|
|
| |
Dear SBCA Reader:
Thinking of switching ISPs? Maybe you're dissatisfied with your current ISP or you might be looking at upgrading your services since your business needs have changed.
Since choosing an ISP is critical to your short-term and long-term business success, make sure you do your homework and create a solid checklist. If you're ready to make the switch, consider your options and follow our key tips to a successful transition. Our goal is to help you make the right decision and a smooth transition to improved Internet access through technology and education.
As always, we're eager to hear what you think about this issue and to receive suggestions for topics you would like to see covered in the future. Please send an email to Newsletter Comments.
Thank You,
All Covered
Switching ISPs - How Do You Decide?
Making the Right Move
Not satisfied with your current ISP? Are the choices mind-boggling? Changing ISPs may seem like a painful process, however with the right steps you can make a smooth transition to enjoying greater Internet access and business success.
Read more…
Tech Talk
Getting Ready for the ISP Switch
Ok, you've made the decision. Now it's time to make the leap and enjoy those new services. Follow these steps and best practices to making the transition as smooth and as seamless as possible.
Read more…
Virus Update
November 2004
Although the number of Level 3 viruses are finally slowing down around the world, All Covered recommends continued vigilance against these worms and viruses. Watch out for two variations of the Beagle worm which are featured in this update.
Read more…
Customer Spotlight
Ray Engineering, Inc.
Ray Engineering, Inc., a firm that provides consulting services for the construction industry, uses All Covered to help them manage a reliable, secure and up-to-date IT network.
Read more…
Tech Tip
Tired of Those Toolbars?
Are you tired of managing all those toolbars added in your Internet Explorer? Find out how to remove unwanted toolbars that get installed without your knowledge.
Read more…
Quick Tip
'Tis the Season for Music
With the holidays approaching, your gift shopping list might include a portable audio player. Read our review of the Apple iPod mini and the Rio Carbon to ease your decision and cut down your shopping time.
Read more…
Switching ISPs - How Do You Decide?
Making the Right Move
You may not be satisfied with your current Internet Service Provider (ISP) or your bandwidth needs have changed due to business expansion. If you're ready to make the switch to another ISP, consider your options and follow our key tips to a successful selection. Changing ISPs may seem like a painful process, however with the right steps you can make a smooth transition to enjoying greater Internet access and business success.
First of all, determine if you're truly ready to switch. If you're not happy with your ISP rates, evaluate whether you're paying for services that you don't need such as a static IP address and a faster Internet connection. You only need to pay for a static IP address if you're providing services to employees and customers who are working remotely. A dynamic IP address is less costly and works well for on-site services. Do you need a faster Internet connection? Evaluate download and upload speeds for your bandwidth. A faster download speed means that web pages load faster, email arrives a little quicker, and you can easily download large files. The upload speed allows you to send files to others more quickly. This is also important if you're running a web server in-house because it determines how quickly your site's visitors can load your web pages.
ISP service is a commodity, much like a wireless cell phone provider, which allows you to shop around for the best value. You might want to first consider contacting your existing ISP to check on options for faster service for the same price or an additional nominal cost.
Create a Checklist
When switching to a new ISP, make sure that you research and carefully
evaluate the benefits of a new provider. Choosing the right ISP for
Internet access is an important business and technical decision for
your current and future needs. It's important to create a checklist of
features as a guide to selecting an ISP that can meet your business
communication requirements. A complete service offering is important
for growing your business, in addition to support and pricing.
The speed and frequency that you transfer data will determine the connection options for your business. While many small businesses start with analog modems or ISDN connections, the option to upgrade to a 24x7 continuous connection is important for enjoying the benefits of e-commerce and web hosting. With continuous connection services, you can select from DSL, cable, Frame Relay, and T1 options. You can view www.broadband.com to determine which technologies and resources are available in your area.
Consider Your Connection Options
Since there are numerous options for expanding your bandwidth, you
want to ensure you select a connection option that meets your business
needs.
Evaluate Key Decision Factors
In reviewing the appropriate service for your business needs, apply
four key decision factors:
Since choosing an ISP is critical to your short-term and long-term business success, make sure you do your homework and create a solid checklist. Since your switch will require some preparation, you don't want to get into the habit of switching ISPs on a regular basis. Take the time to visit the websites of ISPs, talk to your co-workers, and interview ISP references. With an effective evaluation, you can enjoy the long-term benefits of a reliable, flexible, and cost-effective ISP.
If you need assistance in selecting a reliable ISP, contact your local All Covered office. To find the location nearest you, go to www.allcovered.com/locations.asp
Tech Talk
Getting Ready for the ISP Switch
If you have decided to switch your Internet Service Provider (ISP), there are several steps or best practices you should follow to make the transition as smooth and as seamless as possible. No matter who you select as your ISP, however, you should be prepared for some amount of downtime there is no way to avoid this. Nevertheless, you can minimize the amount of downtime if you plan correctly.
Where Do I Start?
Here are some general steps you should follow when switching ISPs. These
instructions don't take all network configurations into account they
are only general guidelines. If your network is more complex, you'll have
more items to change on your checklist.
Order Your New Service. Once you've done the research on which ISP and what services and speed you would like, contact the provider and order the new service. You will receive an order confirmation and an estimated installation date. The installation date can be anywhere from 2-4 weeks of the order date.
Plan for the Changes. Prepare a checklist of all the changes that need to be made to your servers and network equipment. This list is generally items that have an IP address. Examples include: firewall, router, DNS server, mail server, web mail service (Outlook Web Access), VPN or RAS services.
Communicate Upcoming Switch. It is vital that you communicate to your employees about the upcoming switch. They need to be aware of the planned switchover and how it will affect network access, including access from remote locations such as home, remote office or a hotel. Provide the date and time of the planned switch and the approximate downtime employess will experience. As a reminder to employees, you should resend the communication a few hours before the network configuration changes will be made.
Order Equipment. If necessary, order equipment. If you are upgrading from DSL to a T1, you will most likely need to purchase a router or a more robust router. In addition, if you want to have the least amount of downtime, having a second router will help you with that task.
Test the New Circuit. Once the new circuit has been installed by your ISP, you should check Internet connectivity by connecting a spare router to the new circuit. You will want to test access to other services with a computer connected through the router to the new ISP. If there are any problems with the new circuit, work with the ISP to resolve them. You should ensure that the new circuit has been up for at least 24 hours to a week before switching your Internet service.
Make the Configuration Changes. All Covered suggests making the actual switch from the old circuit to the new one on a late Friday afternoon, starting at 4 or 5PM. This approach will provide nearly a full business day for employees and give you the weekend to ensure everything will be up and running for employees on Monday morning. At the designated time, connect the router which is connected to the new circuit to your network and begin making the configuration changes to all the items on your checklist.* Usually DNS is changed first, then the firewall, then the remaining items on your checklist. As a reminder, DNS takes 12-72 hours to propagate across the Internet, so don't wait until the last minute to make that change.
*This assumes that you have a router preconfigured for the new ISP connection. The router should have been configured when the circuit test was performed (step 5).
Confirm Changes. Over the weekend, you need to check access to all the normal services for your company, such as email, web mail (if applicable), intranet access, database access, etc. If there are problems with these services and you have confirmed the circuit is working (see step 5), the DNS changes may not have propagated. You should check each item on the checklist to ensure that no mistakes were made with the new IP addresses. If you cannot find an error and cannot access any services, then you must rollback the network to the old circuit and ISP. That is why we recommend two routers to make this process seamless; in addition, it's a good practice to have a spare router in case there's a hardware failure at a future point. Remember, if you must revert to your old ISP, you will also need to restore any DNS or other device configurations you may have changed.
Cancel Your Old ISP. Once you're up and running with your new ISP and your new circuit, then you should start the cancellation process with your ISP. This takes about 30 days. While it may seem costly to have two ISPs for a month or a partial month, it's absolutely critical that you do not cancel your service with your old ISP before you're up and running with your new ISP. At All Covered, we have seen this happen to clients who did not want any overlap and the result was no Internet access for several days and in some cases two weeks, which in this intensely competitive environment, could be a very costly and disruptive issue for your business.
Should I Do This Myself?
If these steps sound overwhelming, they need not be. All Covered has
helped hundreds of clients switch from one provider to another, with great
success, minimal downtime and seamless effort. You can concentrate on your
business activities while we make sure everything is working in the background.
Call your local All Covered office (www.allcovered.com/locations.asp) for assistance in selecting the right service provider and then making the switch.
Virus Update
November 2004
There finally seems to be a slow down on the number of Level 3 (Medium Risk) viruses released to unsuspecting users across the world. There were two variations of the same worm Beagle (or Bagle) that reached a Level 3 since our last Virus Update.
Beagle.AV and Beagle.AW email themselves to others by gathering email addresses from an infected machine. Characteristics of the worm are a simple subject like Hello, Thank you, Hi, Thanks or just Re:. In addition, the body is also simplistic and contains ":)" or ":))" with an attachment that is either named "Price" or "Joke". Like many of the other worms and viruses, it spoofs or fakes the "From" email address, so it could appear to be from someone you know.
The worm can open a back door on your computer that could allow hackers to take control of your system and it copies itself to folders with the word "shar" (shared network folders or applications such as Kazaa). Lastly, the worm also disables antivirus software and other security products, which can make a system more vulnerable.
These worms affect computers running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
All Covered recommends continued vigilance against these worms and viruses. Remember to keep your virus definitions updated and immediately delete emails that appear suspicious, even if they are from someone you recognize. If you are unsure about the attachment, email the sender to verify if the message is valid.
If you would like to be notified by email any time a serious virus is on the loose, you can subscribe to All Covered's complimentary Virus Alerts.
Customer Spotlight
Ray Engineering, Inc.
Founded in 1990 and located in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Ray Engineering, Inc. quickly adopted workstation and networking technology for its consulting engineering services. The firm provides numerous consulting services for developers, realtors, lending institutions, property management companies, architects, and general contractors.
As the business evolved, IT technicians lacked an understanding of Ray Engineering's technology "big picture". The company chose to rely on outside technical assistance involving a succession of different people. Ray Engineering did not fully understand how large a role IT could play in their business success. "Looking back, it's clear that the people we were counting on didn't have the understanding of the technology 'big picture' that we needed," notes Ray Engineering's office manager Judy White.
In September 2001, Judy was contacted by All Covered and presented with a solution for overcoming an unpredictable network: true 24x7 support, comprehensive, knowledgeable, and strategic. With All Covered's help, Ray Engineering's new, preemptive approach to IT management has yielded several dramatic improvements. "Were hardly ever down," says Judy. "Our system is many times more reliable than it used to be. It delivers far better performance. With the firewall, we're much more secure." All Covered delivers All Covered Care services to Ray Engineering to ensure regular check-ups and a long-term plan.
To find out more about Ray Engineering, Inc. and their services, contact them by phone at (770) 498-9992 or visit them on the web at www.ray-engineering.com.
Tech Tip
Tired of Those Toolbars?
Are you tired of all those toolbars added in your Internet Explorer? Here are two suggestions for removing those unwanted toolbars that may get inadvertently installed when you're casually surfing the web.
If you are running Windows XP and have installed Service Pack 2, there is a new feature in your tools menu called Manage Add-ons that will show you all the plug-ins that have been installed in your Internet Explorer and give you the ability to disable them. The advantage of disabling them over uninstalling them is that if the toolbar tries to reinstall itself, the system will already identify it on your machine and will not attempt to reinstall the toolbar. If you uninstall the toolbar, it will attempt to reinstall each time because it appears to be missing and surprise the reappearing toolbar trick!
If you are running Windows XP Service Pack 1 or previous versions of Windows, you will need to go to your Control Panel, then select Add or Remove Programs and manually look for the toolbar programs and uninstall them.
There are many search assistants and web rebate programs that get installed without your knowledge, so it is good idea to look through the Add or Remove Programs list on a monthly basis to make sure they have not reinstalled themselves. To help prevent unwanted programs we recommend that you always click the X in the upper right corner of any pop-up ad to close it. If you click anything in the pop-up ad including a "close" button, the chances are that you have actually installed the application or toolbar, versus close the pop-up ad. This tactic is very common among spyware applications.
Quick Tip
'Tis the Season for Music
It's getting close to the holidays, and you have a wish list that includes a portable audio player. So which one do you choose the 4GB Apple iPod mini or the Rio Carbon 5GB? Here's a breakdown of features and benefits to ease your decision and cut down your shopping time.
According to CNET Editor Elliot Van Buskirk, the iPod brand has become synonymous with excellent portable audio players, and the 4GB Apple iPod mini carries on the tradition with its fashionable, intelligent design. Although the iPod mini offers the smallest size on the market, it is also the heaviest MP3 player at 3.6 ounces. The iPod mini brought back a revamped scrollwheel with the menu, fast-forward, play/pause and rewind functions. This allows the user to scroll through song lists with speed and precision.
One of iPod's fiercest competitors is the Rio Carbon 5GB. According to CNET Editor James Kim, the Carbon is the first player on the market to utilize Seagate's new 5GB minihard drive, which means the Rio packs one more gigabyte (which translates to about 250 more songs) than the iPod mini. However, the Carbon manages to pack everything into a body that's lighter, shorter, and thinner than that of its Apple counterpart. The Carbon's navigation and playback controller is a four-way pad with a raised Select button in the middle. In addition, the Carbon features cool, red backlighting behind the buttons and the logo. The design also includes a 1.25 inch backlit display and an integrated microphone for voice recording.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple iPod mini |
|
|
| Rio Carbon 5GB |
|
|
Either of these MP3 players would make a perfect gift. Both are small and lightweight products, which make them practical to carry around in any situation. Also, both of these products are user friendly, so anybody, regardless of age, will enjoy using these products. More importantly, if you factor in the $249 (SRP) for the iPod mini and $249 (SRP) for the Rio Carbon 5GB, it makes either product accessible for the holiday season.
