local and cloud backup¹²³ All plans include a FREE remote or on-site Audit of your companies IT systems before we recommend which plans would be the most suitable. All plans may require the upgrading of email accounts. Users of Microsoft Outlook often have very large email files with multiple folders and emails going back many years. Due to the size and nature of older Outlook data files (.pst and .ost) they may not be able to be readily backed up, especially to a cloud backup source and will need to be moved to a hosted exchange platform Cloud backup plans are only viable given reasonable internet download and upload speeds. Internet speed and NBN/HFC/Broadband availability will determine our recommended backup regime. :jk:
IT disasters – A private organisation with FileCryptor Ransomware
A real account of a recent incident experienced by an private organisation known to us in the Perth, Western Australia (December 2016) infected with FileCryptor Ransomware. An employee of a private organisation in Perth received a dubious email disguised as an invoice. The email did not have an attachment and on face value appeared to be from a genuine source. However, it did contain a link in the email supposedly to an invoice. Upon clicking the link the employee was asked to confirm the source by the anti-virus program and a file was allowed to be downloaded. At that point in time nothing happened to her computer and she thought nothing untoward had happened, except a faulty link that must have been incorrect. She thought no more of the incident. Unbeknown to the employee, an executable program (.exe) had been silently downloaded and saved in the “Startup” directory. Executable files in this directory are automatically run or executed up the start or restart of the computer and it was not until some time later that the file was executed and the Prevention is ALWAYS better than CURE and this can be achieved by implementing ALL of these suggestions. Using monitored Anti-Virus software such as AVG Cloudcare. Local backup rotated and checked on a regular basis (PC’s/Servers) to a NAS drive. Offsite/Cloud backup updated daily such as CrashPlanPro or ReadyCloud All email accounts setup on hosted-exchange platform such as Microsoft Hosted Exchange. Upgrading Internet to HFC, NBN or Fibre to facilitate quick Cloud backup and restore. Educate workforce on how to identify bogus emails and websites. Our Preventative Maintenance Plans start from $66 per month, we offer 4 plans: Cloud Backup Plan – setup and installing cloud backup only, we monitor the cloud backup monthly.¹²³ Basic Remote Backup Plan – monthly remote checkup of your local backup¹²³ Onsite Backup Plan – monthly site visit to check computers and servers and local backup¹²³ Comprehensive Backup Plan – monthly site visit to check computers, servers, local and cloud backup¹²³ All plans include a FREE remote or on-site Audit of your companies IT systems before we recommend which plans would be the most suitable. All plans may require the upgrading of email accounts. Users of Microsoft Outlook often have very large email files with multiple folders and emails going back many years. Due to the size and nature of older Outlook data files (.pst and .ost) they may not be able to be readily backed up, especially to a cloud backup source and will need to be moved to a hosted exchange platform Cloud backup plans are only viable given reasonable internet download and upload speeds. Internet speed and NBN/HFC/Broadband availability will determine our recommended backup regime. :jk:
IT disasters – a 24/7 Supermarket with multiple virus infections.
A real account of a recent incident experienced by a 24/7 Supermarket known to us in Perth, Western Australia (January 2017) with multiple virus infections. The IT Guys manage and monitor the Anti-Virus software of a 24/7 Supermarket through AVG Cloudcare. Unfortunately, they have not heeded our advice regarding their backup regime, Internet connection and upgrading of their email accounts. Hence the following consequences. When one of the clients PC’s contracted a computer virus, we were informed automatically by email and started to investigate. Upon examining the PC we found that the anti-virus program had been removed and the PC was behaving very strangely. We reinstalled the Anti-virus and immediately started receiving further virus notifications from that PC and shortly after received email reports from the other networked PC’s and the Microsoft Server 2008. It was clear a major virus attack had hit their network. After further investigation, it became clear that the virus had come from the clients main email. Viruses transmitted through emails will not only take down the PC they are opened on but can quickly spread to attached servers and backup drives and devices, disrupting or disabling all systems until removed.. The only effective way of completely removing viruses off a network is by using an Anti-Virus rescue software such as AVG Rescue or Avira Rescue and possibly rebuilding the server. Unfortunately, this requires taking the servers and PC’s offline for 4 – 24 hours by booting them to a Rescue CD/DVD or USB. Unfortunately this operation cannot be done remotely and requires a technician to be on site to perform the operation. This can be very costly if the devices are in a remote or rural location. The supermarket in question had to suspend trading for a day while their server was scanned, viruses were removed and the operating system rebuilt. The majority of supermarkets use a proprietary software POS management system such as Grocery Manager, Surefire, MYOB Retail Manager, etc. to connect the POS computers (Tills or Cash Registers) to a Server where the main program runs and collates data and stock control. In addition to the cash-registers and server will always be at least one back-office PC for label printing, emails, ordering accounts etc. The POS computers are usually very basic computers or dumb terminals that only connect to the server and have little interaction with the outside world whereas the server and the back-office PC will most certainly be connected to the internet. In this instance a virus infection on the server corrupted elements of the operating system, which in turn effected the POS software and the terminals ability to communicate with the software. The clients e-mail systems were not setup by the IT guys and are still using the old POP3 email protocol where the mail files reside locally on the PC. These type of mail files tend to become very large and easily corrupted if attacked by viruses. In this case once the viruses had been removed, the email files had to be rebuilt and restored, which turned out to be quite a lengthy process in addition to restoring the server systems. Although removing viruses from PC’s is quite straight forward, removing them from a server is not and a complete server rebuild and backup restore is often required. This process can take many hours, even a few days and may mean severe business disruption. Prevention is ALWAYS better than CURE and this can be achieved by implementing ALL of these suggestions. Using monitored Anti-Virus software such as AVG Cloudcare. Local backup rotated and checked on a regular basis (PC’s/Servers) to a NAS drive. Offsite/Cloud backup updated daily such as CrashPlanPro or ReadyCloud All email accounts setup on hosted-exchange platform such as Microsoft Hosted Exchange. Upgrading Internet to HFC, NBN or Fibre to facilitate quick Cloud backup and restore. Educate workforce on how to identify bogus emails and websites. Our Preventative Maintenance Plans start from $66 per month, we offer 4 plans: Cloud Backup Plan – setup and installing cloud backup only, we monitor the cloud backup monthly.¹²³ Basic Remote Backup Plan – monthly remote checkup of your local backup¹²³ Onsite Backup Plan – monthly site visit to check computers and servers and local backup¹²³ Comprehensive Backup Plan – monthly site visit to check computers, servers, local and cloud backup¹²³ All plans include a FREE remote or on-site Audit of your companies IT systems before we recommend which plans would be the most suitable. All plans may require the upgrading of email accounts. Users of Microsoft Outlook often have very large email files with multiple folders and emails going back many years. Due to the size and nature of older Outlook data files (.pst and .ost) they may not be able to be readily backed up, especially to a cloud backup source and will need to be moved to a hosted exchange platform Cloud backup plans are only viable given reasonable internet download and upload speeds. Internet speed and NBN/HFC/Broadband availability will determine our recommended backup regime. IT disasters – a 24/7 Supermarket with multiple virus infections. IT disasters – A private organisation with FileCryptor Ransomware http://dev.itguyswa.com.au/it-disasters-bakery-corrupt-myob-backup/ http://dev.itguyswa.com.au/it-disasters-medical-practice-cryptolocker/ :jk:
How to reduce the amount of e-mail SPAM you receive
10 ways to reduce e-mail SPAM. Everyone hates e-mail SPAM, but if you use e-mail (as we all do), SPAM-EMAILS are a fact of life. 1 or 2 spam emails a day are to be expected, but if the majority of your mail is SPAM or JUNK you need a quick lesson in SPAM management. Here are our top 10 tips on reducing or eliminating EMAIL SPAM. 1. NEVER UNSUBSCRIBE… from SPAM or JUNK emails Even if you think the email is genuine, by hitting the unsubscribe link on your email or your phone, you may simply be confirming that your email is genuine. This will prompt the spammers into sending you more SPAM and give them the opportunity to sell on your email details to other spammers. example: PC/Laptop/MacBook/iMac Example: Smartphone 2. NEVER open suspicious emails in a browser Many SPAM emails will have a link on them saying “open this email in a browser” or “if you cannot read this email click here“, such as the example below. NEVER click on these links or any other links on suspicious emails as this will either confirm your identity or worse still, infect your computer with a virus. 3. ALWAYS REFUSE to accept “Read-Receipt” requests Spammers will sometimes attempt to confirm your email address by requesting a read-receipt (see image below). NEVER accept this receipt because just like in item 1 above, all you are doing is confirming that your address is a genuine one and you will invite even more SPAM. Select “No” when you see a message similar to this. 4. In Outlook – block pictures in HTML messages Although this renders most emails unreadable and it is switched on Automatically in Outlook it is highly recommended by Microsoft.. By default, this feature blocks automatic picture downloads and other external content in messages if the content is linked to a server. If you open a message that has external content when this feature is turned off, the external content downloads automatically, inadvertently verifying to the server that your e-mail address is a valid one. Your e-mail address can then be sold to a spammer. You can unblock external content for messages that come from sources that you trust. 5. If a company uses e-mail messages to ask for personal information, don’t respond by sending a message Most legitimate companies will not ask for personal information to be sent in e-mail. Be suspicious if they do. Such a request could be a spoofed e-mail message disguised to look like a legitimate one. This tactic is known as phishing. If the possible spam appears to be sent by a company that you do business with — for example, your credit card company — then call the company to verify that they sent it, but don’t use any phone number that is provided in the e-mail. Instead, use a number that you find by using other means, such as directory assistance, a statement, or a bill. If the request is a legitimate one, the company’s customer service representative should be able to assist you. 6. When installing new software or a new online service, make sure you are NOT agreeing to sign up to their newsletter or agree to receive promotional materials. Every time you sign up for a new service or purchase a program or software, there are often check-boxes which are ticked by default, where you maybe inadvertently “agreeing” to receive junk-mail from that or other associated companies. Some companies (including major corporations and banks) ask if they can on-sell your information to third parties!!! …be very careful when apply or downloading anything from the Internet. Watch out for check boxes that are already selected When you shop online, companies sometimes add a check box that is already selected, which indicates that it is fine with you if the company sells or gives your e-mail address to other businesses (or “third parties”). Clear this check box so that your e-mail address is not shared. 7. Configure your email to block SPAM email and Phishing threats Rather than using the limited SPAM protection methods provided by your ISP or website host. You can have more-powerful email spam handling, upgrading your email to Microsoft Hosted Exchange or use Outlook 365 to give you much more power to delete SPAM and phishing threats at source. The best available protection again Phishing is from Microsoft and is called “Advanced Threat Protection” or “ATP” and is available to anyone using the following Microsoft Hosted Exchange or Microsoft Office 365 Business or Enterprise subscription plans. Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Plan 2, Exchange Online Kiosk, Exchange Online Protection, Office 365 Business Essentials, Office 365 Business Premium, Office 365 Enterprise E1, Office 365 Enterprise E2, Office 365 Enterprise E3, Office 365 Enterprise E4, Office 365 Enterprise K1, Office 365 Enterprise K2, Office 365 Education. Advanced Threat Protection” or “ATP” and is available to anyone using the above Microsoft Hosted Exchange or Microsoft Office 365 Business or Enterprise subscription plans and is an additional $2.86 per mailbox per month You can re-direct your existing email address through Hosted Exchange and Advance Threat Protection to eliminate SPAM and Phishing emails and still seamlessly send and receive using Apple mail and your current email address. Call us for details. How to stop emails going to junk folder However, no matter what email program you use, each usually has to be configured to block spam email either automatically or manually. The way this is done, varies according to the email program you are using. Select the program you are using from the list below. Email Programs Office 2007 (for Windows) Office 2008 (Entourage) for Mac Office 2010 (for Windows) Office 2011 (for Mac) Office 2013/2016 (for Windows) – Office 365 Office 20013/2016 for Mac – Office 365 Windows Live Mail Apple Mail (iOS – iPhone/iPad) Android Mail Webmail Gmail Yahoo Mail Hotmail/Outlook 8. Turn off automatic processing of meeting requests Spammers sometimes resort to sending meeting requests and messages that include requests for read and delivery receipts. Responding to […]
High Speed Internet – Wembley
Get high speed Internet Today.. in Wembley! Wembley, you no longer need to suffer third-world Internet speeds of 1,2 or even 10 mbps since NBN Internet was switched on in earlier this year NBN Installation and Setup Help However, you don’t have too long to move to NBN or you risk losing your land-line and any service connected to it. You only have a matter of months to embrace the NBN or risk losing your land line, ADSL and anything connected to it such as Security Alarm systems, Medical Emergency alarms etc. Existing Copper Land Lines will be disconnected 18 months after the NBN go-live date The date for deactivation of the copper land line for the suburb is as follows Wembley – 2019 Even though the suburb has officially gone live with NBN, there could be some exceptions such as Businesses and strata properties. The only sure way of finding out if your premises has gone live is to click here on this link and enter your address.If the NBN Company website states that NBN is available, you will need to contact an NBN service provider such as your existing Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Telstra to start the process. However, before doing so, consider the following. Your existing services may be affected The rollout of the nbn™ broadband means some existing devices and services may not be compatible with these at all times. If you have any of the following devices or services, contact your service provider or register with NBN Co so that they can support you to help minimise a break in services. Medical alarm, autodiallers or emergency call buttons Monitored fire alarms Home or business security monitoring systems Lift emergency phones EFTPOS or health claim terminals Fax and teletypewriter devices If you have any of the above devices, make sure they are ALL made NBN ready before asking to be switched to the NBN. It is also a good idea to make sure you have a mobile phone available and working, should something go wrong during installation and there is a delay between losing your phone line and NBN becoming available. Once satisfied you have no existing services that maybe affected or you have fixed any incompatibility issues, you need to select an NBN provider and a plan. The following guide should be of assistance. Confused by NBN Plans? Can I still use my land-line once I have NBN installed? Yes, but you may find your old telephone handset does not work any more and you may have to buy a new one (or your provider my provide you with a compatible one) Instead of connecting to a wall socket, the phone will need to connect to a socket in the side of the new NBN modem or NBN connection box that will be provided by your ISP. If you find you need any assistance in setting up your new NBN services or your telephone/answering machine, home network, printer or computer. Please give us a call. :jk:
High Speed Internet – Floreat
Get high speed Internet Today.. in Floreat! Floreat, you no longer need to suffer third-world Internet speeds of 1,2 or even 10 mbps since NBN Internet was switched on in June 2016 NBN Installation and Setup Help However, you don’t have too long to move to NBN or you risk losing your land-line and any service connected to it. You only have a matter of months to embrace the NBN or risk losing your land line, ADSL and anything connected to it such as Security Alarm systems, Medical Emergency alarms etc. Existing Copper Land Lines will be disconnected 18 months after the NBN go-live date The date for deactivation of the copper land line for the suburb is as follows Floreat – 17/12/17 Even though the suburb has officially gone live with NBN, there could be some exceptions such as Businesses and strata properties. The only sure way of finding out if your premises has gone live is to click here on this link and enter your address.If the NBN Company website states that NBN is available, you will need to contact an NBN service provider such as your existing Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Telstra to start the process. However, before doing so, consider the following. Your existing services may be affected The rollout of the nbn™ broadband means some existing devices and services may not be compatible with these at all times. If you have any of the following devices or services, contact your service provider or register with NBN Co so that they can support you to help minimise a break in services. Medical alarm, autodiallers or emergency call buttons Monitored fire alarms Home or business security monitoring systems Lift emergency phones EFTPOS or health claim terminals Fax and teletypewriter devices If you have any of the above devices, make sure they are ALL made NBN ready before asking to be switched to the NBN. It is also a good idea to make sure you have a mobile phone available and working, should something go wrong during installation and there is a delay between losing your phone line and NBN becoming available. Once satisfied you have no existing services that maybe affected or you have fixed any incompatibility issues, you need to select an NBN provider and a plan. The following guide should be of assistance. Confused by NBN Plans? Can I still use my land-line once I have NBN installed? Yes, but you may find your old telephone handset does not work any more and you may have to buy a new one (or your provider my provide you with a compatible one) Instead of connecting to a wall socket, the phone will need to connect to a socket in the side of the new NBN modem or NBN connection box that will be provided by your ISP. If you find you need any assistance in setting up your new NBN services or your telephone/answering machine, home network, printer or computer. Please give us a call. :jk:
internet through foxtel cable?
Some NBN Customers are getting internet and telephone through foxtel cable? This NBN technology is called HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) – The HFC Network formerly belonged to Telstra/Foxtel/Optus but is now owned by the NBN Company. They were designed to carry PAY-TV (cable-tv) and developed by the cable TV industry to allow two-way, high-speed broadband content (video, voice and data) to be delivered to the home using a combination of fibre and coaxial cable. If you live in a HFC area, your NBN solution will be deliver via this technology instead of FTTP or FTTN Hybrid fibre/coaxial (“cable Internet”) currently delivers speeds of 30Mbps to 100Mbps. The NBN company plan acknowledges that 240Mbps is possible on the current network with HFC node-splitting. HFC is widespread across a number of areas of metropolitan Australia – if you or your neighbour has Foxtel via cable there is a good chance you live in the HFC footprint. Rather than build another broadband network over the top of these existing HFC networks, NBN plan to upgrade the networks to deliver high speed broadband. The purpose of this approach is to enable families and businesses to access high speed broadband faster than previously anticipated, with less disruption to the community and at less cost to you the tax payer. NBN over HFC delayed until Q3/Q4 2018 :jk:
When will I get an NBN Connection in New South Wales (NSW)
Update March 1st 2017 NBN have finally given everyone a tool that gives an estimated date of NBN Installation and specifying the type of technology to be used. Click here and enter your address Here is a sample of what you will see Fibre to to the Node or Neighbourhood (FTTN) Fixed Wireless HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) For more accurate information, search for your premises by clicking on the following: What Alternative internet services are available at my address? :jk:
Renting a home: Did you check this?
One very important factor to check before renting a home – yet none of the real estate guides mention it. A renters guide: what to look for in a rental property talks about storage area, hot and cold water, cleanliness, will your furniture fit, how many car parks are there etc. But nobody suggests you check the following: Is high-speed internet and Foxtel available at this location? Moving to a house or apartment where there is no high speed internet or Foxtel connection can be a deal breaker these days, especially for the tech-savvy Gen X and Gen Y’s. If you are a property owner and your house or apartment has high-speed Internet and Foxtel. Make sure you brag about it in the real-estate advertising. If you are a property owner and your house or apartment DOES NOT have high-speed Internet and Foxtel it could well increase your properties attractiveness by having them installed, or if they cannot be installed, keeping very quiet about the matter. The majority of houses and business premises in are currently connected to the Internet via an ADSL modem which uses the copper telephone wire, now known as the “land-line”, connecting your premises to the local telephone exchange. Although speeds of 20 MBPS can be achieved using ADSL (if you live close to the telephone exchange), some connections only receiving 1 or 2 MBPS. In comparison, high speed internet can be achieved using HFC which currently offers speeds of 30 to 100 MBPS and NBN fibre connections offer speeds of 100 MBPS or more. Test your current Internet Speed here. Business fibre connections are available but very expensive at over $1,000 per month. NBN fibre (if available) offers the same speeds at a much lower price. What is a HFC Connection? “HFC” stands for “Hybrid Fibre Coax” and is the coaxial cable that provides Foxtel to homes and businesses. In the 1990’s Telstra laid the cable to many houses across many Suburbs to offer pay TV services. Only Telstra offer this service. You don’t currently need a Foxtel service but you do need the cable running down your street. Not all streets and suburbs were connected in the 90’s. Telstra’s HFC service is also known as “Telstra Cable Broadband”. See below for connection details and pricing: What is a NBN Connection? NBN (National Broadband Network) is the name of the scheme and company charged with providing High Speed Internet services throughout Australia by the previous Labour Government. The NBN Company was formed to deliver these services initially by providing Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) or Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) Internet Services by a new fibre-optic cable network, giving peak speed of between 100 mbps to 1000 mbps. However, due to cost blow outs the technology mix has now changed dramatically with the current Government adding Wireless and HFC to it’s offered services. How can I tell if I am eligible for a HFC or NBN high speed internet Connection? What Alternative internet services are available at my address? What happens if you are in a HFC area but dont have the cable running to your premises? On March 4th it was announced that if Optus’s or Telstra’s pay TV cable runs down your street but you currently don’t use it for broadband access, someone will come to hook up your home in the next few years – even if in the past you’ve been told it is unavailable.(Read more here “More pieces start to fit in NBN puzzle“) Will I ever get an NBN Connection if I am eligible for a HFC connection? A few months ago the Communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, made it known that in order to save costs NBN quality broadband will only be delivered through the HFC network for those premises that are currently eligible. Only those premises not having an HFC connection will eventually get an NBN connection which could be FTTN or FTTP Telstra Cable Broadband Pricing Telstra Cable broadband (HFC) can deliver Internet speeds of 30 to 100 mbps compared to a maximum of 20 Mbps for ADSL 2+. For plans and availability click here. Plans start at only $73 per month. (plus modem and installation charges) If your one of the many Perth ADSL customers getting download speeds of 10 Mpb’s or less (click here to test your speed) then Cable Broadband from Telstra is probably your only solution to faster Internet speeds unless you live in a new suburb or building that maybe eligible for FTTP or FTTN services. Be aware that your existing modem will probably not be cable compatible so you will need to buy a new one from Telstra. A self-install Cable Home Network Gateway is $144 for new Telstra home broadband customers. If you’re an existing Telstra home broadband customer and would like a new modem you can take up a T-Gateway Package for $216. If you already have Foxtel Cable installed, Telstra will simple mail you a self-install modem kit. You can install it yourself or call us out to do it for you. If you don’t have Foxtel cable already coming into your house, Telstra will also charge you an installation fee to have one of their technicians install the cabling (up to $299), Make sure you direct them to terminate it a place that suits you such as next to your TV or in the smart-wiring junction box. Again, if you have any doubts, call us out to assist you. Telstra cable broadband can provide download speeds up to a maximum of 30Mbps when downloading from capable sites or across multiple sites but average speeds will be lower. If you take up Telstra’s optional $20 per month Super Fast Speed Boost option then it can provide download speeds up to a maximum of 100Mbps into the home for sharing across multiple users in a household. The above is designed as a self-help guide to finding a faster Internet Services to residents of Perth, Western Australia. If you would like the IT Guys to be assistance or to deal with Telstra call us on 08 6365 5603 and we will be happy to […]
Buying a home: Did you check this?
One very important factor to check before buying a home – yet none of the real estate guides mention it. Buying a home 10 things to check before you buy lists important things such as checking for water leaks, sagging ceilings, and drain holes in the walls. Before you buy a house by The Sydney Morning Herald also includes checking the title, pest inspection, plumbing, is there is a vacant block of land next to or near the property. But nobody suggests you check the following: Is high-speed internet and Foxtel available at this location? Moving to a house or apartment where there is no high speed internet or Foxtel connection can be a deal breaker these days, especially for the tech-savvy Gen X and Gen Y’s. If you are a seller and your house or apartment has high-speed Internet and Foxtel. Make sure you brag about it in the real-estate advertising. If you are a seller and your house or apartment DOES NOT have high-speed Internet and Foxtel it could well increase your properties attractiveness by having them installed, or if they cannot be installed, keeping very quiet about the matter. The majority of houses and business premises in are currently connected to the Internet via an ADSL modem which uses the copper telephone wire, now known as the “land-line”, connecting your premises to the local telephone exchange. Although speeds of 20 MBPS can be achieved using ADSL (if you live close to the telephone exchange), some connections only receiving 1 or 2 MBPS. In comparison, high speed internet can be achieved using HFC which currently offers speeds of 30 to 100 MBPS and NBN fibre connections offer speeds of 100 MBPS or more. Test your current Internet Speed here. Business fibre connections are available but very expensive at over $1,000 per month. NBN fibre (if available) offers the same speeds at a much lower price. What is a HFC Connection? “HFC” stands for “Hybrid Fibre Coax” and is the coaxial cable that provides Foxtel to homes and businesses. In the 1990’s Telstra laid the cable to many houses across many Suburbs to offer pay TV services. Only Telstra offer this service. You don’t currently need a Foxtel service but you do need the cable running down your street. Not all streets and suburbs were connected in the 90’s. Telstra’s HFC service is also known as “Telstra Cable Broadband”. See below for connection details and pricing: What is a NBN Connection? NBN (National Broadband Network) is the name of the scheme and company charged with providing High Speed Internet services throughout Australia by the previous Labour Government. The NBN Company was formed to deliver these services initially by providing Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) or Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) Internet Services by a new fibre-optic cable network, giving peak speed of between 100 mbps to 1000 mbps. However, due to cost blow outs the technology mix has now changed dramatically with the current Government adding Wireless and HFC to it’s offered services. What Alternative internet services are available at my address? What happens if you are in a HFC area but dont have the cable running to your premises? On March 4th it was announced that if Optus’s or Telstra’s pay TV cable runs down your street but you currently don’t use it for broadband access, someone will come to hook up your home in the next few years – even if in the past you’ve been told it is unavailable.(Read more here “More pieces start to fit in NBN puzzle“) Will I ever get an NBN Connection if I am eligible for a HFC connection? A few months ago the Communications minister, Malcolm Turnbull, made it known that in order to save costs NBN quality broadband will only be delivered through the HFC network for those premises that are currently eligible. Only those premises not having an HFC connection will eventually get an NBN connection which could be FTTN or FTTP Telstra Cable Broadband Pricing Telstra Cable broadband (HFC) can deliver Internet speeds of 30 to 100 mbps compared to a maximum of 20 Mbps for ADSL 2+. For plans and availability click here. Plans start at only $73 per month. (plus modem and installation charges) If your one of the many Perth ADSL customers getting download speeds of 10 Mpb’s or less (click here to test your speed) then Cable Broadband from Telstra is probably your only solution to faster Internet speeds unless you live in a new suburb or building that maybe eligible for FTTP or FTTN services. Be aware that your existing modem will probably not be cable compatible so you will need to buy a new one from Telstra. A self-install Cable Home Network Gateway is $144 for new Telstra home broadband customers. If you’re an existing Telstra home broadband customer and would like a new modem you can take up a T-Gateway Package for $216. If you already have Foxtel Cable installed, Telstra will simple mail you a self-install modem kit. You can install it yourself or call us out to do it for you. If you don’t have Foxtel cable already coming into your house, Telstra will also charge you an installation fee to have one of their technicians install the cabling (up to $299), Make sure you direct them to terminate it a place that suits you such as next to your TV or in the smart-wiring junction box. Again, if you have any doubts, call us out to assist you. Telstra cable broadband can provide download speeds up to a maximum of 30Mbps when downloading from capable sites or across multiple sites but average speeds will be lower. If you take up Telstra’s optional $20 per month Super Fast Speed Boost option then it can provide download speeds up to a maximum of 100Mbps into the home for sharing across multiple users in a household. The above is designed as a self-help guide to finding a faster Internet Services to residents of Perth, Western Australia. If you would like the IT Guys to be assistance or to deal with Telstra call us on 08 6365 5603 and we will be […]
How we increased perth clients internet speed 516% to 31 mbps
Our Perth client on iiNet ADSL 2+ was getting an internet speed of 6 mbps. With the help of The IT Guys (WA) she is now getting 31.3 mbps an increase of 516% One of the many things that the IT Guys can do for you is to improve and fix your Internet and Wi-fi issues. Today (and more so in the future) we live in a “connected” world. Electronic devices of all kinds are being made “Internet-enabled” or “Wi-Fi enabled“, from smart-phones to fridges, just about every new device needs to be connected to each other device by means of a network or Wi-Fi. Are you getting the maximum Internet download speed available? Here is how to find out your current situation and How to test your Internet Speed. Australia’s national download average speed is 16.5 mbps, The average from area to area and state to state varies enormously. The ACT has the highest average (as the pollies always look after themselves first) with Canberra on 22.4 mbps, Sydney is next on 21.7 mbps, Hobart gets a nice 19.4 mbps, Melbourne has 15 mbps, Brisbane 14.5 mbps, Adelaide 12.6 mbps and lastly Perth on a mere 11.7 mbps. If your not receiving speeds around these averages, you need to do something about it. Here are a few pointers. There are a number of ways to increase the speed of the Internet connection to your home or office, explained here in How to increase the speed of my Internet Connection The speed of the Internet connection you receive maybe adequate but your equipment may not be performing correctly. In this article we tell you How to increase the speed of your Modem Router or Wireless Modem Router With devices such as smart-phones, tablets, laptops, fridges, Foxtel etc, located all over the house, many of them will be communication with the Modem Router via radio-waves in the form of Wi-Fi. If your not getting the same level of internet speed on your wi-fi devices compared to the wired ones, you will need to fix these Wi-Fi issues. We tell you how in How to Fix Wif-Fi Problems. There are two forms of Wi-Fi and they each a different approach. Here is how to Fix Wi-Fi problems relating to Mobile/Broadband Internet and here is how to Fix Wi-Fi problems relating to Wired Internet connections. You can also improve your web browsing speed by simply switching to another browser. Explain here in How to increase your Internet Browsing Speed As explained in Networking and Internet one solution does not fit all circumstances. The IT Guys offer different solutions for different sized homes or offices. Three typical scenarios are explained in these chapters. Small Apartment, Home or Small Office Network Solutions , Medium Sized Single-story Home or Medium Office Network Solutions and Large Home or Large Office Complex Solutions over Multiple Floors The IT Guys used their knowledge and the techniques explain here to assist our Perth (Mosman Park) client move from a very poor and weak internet signal only available within metres of her lounge room, to full fast-streaming internet available in every room of her house, thus keeping the parents and more importantly the speed-hungry-teenagers happy. Let the IT Guys help you do the same. Call us on 08 6365 5603 NBN over HFC delayed until Q3/Q4 2018 Related Issues How to upgrade to High Speed Internet in Perth TODAY. How to test your Internet Speed How to increase the speed of my Internet Connection How to increase the speed of your Modem Router or Wireless Modem Router How to Fix Wif-Fi Problems Fixing Wi-Fi problems relating to Mobile/Broadband Internet Fixing Wi-Fi problems relating to Wired Internet connections How to increase your Internet Browsing Speed Networking and Internet Small Apartment, Home or Small Office Network Solutions Medium Sized Single-story Home or Medium Office Network Solutions Large Home or Large Office Complex Solutions over Multiple Floors :jk:
How to test my modem – Does my Modem need replacing?
If your modem looks like the one below, it certainly does need replacing. This is a picture of a 56k dial-up modem from the last century. Assuming that your are not receiving Internet speeds near or above the average for your area (how to test your internet speed) we show you some steps to follow to test, tweak and possibly replace your Modem or Modem-Router. Step 1) Replace your modem if more than 3 years old Technology marches on pretty quickly these days. And and for only a few hundred dollars it’s cost efficient to replace your modem to a new one every few years. The box or boxes that connect to your phone line and then to your computer or WI-FI devices are known as a “Modem” or a “Modem-Router” or sometimes a “Wi-Fi Modem Router” Buy popular NBN routers by clicking here Today one box does both jobs as per these examples. A few years ago you needed two separate boxes as per this example. If your current setup resembles this example then upgrading to a new modern “Modem-Router” will vastly improve your Internet performance. You should do this as a first step However, all modems are not built the same and spending a few extra dollars can improve your speed, especially WI-FI speed. We recommend DrayTek modem/routers Draytek Modems If you are an NBN customer and you need a land-line phone, then you are advised to use the NBN modem as supplied by your NBN provider. If you do not need a land-line, you have more flexibility. Modems supplied by your ISP or NBN provider can often be improved upon by using a DrayTek modem/router Another feature of ISP supplied modems is their poor Wi-Fi capabilities that may supply a reasonably strong Wi-Fi signal into the next room, but not much further. For powerful Wi-Fi through the house consider one of these options. Does your Wi-Fi reach all corners of your house? If your NBN technology is HFC, FTTP or FTTC, consider replacing your old modem with one of these Wi-Fi Internet Extenders Step 2) Reboot your Modem/Router/NBN Box at least once per week It’s the stock advice, but it solves an astonishing number of problems. And if you have an NBN Connection box such as this also restart that at the same time as restarting your modem Step 3) Check for Modem Firmware Upgrades Regularly Manufactures often have newer firmware or drivers for wireless access points than what comes with the device. Ensuring you are using the latest of both can often improve both the stability and speeds of your wireless network. So it pays to check for a “Firmware” (the software embedded in the modem) update or upgrade periodically. To do so. Access the admin page of your router by entering your default Internet Gateway or DHCP Gateway address into the address bar of your modem. For information on how you can find this information, click here “How to find the ip address of my Internet Gateway or DHCP Gateway” Once found, enter the Internet Gateway or DHCP Gateway IP address into the address bar of any browser If the IP address is correct, you will be prompted to login If you do not know the specific login and password try: User Name: admin Password: password or User Name: admin Password: admin Once logged into your modem’s admin interface you can do lots of things but we advise you NOT to change anything unless you know what you are doing. It should look something like the following but will differ according to make and model. The above shows options available on different modems to perform a Router-Upgrade or Firmware-Upgrade to your Modem-Router If in doubt, look at the documentation supplied with your modem-router Need expert help in fixing Internet & Wi-Fi Issues and live in Perth, Western Australia then call The IT Guys (WA) on :phone: Step 4) Upgrade to a NBN, Fibre or Fixed Wireless connection. If none of the above works, you may have no alternative but to Upgrade to NBN, Fibre or Fixed Wireless connections Step 5) General tips on increasing your internet and Wi-Fi speed For a small fee we can remotely login to your computer, run the tests and present to your results and alternatives by email. For this to happen you need to be on a computer physically connected to the modem (by Ethernet wire, not wireless) and be available on that computer between 8.30 and 5pm, Monday to Friday). If we cannot complete the tests remotely, we will need to come to your home or office. If you would like us to perform the Internet Testing Service, please call :phone: and make a booking. If you would like The IT Guys(WA) to analyse, test and advise you on how to fix any of the above issues, click on Internet and Wi-Fi Testing and Consultancy Services where we offer paid remote on on-site services. Related Issues How to Fix Wi-Fi Problems How to increase the speed of your Internet Connection How to increase the speed of your Modem Router or Wireless Modem Router How to increase your Internet Browsing Speed Fixing Wi-Fi problems relating to Mobile/Broadband Internet How To Test Your Internet Speed :jk:
Networking and Internet Solutions
Networking and Internet Solutions Networking and Internet Solutions are a cornerstone of any home or office, depending on your location we can offer you a solution to suit your budget but networking is about more than just Internet Access. The IT Guys can connect your entire home or office including peripherals from printers to projectors using a Local Area Network (LAN) made up of wired (Ethernet Cables) and wireless (Wi-Fi) Access Points (WAPs) and even your office to other offices using a Wide Area Network (WAN) by means of NBN, Ethernet, Fibre, Cable (HFC) or ADSL connections…. more The IT Guys (WA) are experts in Networking and Internet Solutions, Internet design, installation and troubleshooting. We can assist with the following services either remotely or on-site. Internet Testing and Consultancy Services Wi-Fi Troubleshooting Network Design & Consulting services Internet and Networking Support Services We can troubleshoot and test your existing system either remotely or on-site. Having Problems with your Telephone Company or ISP? If you have been experiencing ongoing problems with your Telephone Company or ISP (Intenet Service Provider) such as Telstra, Optus, iiNet, Westnet, TPG, Dodo etc and you think you are being given the run-around, with your permission, we can speak to them on your behalf. We can test their assumptions and suggestions and relay that information back to you in plain-english. If we believe they are supplying false information we will challenge them on your behalf and find a solution which may involve changing ISPs or we can set you up with Pentanet NBN or Fixed Wireless Internet. Having Problems with your internet speed and reliability? If you are experiencing slow internet speed and reliability, let the IT Guys trouble-shoot the problem. We can make preliminary investigations and tests simply by knowing your physical address and by remotely logging into your network. If those tests prove inconclusive we may need to visit your office to test your equipment. Upon conclusion of the testing we will make a written report including our recommendations and approximate costings. We can test and provide quotes to churn, provide access or upgrade to any of the following Internet Services: See Here: What types of Internet connections do I have in Australia? Having Problems getting Internet and Wi-Fi throughout your home or office? With the explosion of Wi-Fi enabled devices (iPad, Tablets, laptops), smart-phones (iPhone, Android, Windows), Smart-Internet enabled TVs, Video streaming services (Netflix, Stan, Foxtel), Wireless Speakers (Sonos, Bose) and Internet Connected Security Systems, Fast Internet Access is now often required in every room and corner of the office. See also, by clicking on the links below. Wireless Smart-Wired-Home solutions for small unit or apartment Wireless Smart-Wired-Home solutions for small homes Wireless Smart-Wired-Home solutions for medium sized homes Wireless Smart-Wired-Home solutions for large sized homes Wireless Smart-Wired-Home solutions for extra large sized homes with multiple floors Network and Internet Connection between Buildings Wi-Fi Troubleshooting Having Problems getting Internet and Wi-Fi throughout your home or office? Home Networking Network Support Services Network Design & Consulting services Telephone and Internet Connections offered by NBN Telephone and Internet Connections offered via the Mobile Phone NetworksTelephone and Internet Connections offered via Independent Telecomm Companies NBN or Fixed Wireless Internet in Western Australian based ISP – Pentanet If you would like the IT Guys to give you an independent quote or assessment and suggest a Networking and Internet Solution, and you are based in Perth. Please give us a call on :telephone: and we will see if we can help. :jk:
How to Increase your Internet Speed in Perth
We show 6 guides to help you test and increase your Internet speed in Perth Guide 1 – How to test your internet speed Guide 2 – How to compare your internet speed with your area average Guide 3 – What Alternative internet services are available at my address? Guide 4 – How to test my modem. Does it need replacing? Guide 5 – General tips on increasing your internet and Wi-Fi speed Guide 6 – How to increase your Internet Browsing Speed Internet Testing Service For a fee of $60 we can remotely login to your computer, run the tests and present to your results and alternatives by email. For this to happen you need to be on a computer physically connected to the modem (by Ethernet wire, not wireless) and be available on that computer between 8.30 and 5pm, Monday to Friday). If we cannot complete the tests remotely, we will need to come to your home or office. The cost of doing so is a call out fee of $143 plus $30.25 per 15 mins on site. If you would like us to perform the Internet Testing Service, please call 08 6365 5603 and make a booking. The minimum fee of $60 will be required over the telephone by Credit Card or you can make a payment directly into our Bank account by Internet Banking. Once cleared funds have been received or payment made by Credit Card we will book a convenient time to do the testing and send you an email with instructions on how to load and run our remove control software (TeamViewer). Related Issues How to Fix Wi-Fi Problems How to increase the speed of your Internet Connection How to increase the speed of your Modem Router or Wireless Modem Router How to increase your Internet Browsing Speed Fixing Wi-Fi problems relating to Mobile/Broadband Internet How To Test Your Internet Speed :jk:
