Your IT Local | Problems Solved | Local IT Services

Wireless Networking

yourit — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 04:22:48 +0000

Is your wireless connection constantly dropping out?

Are you sick of not being able to access the internet or network in various parts of your house?

These days wireless networks are extremely common amongst home and business users, however too often these wireless networks have not been set up properly and often cause the end user more frustration than previously anticipated. Fortunately there are some common reasons that wireless networks perform badly that can be addressed with a little bit of research or by involving a Your IT Local professional. If you are looking to have your wireless network installed or reconfigured properly by a professional, please don’t hesitate to call us on (02) 9211 2706 or email us at helpme@youritlocal.com.au.

So why is your wireless network performing badly? There are countless reasons that could be leading to a poor performing wireless network and allthough we can’t cover them all in a short article we will try and touch on the most common reasons.

Physical Obstruction
- This might seem obvious, but often this is not taken into consideration in the installations that we frequently come out to fix. Obstructions can include, buildings, walls and ceilings. The more obstructions between the transmitter and the receive the more likely it is that the signal will be effected. The idea, if possible is to try and keep line of sight between the transmitter and receiver, if this is not possible then other methods are used to overcome physical obstructions. These can include repeaters, additional access points, lower frequencies and powerline adapters.
Distance between devices
- This again might seem obvious, however the further apart 2 network devices the more the signal drops. As a signal travels further it also covers a wider area and the signal strength drops and becomes weaker. Roughly as a distance is doubled a signal will come 8 times weaker. This is over come using additional access points, repeaters, strategically locating the transmitting device and powerline adapters.
Interference
- Wireless networks are becoming more and more common and because of this there is more wireless data traveling through the air waves. When similar frequencies are operating in the same area they can cause interference with each other. This means that the more popular the frequency the worse the network can operate. Often times frequency bands in the 2.4GHz band can be severely effected by overcrowding to the point where devices will not operate at an acceptable levels. Other wireless technologies can also effect wireless performance, this can include mobile phones, microwaves ovens and an array of other devices. To overcome this issue it is important to be aware of other which frequencies are being used in the area and then choose the right settings for your wireless to perform with minimal interference from your surroundings.
Signal Sharing
1. When many users operate on the same wireless network, the wireless access point has to communicate with all of the users at the same time. Often networking equipment may not be built to handle the volume of users using the network and because of this the wireless network may perform poorly. To overcome this, it is important to choose quality hardware that is capable of providing a service suited to your environment and requirements.

These are the most common and obvious reasons a wireless network can perform poorly and cause dropouts and inconsistent connections, however there are many more reasons that could be effecting your network. If you would like some common troubleshooting tips for wireless networks click here.

If you are experiencing wireless dropouts, slow wireless or you would just like to have a wireless connection installed, please do not hesitate to contact us on (02) 9211 2706 or email us at helpme@youritlocal.com.au

Computer Peformance

yourit — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 04:18:19 +0000

Computer running slow?

Taking a long time to load?

Are you worried about viruses and malware?

As computers become more complex and powerful, we begin to rely on them more and more to complete tasks that were usually designated for other systems. This reliance on computers means that we start to use more applications than ever before that can start to put load on the computer causing it to run slowly. Additionally, with the abundance of applications and our reliance on computers to perform personal tasks (such as banking and shopping) computers have become targets for hackers and malicious software developers in order to try and gain access to your data for their owner personal gain (for more information on malicious software click here. Fortunately there are many precautions that can be taken in order to speed your computer up and protect it from malicious software and viruses.

Contrary to the belief of many, it doesn’t matter whether your computer is a mac based computer or a windows based computer, all computer share in their vulnerability to performance and security related issues. Below we will outline some of the common causes for slow computers as well as some common ways to protect your computers from security vulnerabilities.

Old Hardware
- These days technology and software develops at an extremely fast rate which causes computers to become outdated rather quickly. As new software is developed, it’s demand for faster hardware increases. A computer 2-3 years old now is most likely due for an upgrade and could be causing a great deal of frustration to it’s end user. Various new components can increase the speed of an older computer a great deal, things such as an increase in RAM or an upgrade to a solid state harddrive could have a hugely positive effect on the performance of your computer.
Old software
- As technology has developed so has the software, but what we have seen in recent years is software being developed for the use on tablets. What this has meant is that it has been developed to run on lower specification hardware, so often new operating systems can perform better on older hardware. Many people have experienced huge speed increases by updating their operating system or completely upgrading to the newest operating system. The same goes with applications and firmware for devices (most of the time). If your computer or device is starting to slow down, it may be time to update your old software.
Hard drive maintenance
- Often times we go on using computers without worrying about taking care of them properly. Due to this, it is not uncommon for us to see a very small amount of available space on computer’s hard drives. This can lead to there not being enough space for the computer operate to it’s maximum performance. Additionally, hard drives can often be fragmented or corrupted which could lead to the computer having a hard time finding the right information when it is needed. To overcome this, it is important to ensure that there is plenty of free space, especially on your primary drive and additionally, be sure to run a de-fragmenting utility as well as a hard drive diagnostics utility as often as possible.
Applications running in the background
- Our computers often start up and before we are even able to start using them there can be 10+ unnecessary applications running in the background. It is important to go through your start up items and make sure that only the necessary applications are running. This will increase the performance of your computer immediately after a restart.
Viruses, Spyware and Malware
- In the article posted here we describe all the different threats out there in the digital world. The truth is, when spyware, malware or viruses are present on a computer, the computer is being used secretly to perform tasks that benefit the writer of the malicious software. This can include logging data, changing files and using system resources for reasons other than serving the computer user. It is very important to ensure that your computer is clean of malicious software and viruses. The best way to overcome this is to ensure you have the latest anti-spyware and anti-malware software installed and configured on your computer. Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to go through the list of your installed programs and if you locate any that you didn’t install or that you have never used it cant hurt to get rid of them for your safety. There are plenty of free applications out there, but be sure you don’t accidentally download and install the spyware yourself.
- For a good free anti virus try AVG and for a good free anti-malware try Spybot – Search and Destroy.

Above we have gone over some of the many reasons that a computer could be running slowly. If you are concerned about your computer performance and want the input of a professional, please dont hesitate to contact us on (02) 9211 2706 or email us @ helpme@youritlocal.com.au .

Data Backups & Security

yourit — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 04:11:14 +0000

Worried about losing your photos, documents and important data?

Haven’t taken precautions against hardware failure & user error?

These days we rely on our technology for almost every facet of our daily lives. We use our computers and phones to store our work documents, study material, emails and precious photos. Too often we find that technology users haven’t taken precautions to ensure that their important files remain available should anything happen to their hardware. When that unfortunate day comes along where a hard drive fails, computer gets stolen or a user accidentally deletes some files, important data is often lost forever.

Fortunately these days there are plenty of methods for keeping your files safe! Your IT Local offers various solutions to cater to a variety of different levels of computer users ranging from the home user to the mission critical business user.

Below is some information about different types of backups, if you would like any more information or would like to arrange a technician to implement a backup solution for your technological environment, please dont hesitate to contact us on (02) 9211-2706 or email us at helpme@youritlocal.com.au

External Media Backup:

An external media backup, involved an external hard drive, connected directly to your computer. Your computer is then configured to automatically synchronise specific files and folders to your external media. This means that if anything happens to your computer a copy of the data is readily available for you on your external media that can be plugged in to another computer immediately.

Cloud Backup:

Before we delve too far into how a cloud backup works, it is important to not what a this magical “cloud” actually is. The “cloud” refers to storage that is replicate across many servers in remote locations. What this means is that your files aren’t just stored on a single server located in one location, but rather the data is replicated across various servers all around the world, this means that regardless of what happens to one server your files will always be available to you when you need them.

A cloud backup uses a cloud backup service to automatically sync specific files and folders to a cloud storage that can then be securely accessed by you anywhere. So no matter what happens to any one computer that you use, your files will always be available to you!

NAS Backup:

A NAS backup is similar to an external media backup but it has some added advantages. Firstly, a NAS stands for Network Attached Storage. This external media is connected to your computer via a network, this allows many devices to access and backup to the device simultaneously. Secondly, a NAS usually comes with RAID capabilities. RAID refers to a technology that uses multiple hard drives for redundancy, meaning that within the NAS there is usually more than one drive & should anything happen to one of the drives, the second drive retains a full working copy of the data ready to be replicated back to the secondary drive when replaced.

Often times a NAS can be configured to replicate the backup to a cloud backup solution, which allows a second level data safety.

Offsite Backup:

For mission critical environments it is often recommended that all backed up data be replicated in to an offsite storage location. This type of system involves one of the above as well as a duplicate copy being transferred to a piece of external media and stored in a data safe at a secure location. This ensures that if anything happens to a complete site such as a fire or a burglary an offsite copy of all information is retained for restore immediately.

When it comes to backups, the more important the information the greater need there is for a secure backup of that data. If you couldn’t bare losing your files, documents and important data then you need to implement a backup solution before it is too late. So if you would like any more information or would like to arrange a technician to implement a backup solution for your technological environment, please dont hesitate to contact us on (02) 9211-2706 or email us at helpme@youritlocal.com.au

Wireless Networks – Troubleshooting and Optimising

yourit — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 02:57:35 +0000

Wireless network not working?

Wireless network dropping out?

Sick of intermittent wireless network problems?

You’ve come to the right place! Today, we are talking about wireless networks, the most common problems and how to address them your selves. Of course if you don’t feel up to the task, don’t hesitate to call us on 02 9211 2706 or email us at helpme@youritlocal.com.au. We wont go in to specific instructions on how to do each of these tasks, as due to the vast array of hardware, computers and operating systems, the exact methods will vary from setup to setup, so for detailed directions to complete each task consult your device or operating system manual or of course do a quick google search. We get calls on a weekly basis from home and small business users who have wireless networks that are constantly dropping out and/or losing internet connectivity. Today we are going to run through the basic steps we take to configure your wireless network to perform the best it possibly can. First of all you need to determine whether it is your internet that is dropping out or your wireless network dropping out. If it is your internet dropping out, you may need to contact your ISP to determine whether there are problems with your line or your service. There are other factors that could be effecting your internet connection, but this is a subject matter for a different article. If you have deemed that it is a wireless drop out problem, do the following:

Download a WiFi analyser on your phone and determine which channels have the most interference. Locate the best performing channel and ensure that your wireless router or access point is setup to use the channel with the strongest signal.
Upgrade the firmware on your router. Too often networking hardware is released with buggy software and within the first few months updates are released to address problems you are likely to face. To upgrade the firmware, log on to your device, locate the upgrade firmware (or similar) link and let your hardware update itself.
Give yourself a static IP and add a IP reservation in your router or access point.
Change wireless mode to a single option that is supported by all your devices. We have found that often having mixed modes of a/b/g/n can sometimes cause issues with some devices. Select the fastest mode supported by all your devices, as an example choose “G Only”
Try a different channel width, depending on your router. Often times there can be differing amounts of interference on different channels. See if changing from 20MHz to 40MHz helps. This may reduce your range but increase your connectivity.
If distance is causing you an issue, you may like to invest in a WiFi range extender, powerline adapter or secondary access point.
If after all of this you are still having troubles, issues could be related to the hardware itself. Either your router/access point or your computer’s network card. Always be sure to invest in quality hardware. Hardware vendors change their models all the time, do a bit of research for the top performing models before purchase. The hardware may come at a slightly higher price but will save you a lot of headaches in the future.

Wireless connections don’t need to be a headache. If you are having trouble getting yours working properly, don’t hesitate to give us a call on (02) 9211 2706 or email us at helpme@youritlocal.com.au to come out and fix your wireless net work once and for all!

Your IT Local – Hospitality POS Systems

yourit — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 06:28:37 +0000

Having a POS System allows café’s and restaurant owners to take full control of their businesses by providing vital information to save money, keep track of cash flow and allow wait staff to stay out of the way by taking orders directly at the tables. The advantages of a POS System are numerous but can be summed up in to 4 main categories:

Security
Inventory Management
Reporting and Analysis
Mobility and Workflow

Your IT Local provides POS Systems for businesses in the Hospitality industry which allows business owners to take full control of their business, let’s look at how: Security: Your IT Local’s POS System allows business owners to track money coming in and where it is going. Business owners are able to look up old tickets that would show potentially spurious cancelled or voided items. Additionally, the POS home screen is locked only allowing access to employees with specific codes and only allowing designated managers access to reporting data and administrative controls. Cash drawers are connected to the POS System via Ethernet and can only be opened by authorised people or the manager with their private keys. Inventory Management: Your IT Local’s POS System allows business owners to keep track of inventory and locate losses, waste or thefts. By entering in purchased stock and assigning recipes to products, a business owner is able to forecast ordering, low stock levels and locate inconsistencies between actual stock on hand vs expected stock on hand. Additionally inventory can be reported on over historical periods allowing business owners to make important purchasing decisions for the future. Reporting and Analysis: Your IT Local’s POS System allows café and restaurant owners to report and analyse purchases, sales, and inventory over any period. This functionality allows business owners to gain important insight into bestselling products, products sold during different time periods, wasted stock, employee performance etc. These tools give a business owner crucial information in order to have full control over their business ensure everything is running as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Mobility and Workflow: Your IT Local’s POS system allows waiters and waitresses to take orders directly from tables and have the orders print directly to the kitchen or bar for actioning. This allows café’s and resteraunts to operate smoothly, less chaotically and more direct and concise. Gone are the days of handwritten orders and kitchen staff confusing orders! Key Features of Your IT Local’s POS System

No ongoing costs
- Unlike the majority of other POS Systems, there are no monthly fees in order to keep the POS System running. You own the software and you own the hardware!
Local Support
- Should anything ever go wrong with your system Your IT Local has local technicians all around NSW ready to get everything up and running within hours of any potential problems.
Low setup costs
- Your IT Local’s POS System comes in at nearly 30% cheapers than most other systems!
Reliable and Secure POS System
Great features and benefits!
POS System customised to suit your needs!

Our POS systems use the latest technologies from only reputable vendors, so if you are looking to get a POS System, look no further! Call us today on (02) 9211-2706 or email us at pos@youritlocal.com.au

Viruses & Malicious Software – Everything you need to know.

yourit — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 02:16:25 +0000

These days the amounts of malicious software in existence are far more than ever before. As people become more and more dependent on their technology the opportunity becomes even greater for hackers to create malicious software for various reasons, namely to cause great inconvenience and steal personal and private information and use it to their advantage. No technological device is safe! This includes mobile phones, tablets, laptops and home computers. All of these devices can potentially be compromised leaving your banking details, emails and passwords as well as your personal photos and videos vulnerable to the intentions of cyber criminals. If you think that your computer or phone may have been compromised by malicious software, do not hesitate to contact us immediately or book directly from https://youritlocal.com.au/makeabooking/ For your information below are some of the most common forms of malicious software. Each has its own agenda and purpose but are all equally dangerous to your phone and computer security.

What is Malware?

Malware is short for malicious software meaning software used to compromise your computers functions, steal data, bypass access controls or otherwise cause harm to the host computer. Malware is a general term that is used to describe a wide range of malicious software including viruses, spyware, adware, Trojan horse, Worms, rootkits, bots and bugs.

Virus:

A virus is a form of malware that is often used to steal information, harm host computers and networks, create botnets, steal money, render advertisements and many more horrible functions. A virus is a form of malware that is capable of copying itself and spreading to other computers. Viruses often spread to other computers by attaching themselves to various programs and executing code when a user launches one of those infected programs. Viruses can also spread through script files, documents, and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities in web apps.

Spyware:

Spyware is a type of malware that is used to spy on users without their knowledge. Often their functions include activity monitoring, recording keystrokes, data harvesting (harvesting personal information, logins and financial data) and more. Spyware also often modifies computer security settings or web browsers in order to interfere with network connections. Spyware tends to spread by exploiting software vulnerabilities, bundling itself with legitimate software or in Trojans.

Adware:

Adware (short for advertising-supported software) is a type of malware that automatically delivers advertisements. Common examples of adware include pop-up ads on websites and advertisements that are displayed by software. Often times software and applications offer “free” versions that come bundled with adware. Most adware is sponsored or authored by advertisers and serves as a revenue generating tool. While some adware is solely designed to deliver advertisements, it is not uncommon for adware to come bundled with spyware (see below) that is capable of tracking user activity and stealing information. Due to the added capabilities of spyware, adware/spyware bundles are significantly more dangerous than adware on its own.

Trojan Horse

A Trojan horse, commonly known as a “Trojan,” is a type of malware that disguises itself as a normal file or program to trick users into downloading and installing malware. A Trojan can give a malicious party remote access to an infected computer. Once an attacker has access to an infected computer, it is possible for the attacker to steal data (logins, financial data, even electronic money), install more malware, modify files, monitor user activity (screen watching, keylogging, etc), use the computer in botnets, and anonymize internet activity by the attacker.

Worm

Computer Worms are among the most common types of malware. They spread over computer networks by exploiting operating system vulnerabilities. Worms typically cause harm to their host networks by consuming bandwidth and overloading web servers. Computer worms can also contain “payloads” that damage host computers. Payloads are pieces of code written to perform actions on affected computers beyond simply spreading the worm. Payloads are commonly designed to steal data, delete files, or create botnets. Computer worms can be classified as a type of com puter virus, but there are several characteristics that distinguish computer worms from regular viruses. A major difference is that computer worms have the ability to self-replicate and spread independently while viruses rely on human activity to spread (running a program, opening a file, etc). Worms often spread by sending mass emails with infected attachments to users’ contacts.

Rootkit:

A rootkit is a type of malicious software designed to remotely access or control a computer without being detected by users or security programs. Once a rootkit has been installed it is possible for the malicious party behind the rootkit to remotely execute files, access/steal information, modify system configurations, alter software (especially any security software that could detect the rootkit), install concealed malware, or control the computer as part of a botnet. Rootkit prevention, detection, and removal can be difficult due to their stealthy operation. Because a rootkit continually hides its presence, typical security products are not effective in detecting and removing rootkits. As a result, rootkit detection relies on manual methods such as monitoring computer behavior for irregular activity, signature scanning, and storage dump analysis. Organizations and users can protect themselves from rootkits by regularly patching vulnerabilities in software, applications, and operating systems, updating virus definitions, avoiding suspicious downloads, and performing static analysis scans.

Bot

Bots are software programs created to automatically perform specific operations. While some bots are created for relatively harmless purposes (video gaming, internet auctions, online contests, etc), it is becoming increasingly common to see bots being used maliciously. Bots can be used in botnets (collections of computers to be controlled by third parties) for DDoS attacks, as spambots that render advertisements on websites, as web spiders that scrape server data, and for distributing malware disguised as popular search items on download sites. Websites can guard against bots with CAPTCHA tests that verify users as human.

Bug

In the context of software, a bug is a flaw produces an undesired outcome. These flaws are usually the result of human error and typically exist in the source code or compilers of a program. Minor bugs only slightly affect a program’s behavior and as a result can go for long periods of time before being discovered. More significant bugs can cause crashing or freezing. Security bugs are the most severe type of bugs and can allow attackers to bypass user authentication, override access privileges, or steal data. Bugs can be prevented with developer education, quality control, and code analysis tools.

Your IT Local – Launching Promotion

yourit — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 06:10:05 +0000

As our launching promotion we are offering our Sydney customers the opportunity to receive $600.00 worth of value for a mere $150.00. Our launching computer service coupon will allow customers to get:

Any computer problem fixed for $150.00
Virus software installed and a full scan to remove all viruses, malware and spyware.
Secure private backup service to keep up to 10GB of your data safe and secure while being backed up to the cloud
Free 16GB USB Key
And the chance to win an iPhone 6.

Your IT Local – Launch

yourit — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:21:44 +0000

Your IT Local is finally launching! Over the course of our operation we hope to change the way people think about getting their computers maintained and upgraded. For too long, a small number of companies have monopolized the market, charging way too much for computer maintenance and upgrades. Your IT Local aims to bring computer maintenance back to an affordable level while providing an equally professional, prompt and personalised service. As our launching promotion we are offering our Sydney customers the opportunity to receive $600.00 worth of value for a mere $150.00. Our launching computer service coupon will allow customers to get:

Any computer problem fixed for $150.00
Virus software installed and a full scan to remove all viruses, malware and spyware.
Secure private backup service to keep up to 10GB of your data safe and secure while being backed up to the cloud
Free 16GB USB Key
And the chance to win an iPhone 6.

*Promotion available to a single computer only and does not include additional costs incurred by hardware and software requests and faults. *Promotion available to a single computer only. To purchase online, please follow the following link: https://youritlocal.com.au/it-service-coupon/ Additionally, we will be updating our facebook page and blog with useful computer tips, guides, promotions and general information related to IT, so be sure to like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/youritlocal or check out our blog at https://youritlocal.com.au/news-blog/ So if you have any computer problems, questions or queries please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on (02) 9211 2706 or helpme@youritlocal.com.au. If you would like to book a timeslot with one of our technicians jump on over to https://youritlocal.com.au/makeabooking/ and make a booking! We hope to hear from you soon!