The Ekaru Technology Advisor Vol 4-5 June 2004
Welcome to this month's issue! Ekaru's mission is to provide technology information and support to help you manage and grow your business!
Getting your home office in shape!
If you're one of the many people who will be affected by all the traffic restrictions surrounding the Democratic National Convention, or you just want to enjoy more flexibility this summer, now is the time to get your home office in order.
- Get a high-speed Internet connection if you don't already have one. Installation isn't instantaneous, and availability isn't 100%, so plan in advance.
- Set up a simple home network so everyone in your family can share the Internet connection. Going wireless is usually the most cost effective solution because you won't need to run wires around the house, but keep in mind that some locations may have a weak signal.
- If you're going wireless, watch out for interference with cordless phones. If someone answers a cordless phone, it could shut down the network. rf interference is the source of the problem since the most common wireless phones (2.4GHz) operate in the same frequency range as the wireless network device. There are ways to minimize impact by positioning equipment differently, using antennas, and switching channels. Probably the most basic solution is to be aware of the effect, and minimize phone usage during any critical work.
- Printer sharing: If you have multiple computers in your home, you'll probably want to share your printers. The two easiest ways to do this are to use printer sharing within WinXP, or by setting up a network print buffer.
- Remote access to your office: There are many approaches that will work: VPN, PC Anywhere, etc. (see last month's e-newsletter for the details). Make sure security is maintained by proper protection of log-in and passwords.
- Remember, just because it's a home office, you still need virus protection and firewall protection. And remember to back-up your data!
A word of caution for laptop users: An unfortunate and common error that many folks make is to infect a clean office network with worms and viruses by bringing in an infected laptop computer. The main office network may be fully equipped with a firewall and virus protection, but when someone brings in a contaminated laptop and connects to the network, a lot of damage can occur. If you or your employees bring laptops in and out of the office, make sure that every machine has up-to-date virus protection. We say this over and over again, but simple errors can create a lot of costly damage!
Join us at Ekaru's next technology workshop to learn more: "Don't forget the home office - a little TLC goes a long way!"
2004 Technology Workshop Series: June 17, 2004:
Don't forget the home office - a little TLC goes a long way Technology Tip: Here's a cool technology product to check out: the Dymo LabelWriter Printer. Do you ever want to print just one address label and not a whole sheet? The Dymo LabelWriter Printer makes this easy. It's really easy to install, and the software integrates into Outlook, Word, QuickBooks, and other small business software applications. Its great for envelopes, packages, file folders, disks, videotapes, name badges, Internet postage, bar codes. you name it! Dymo's slogan is: "makes life a little bit easier" and they really do! Go to the web site to learn more: www.dymo.com. You can buy Dymo printers at your favorite office superstore or on the web, and they're great!
Ekaru in the news! Do you have suggestions for future Newsletter topics? Send us an email!. We want to write about what's important to you! Click here to read past issues.
Sincerely,
We are proud to announce that Comcast is sponsoring the 2004 Ekaru Technology Workshop Series. These workshops are designed to help you get more from the technology you already have, and introduce you to the new technologies you need to know about. For more information on the Don't forget the home office - a little TLC goes a long way, click here.
"Protecting Data: Key to Business Survival"
Westford Eagle, May 20, 2004.
"Laptop users: 5 tips for finding data on the fly"
Microsoft Small Business Center, May 24, 2004.
Enjoy Summer!
Team Ekaru
©2004 Ekaru, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
