- Why should a small business outsource IT support?
- Who are your clients?
- Do you set up computers, servers, and printers?
- What is QoS exactly?
- What is VPN?
- What is a Router?
- What other features do Routers have?
- Do I have to buy a router to connect to my high-speed Internet access connection?
- We have a very large network mostly compose of hubs and a few switches, and even though it is a 100Mbs Fast Ethernet LAN, it seems still slow. What could be the problem and how could we fix it?
- My ISP tells me that my modem or Router is not supported. Can I still use it?
- I have heard that installing a Wireless Network is easy. Why should I have someone else install mine?
Q: Why should a small business outsource IT support?
A: Whether it involves designing network infrastructure, rolling out a new email system, or building an on-line business application, outsourcing your network support services can contain costs and risks, allowing IT service expenses to grow in a more linear and controlled fashion than is possible by building up a large, all-purpose in-house IT staff. McKee.Network Inc. is in business to build relationships with its clients, to provide its clients the know-how and experience it needs when its clients need it, in an affordable way. Because we wish to cultivate a long-lasting relationship there will be less time spent re-educating us about your network so all recourses can be spent delivering the solutions our clients want, need and desire.
A: Our clients are small business that do not have IT departments, medium and large business that do have IT departments but have a temporary need for a specific set of expertise and/or experience. Our clients also include private homes that are in need of someone to come and setup their PCs and home network for file/ hardware-sharing, and Internet/LAN/Wireless Service.
Q: Do you set up computers, servers, and printers?
A: Yes we do. We set up PCs for home and business for a variety of purposes. We also setup Servers using Window 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2012. We can also set up Microsoft Small Business Server, and Microsoft Exchange. We also install printers, both directly connected and network connected. If unsure we will advise you of our familiarity and can also refer you to a company with the experience if we do not possess what you need.
A: It stands for Quality of Service.
A network running QoS will give priority over desired applications, and give fewer resources to other applications. This is especially beneficial to time-sensitive applications like VoIP, video and SNA. This can also help with congested links to ensure your critical applications get the needed bandwidth necessary but when a line is saturated QoS can only do so much and it may become necessary to increase bandwidth.
A: VPN stands for Virtual Private Networking. This is a way for connecting private networks together through a network that is not secure, or to allow individual computers to connect to a "secure" network as though you are located physically at that site. This kind of arrangement is good for working from home, a client's site, or any other location that is connected to the Internet. Another plus is that a VPN also provides a secure connection so you do not have to worry about information being compromised as it is being sent over the Internet.
A: Simply put, a router is a device generally installed between 2 distinct networks to forward traffic between them. In the general realm it is used to forward traffic between your home network and the Internet. The router can use a process called NAT to allow you to share one Public (Internet) address with all your Private (Internal) addresses.
Q: What other features do Routers have?
A: Routers come with a great many features built into them. Generally the more features in them, the more expensive they are. Some of the features are as follows:
- Switches (to plug multiple PCs together)
- ADSL modems* (so you don't need a separate modem)
- Print Servers to share a Printer without relying on another PC being left on
- Wireless Access Points so you don't need a separate WAP to connect up PCs wirelessly
- Serial Ports for ISDN or Dial-up failover
- Advanced (Stateful Packet Inspection) Firewalls
- VPN servers & clients
- Content Filtering (Parental Control)
- Logging traffic and attempted security breaches
- Traffic Shaping (QoS)
- even anti-virus
Q: Do I have to buy a router to connect to my high-speed Internet access connection?
A: If you only have one PC, then definitely not, but you should invest in firewall software protection. If you have multiple PCs, then a router can make your set up a whole lot easier, especially if the router supports NAT. However, instead of using a router you can request multiple IP addresses from your ISP but this option is not as secure.
A: There could be numerous problems here, including:
- Network is too large and too flat. To fix it will require a re-architecting of the IP addressing plan, subnets, and likely require the purchase of routers, and switches, and getting rid of the old hubs.
- A NIC could be defective.
- Unnecessary ARPing between Layer 2 and Layer 3.
- Default gateways incorrectly planned.
- Extra protocols on the network.
- Your network is simply overloaded by the work that you do……to fix will require advanced designs and the consideration of multi-Megabit or Gigabit technologies.
All of these issues McKee.Network Inc. can assist with.
Q: My ISP tells me that my modem or Router is not supported. Can I still use it?
A: Yes you can. When an ISP says that they don't support a device, it doesn't mean it won't work. It means that they can't (or won't) give you technical assistance or help to get it working. An ISP does not wish to be a Network Consultant. Their responsibility ends with making sure your Internet connection and any equipment they provide works.
A: Yes, installing a wireless network is easy, but there are other issues that come into play after the network is installed. The most important issue is security. When you install a wireless network you make it very easy for an outsider to gain access to your network and that adds a great number of other issues that you don't have with a traditional copper network. When you go Wireless a hacker is able to bypass your firewall and can gain unrestricted access to your Network and resources. McKee.Network Inc. can install your Wireless Network and then put in place safeguards to protect your assets.