By MartiGoran May 08, 2014
I needed a faster internet speed so I decided to order TWC high speed internet. I got the 60 mbps, it’s surprisingly fast. Thank you. ...read more
By SettaVan May 07, 2014
Searching for TV experts ? Trust in Time Warner Cable. It’s an excellent TV service provider. ...read more
By vickidee1 February 10, 2014
i am not sure if you will get his twice. i bought an iphone 5s through your store on jan 29th for $99. a few days later i received an email from Verizon saying i could get it free with the upgrade. i tried going through their website but they couldn't help me on chat. can you tell me if i can get a refund for what i paid since i could have got it for free ? my name is Vicki Carnes. phone number 8168207021. thank you! ...read more
How do I keep my computer secure? To keep your computer secure it is very important to make sure that you have the latest Windows Critical Updates installed on your machine. If you are running the Windows Operating System you can download these updates at WindowsUpdate.Microsoft.com It is also very important to make sure that your computer is running anti-virus software with current virus definitions (Updates). Running a spyware removal software package (with current definitions) periodically is also advisable, usually at least once a month. In addition to running real time AV software, it's also good to do a double blind scan from time to time using a different scanner. If you go to Housecall.TrendMicro.com, they have a good web based scanner. I think I have a virus! What should I do? Most viruses are spread through email attachments. That is why you should never open attachments from a source you don't trust, also be wary of the type of attachment and the formatting of the e-mail - sometimes the e-mail maybe sent with a forged address that looks like someone you would trust. If you believe that you do have a virus, you should update and run AV software (or install some if you don't have any). Also try running HouseCall.TrendMicro.com to check for viruses your AV software may have missed. You should also check to make sure that you are running the latest security patches for your Operating System and Software. Norton and McAfee both offer popular tools for detecting and removing virises. You can also find free online anti-virus scaners, like the one offered at http://housecall.trendmicro.com (however, this is not a substitute for realtime continuous scanning). If you find and remove a virus from your computer, it's a good idea to do another scan until you don't find a virus. If you have a specific virus but are having difficulty removing it, there are several sites with details about viruses, and possibly tools that will remove the virus you have. Symantec for example, has a virus tools section, and details on a lot of viruses. I think I have spyware! What do I do? Spyware is generally spread through "malicious" websites and "freeware" programs. They usually track where you go and what you do on the internet, for marketing research and advertisement purposes. You can detect and remove most spyware by running a spyware removal tool like Ad-Aware from LavaSoft. You should be aware that some "free" software that you may use could require the spyware to be installed for it to work correctly. You can also block some web browser based spyware by tightening your browsers security settings. Do I need a Firewall? In general, a Firewall will protect your computer from outside attacks by "filtering" out what it believes to be harmful content from coming into your computer. You can download firewall software to run on your computer. A few popular titles are BlackIce Defender and ZoneAlarm. Many Routers/Switches come with simple port blocking firewall solutions that you can configure for added network security. For personal use, most people will not need a firewall (already being behind a NAT device). For business use, it would be wise to look into. If you do plan on using a firewall you should make sure that you configure it correctly. If you block the wrong port numbers, you could block yourself from sending email, connecting to ftp servers, or even browsing the internet. ...read more
By Computers & Tele-Comm, Inc. February 09, 2011
With the explosive growth of the Internet and the increased use of wireless technology, many folks have been thinking of the security of there networks. In a recent seminar I got a question about encryption that many folks wanted an answer to. The question was, "If I am logging onto a network with a wireless link, how do I avoid having someone discover my password by eavesdropping on the wireless link?" After asking a few more questions I discovered that the link was based on spread spectrum technology and that no encryption was used. So the answer was, "Someone could eavesdrop, if they were close enough and had the right equipment, so change your password often." This brought out a barrage of questions on security and encryption. There are three important considerations in dealing with the security of any computer system. 1) The question of physical site-based security; 2) The question of backup security; snd 3) The question of data security and encryption as it passes over networks out of your control. Physical Site Security Do you have a good lock and key on every room that has a network linked to your file server? Is the file server in a place that is secure, and that includes good UPS (standby power) and surge suppression on both power and data lines? Is each person that has a key on a master list and is a key control policy in place that has employee keys picked up after they no longer need them? If the answer to any of these questions is no you have a big hole in your security. Each network computer system represents a huge investment in the company and often holds some of your most important secrets. If someone stole the file server, would your secrets be let out to the world for your competitors to see? Site security also includes a backup plan in case your site is incapacitated. The World Trade Center and Oklahoma bombings proved that having an alternate site at which to run your system can be crucial to business recovery. Check with your equipment vendors to find out who else has equipment like yours and try to make an agreement that you could run an emergency backup into their system to get out crucial work if there was a problem. Don't wait until your building is on fire to try to negotiate these kinds of deals. Backup Security All computer consultants and industry professionals insist on backups, but from a security standpoint there are two problems: 1) Despite these recommendations, many times backups are not made (a desperately dangerous situation); 2) If they are made and an off-site copy is kept (as most professional recommend), they are often not password-protected and in a common format so anyone could read them. One manager had the off-site backup in his briefcase that was stolen during a flight, and when he got home he discovered the competition had just outbid him by fractions of a percent. This might have been a coincidence, but the thief was later caught and had a steal-to-order confession come out as part of his plea bargain. The $3.2 million contract was voided and rebid, the manager barely kept his position, so it all worked out. But it leads to a call for caution. Almost all backups can have a password attached and that is a minimum step to avoid these kinds of problems. Be sure to change your passwords any time an employee leaves or situations and affiliations in the company change. Passwords should include both numbers and letters, to prevent an attacker from throwing the dictionary at it. Change your passwords often and make them long as you can. Pass phrases are a good tool to both protect systems and be easy to remember. An example would be: GetBack2me. This is a ten digit pass phrase that includes both numbers and letters, and for Unix systems also includes both lower and upper case letters that must be patterned the same way. By the way, please don't use this one. It is now compromised. You and a few thousand of my close friends now know it! Protecting Networks With Encryption In the old days important messages were sent in code. Encryption serves to provide a code that can be unlocked with the appropriate key. Most people know about encryption as a code, but here is a simple example: Just rotate the letters of the alphabet by 13 and you have a simple way for the computer to cloud the meaning of what we normally call "plain" text. This simple code is enough to stop the casual thief, and Unix systems have it built in so it is a lot better than nothing. To do a better job of encryption, I can scramble my plain text a lot more by using a more sophisticated algorithm to do the job. However I do it, I still have another problem, and that is the security of the key that unlocks the message. With all messages there is a sender and potentially many receivers of that message. They somehow have to be able to unlock the message, preferably without the locking key (having it would pose a huge security risk). The solution is to use a technique that involves two keys. It was not always possible to use the two-key approach. The change came about in 1976 when a new form of cryptography called asymmetric, or public key, was first publicly proposed. This technique, despite the efforts of the governments of the world to not let it escape, has revolutionized the technology of keeping secrets. Prior to that time, all cryptographic techniques were symmetric--sender and receiver had to have the same key. In 1976 two researchers (Diffie and Hellman) proposed the first asymmetric key encryption algorithm. Many programs have since developed based on the theories of these two men. Today the field is dominated by RSA Data Security in Redwood City, CA (415) 595-8782 and its RSA Public Key Algorithm. What all this means in practical terms is that using the RSA program, anyone can openly publish a public key, which anyone they send it to can use to lock the message which then can only be opened by the private key. The public key just LOCKS! Only the private key can unlock the message. Since anyone can know your public key, from which the private key or the message cannot be guessed. The security of the final unlocking key is never lost by the technique itself. Messages so treated are protected from being cracked as long as the key length is sufficient, say 112 to 1024 bytes. By extending these techniques it is also possible to sign the document in question proving authentication and time. I prefer not to go into exactly how this is done, as the technique would take several pages to explain, but it is straight forward to do. By applying the RSA technique to the transmission of network packets, wireless or not, the integrity of the network can be maintained. Many network integrators can help you with setting up these more secure network tools, and we can also help you protect US-based networks. The U.S. Government has an antiquated policy on the export of encryption so for international work we have to work harder, but your secrets and passwords or anything else can be protected. By the way, it isn't that these systems can't be cracked, just that the cost and complexity of doing so would tax even the resources of governments, and in the case of the best systems, the universe would suffer heat death before the algorithms could be cracked. You can have Pretty Good Privacy. In fact one program is called exactly that. We also have other common questions answered in our FAQ athttp://www.ctcwi.com. ...read more
By Computers & Tele-Comm, Inc. February 09, 2011
If your business is not on the first page of the search engines for the city you serve you're missing out on a lot of business. In a recent study, 63% of consumers and small business owners use the Internet to find information about local companies and 82% use search engines (Webvisible&Nielsen;). Are they finding you or your competitors? If your services are specific to a neighborhood in a large city, then your keywords, meta tags, and other terms should be highly specific to the smaller geographic area.So what can you do about it you ask? How do you go about marketing to a certain geo via the internet?Here are 7 tips to help you with localSEO:1. Be descriptive.Use focused keywords to describe your company, especially detailing what it does and offers in the way of goods and/or services and the location(s) your business serves. Make sure your main keywords and location are in the page titles of your website.2. Include your street address, city and state on your website and make sure it's present anywhere your business has a presence online. For example, make sure it's on your website, blog, articles etc. Keep that info consistent. In addition to your page titles, place your address in the footer section of your web pages to reinforce your location.3. Have it all Mapped out!You'll want to claim your business profile on sites like Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Bing local to ensure organicSEO!4. Socialize! Don't underestimate the power of Social Media Marketing. Just because you are a local business targeting local customers doesn't mean you can't benefit from engaging in social media marketing! Chances are no matter if your business is located in a small town your customers are using Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin at the least. So if that's where your customers are naturally that's where you need to be. 5. Be aSIGHTto see-If you're using local site listing services often times they prefer to give their users an image along with your listing. This adds a bit of spice to accompany your listing! You never know it may be what stands you apart from your competitors! 6. Manage your brand!Publish information about your brand using Press Releases, reviews, article writing online coupons and more! 7. And lastly, think like your customers!What would your customers put into the search box when searching for your products/services? Many times it's not the most popular obvious keywords. By using the right keywords you'll increase your chances of traffic and more importantly - sales.So just because you're a local business doesn't mean you can have the same impact as the "heavy hitters" you can get top spot on the front page of Google, Yahoo or Bing…but you gotta know how!Whether you want to learn to do-it-yourself or have it done-for-you,eBusinessAssistant.comcan help. We offer free no-obligation consultations so give us a call at 816-866-0850 ...read more
By eBusiness Magic October 05, 2010
When you have a problem with your Windows computer, you will need to contact the Microsoft support center. However, many people are unsure of how to reach support or what information will be required. Fortunately, the steps for reaching technical support are simple. Follow this guide to ensure that yo... ...read more
Like any other business, remote IT support requires a method for charging customers for services completed. However, many people who are starting their own remote IT support company may not be familiar with the best methods for customer billing. Fortunately, there are several different possible billin... ...read more