StefanoIT

How Many Areas The IT Infrastructure Does Cover in Westchester?

Business, Productivity /

How Many Areas The IT Infrastructure Does Cover in Westchester? Information technology is not only supporting end users and companies but there is a lot going on in the background and many people working behind the scenes.There are so many different areas depending upon the type of infrastructure the IT has to deal with: 1- FIRMWARE Firmware is a software component that allows hardware to run smoother and safer.It maybe a web or website component or there may be content databases.There’s an infrastructure and underlying infrastructure that the IT runs to update firmware. Our clients in Westchester all benefit from our support that includes updating firmwares in their workstations. Unlike traditional software, which can be easily updated and modified by the end user, firmware is more deeply embedded in the hardware and is designed to provide essential functionality to the device. It is essentially a set of instructions that enable the hardware to perform specific tasks. 2- NETWORK COMPONENTS Most commonly a corporate network cannot be secure if it does not have multiple firewalls configured in a failover cluster. For a firewall to operate properly, technical support from the firewall brand is crucial in assuring an optimal delivery of its performance. In addition, routers can cooperate with firewalls to route the traffic through managed switches to different networks so that network flow is optimal and secure. Routers of our clientrs connect different Westchester locations for optimal redundancy.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3eSqnxQT1w 3- HARDWARE In the age of the cloud services, where big data centers host most of the IT infrastructure, hardware is reduced to a minimum and mostly consists of single workstations that are managed by Active Directory and are linked to databases. 4- CLOUD SERVICES Cloud services span from backups to offering SaaS. For example, virtual machines created through VMware and Citrix allow users to have very redundant systems where basically there is no downtime and company resources are always available 24/7. 5- DOCUMENTATION IT is not only made of solving technical problems but there is a lot of writing involved. A successful IT department cannot live without articles written to document all the processes involved in creating, setting up, configuring software for users. 6- IT COMPLIANCE IT compliance refers to the adherence of an organization’s information technology practices, processes, and systems to established laws, regulations, standards, and policies. The goal of IT compliance is to ensure that an organization operates within legal and regulatory boundaries, follows industry best practices, and mitigates the risks associated with the use of technology. Examples include GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), and PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard). IT compliance also involves identifying, assessing, and managing risks associated with technology use. This includes conducting risk assessments, implementing controls, and establishing procedures for risk mitigation. 7- VENDOR MANAGEMENT Companies often rely on third-party vendors for IT services. Managing and ensuring the support from vendors is critical to maintaining the overall security and integrity of the organization’s IT environment. In Westchester, usually vendors are managed by the IT company that procures the necessary hardware to the users. 8- SECURE FILE TRANSFER AND AUTHENTICATION MECHANISMS SFTP provides a secure channel over SSH, while FTPS (File Transfer Protocol Secure) combines FTP with TLS/SSL encryption. These protocols offer a secure alternative to the traditional, less secure FTP (File Transfer Protocol). In the financial sector transfering files securely is part of the compliance policies the company the company has to follow to avoid being fines by regulators.In addition, strong authentication mechanisms are crucial in preventing unauthorized access. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security, requiring users to provide multiple forms of identification before initiating or completing a file transfer makes the company network safer and less prone to attacks. Westchester County stands at the intersection of tradition and innovation, with technology serving as a driving force for progress. The county’s commitment to smart city initiatives, connectivity, education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability cannot be implemented without top notch IT management and procurement. The right set of skils are the ones that matter in the technical world that has to deal with performing tasks in the back end to make the front end running without glitches or expensive interruptions.

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Educating Users In Westchester: How Many Network IP Addresses are there?

Networking, Productivity /

Educating Users In Westchester: How Many Network IP Addresses are there? It’s very frustrating to see a user that tries to connect from home to the company’s network but he can’t. Let’s find out what went wrong with this user who has been living in Westchester for a while then he brought the corporate equipment with him in a country located outside of the US. The help desk in Westchester set up his desktop and laptop in the office, installed the corporate software and tested all the connectivity after having installed all the Windows and Office updates. The user went back home in the US and had no issue in connectig to the Internet and accessing the corporate resources. His Internet speed in the US was 200 Mega download and upload which was enough to let him have a steady connection and work with no issues.   What Are the Network Issues the User is Experiencing?   1- The user cannot connect to the corporate network after he moved outside the US. 2- The company’s firewall did not block the country where the user went to live 3- The help desk can remote in into his machine with no issues and can access other websites but cannot connect to the website of the company he works for.   If You Need Network Support Contact Sandanotech In general terms, even if a user moves out of the country where he works, it does not mean that the network he connects from is different from the ones his company uses in the US. Home routers are almost the same in every part of the world. Every home router has a DHCP server that assigns IP addresses to the devices connected to it. Furthermore, all home routers translate the private IP addresses which usually are 192.168.X.X into a public IP address through a feature called NAT (Network Address Translation). NAT converts the private addresses into one unique public IP address that changes periodically because ISP setup home connections to have a dynamic public IP. On the other hand, companies prefer to pay for a static public IP addresses because they have servers and other resources employees remote into that allow to use always the same static public IP.   So what happened to this person who all of a sudden he could not connect from home is that his ISP removed the NAT feature from the router he was using and his private address was not allowed to connect to the company network because the company does not allow private addresses to access its resources. He called his Internet Service Provider to find out why that happened bu he will get a response one day or another. We had to explain to him in plain English and without too many technical terms that his IP belonged to a private class of IP that cannot be converted to a public IP and that, as per company policy, cannot be whitelisted in the firewall. For the sake of informing our readers, private IP ranges are the following: Class A. Ranging from 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255, it is for large networks and has 8 bits for the network and 24 for hosts.Class B. Ranging from 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255, it is used for medium networks and has 16 bits for the network and 16 for hosts.Class C. Ranging from 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255, it is for smaller networks and has 24 bits for the network and 8 for hosts. Therefore, because the user had one of these private IPs, he was unable to access the company resources although he could access the Internet and other websites. I guess the ISP removed the NAT feature believing that home users just use the Internet and do not access VPN or other resources remotely. In any event, after having analyzed the event logs on his computer, we saw that the connection to the corporate network was refused because his private IP address was not allowed by the company’s policy.

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The Battle Between BYOD and Corporate Policies

Email Security, Iphone /

The Battle Between BYOD and Corporate Policies Over the past few years mobile devices have really become integrated into our work lives and some statistics we have recently received about the use of mobile devices in Westchester NY have revealed an increasing number of phishing attacks on mobile devices users which means for the Enterprise environment a constant struggle in keeping up with cybersecurity. Recently our team has conducted a phishing attack tha was different than it would have been five or six years ago because we were targeting a bank and five or six years ago bank employees really didn’t know lot about security for mobile devices. Today, on the other hand those security tools are really integrated into the workforce. If the goal of a hacker is to break into a Microsoft 365 account because of course in the Microsoft 365 platform you have all kinds of sensitive material there such as SharePoint and OneDrive in their emails and even if your your, the first step towards a safe cyber environment is to safegurard the emails. It’s pretty common to accidentally tap a link with around 40 percent of emails globally being spam and the average American receiving 14 unsolicited SMS texts per month. Here’s what usually happens when you open a phishing link. After clicking a phishing link the sender knows you are a valid target. The attacker receives some basic data like approximate location device statistics and information voluntarily provided. A phishing link may download malware and users should take precautionary measures. It’s critical to stop interacting with the page and delete any downloaded files. Search for the intended target site using a search engine and the computer. Compare the legitimate web address and content to the phishing site; watch for suspicious account activity calls or texts follow on signs of phishing include suspicious emails social media posts with shortened links copycat URLs. If the attackers succeed in collecting data phishing scam victims might receive manipulative calls or text messages urging them to take further actionsonce a target has responded to a first phishing attempt there is a higher likelihood that they will continue to fall prey to future prompts A smartphone can be hacked by clicking a link found in email text messages or software.Tapping or opening a phishing link can expose users to automatically downloaded malware. Sometimes the malicious link may redirect a user to a malicious website or application controlled by hackersdesigned to collect user information or infect a mobile phone. A cyber criminal doesn’t need to get a hold of your smartphone to infect it with malware. if your phone is connected to the internet hackers can infiltrate your device through phishing links. Sometimes the messages can seemingly come from legitimate companies or reputable organizations as a notice about their services or apps.Clicking or tapping on these phishing links can open a pathway into your smartphone. An attack surface on smartphones is typically smaller and conducted with purpose-built apps that can compromise your mobile phone causing apps to malfunction and slow your device. Do not install unnecessary apps that can drain your phone battery and consume your data plan faster. Apps should only be downloaded not from the Internet but from the Apple Store and the Google Play store.

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Lessons I have Learned While Providing IT Support in Westchester

Business, Productivity /

Lessons I have Learned While Providing IT Support In Westchester Supporting a company or a single user in Westchester has one thing in common: computer networks are not only made of appliances such as firewalls and servers but they are made of people who are in need to know and require support for their activity to keep moving. After several years helping people and businesses get the most out of the technology they have paid for, I can tell you that for me computers are a tool not only to educate users but also to establish relationships. I have highlighted below what for me makes sense while providing support as IT consultant and the way I would approach the users having issues even before diving into technical matters. 1-KEEP CALM AND BE PATIENT Users are usually showing up at the help desk or make phone calls agitated or angry. It’s necessary for the computer technician to stay calm and keep feelings cold. Remaining cold will help diagnose the issue and absorb the anger of the customer. 2- THINK HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BROADLY FIRST By saying that the approach to a technical issue should be more broad will help to have a larger picture about the problem and then can bring to exclude some other solutions that may not be appropriate. For example, if a customer complains that he/she cannot print, that does not mean that the printer is broken, but it can be the computer not having a driver or having a virus etc etc. 3- NEVER BLAME THE USER FOR THE COMPUTER ISSUE I saw colleagues of mine answering to the user with a tone such as, “I told you, you should have done such as such”. That tone is arrogant from a person who speaks from a pulpit and makes the user feel bad. It support should only be supportive and guide user to learn how to solve minor pc issues by himself, instead. 4- ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR MISTAKES There is nothing more direct and honest than saying to your boss or to the user that you are sorry and that was IT mistake. That will generate a sense of relief in the user and will make you appear more humble in front of your boss. If a technical mistake is attributable to the tech, a mea culpa will erase all the bad feelings about it. 5- SPEND TIME EDUCATING THE USERS Users call because they are having problems and if the tech support in charge is patient, he can educate users not to click on dubious attachments and to be more careful while running or downloading programs. Educating a user is big part of a successful IT company that operates not only in Westchester county New York, but also nationwide. 6- SHARE AND LEARN WHAT IS SHARED WITH YOU Unless IT is a solo shop, being part of a successful team is what matters. Sharing intelligence and information is the way to go. If you leave your team mate with a knowledge gap because you know more than he does, that for me is not what is called working as a team player. 7- DON’T MAKE USER WAIT IF YOU CAN HELP NOW It’s very frustrating for someone who is looking for help to see that help is not on the way and that the solution is not coming soon. Efficiency and a decent speed will add professionality to an IT service that tries to compete with others in the same market. 8- DOCUMENT AS MUCH AS YOU CAN Working with computers and servers means dealing with networking and virtualization issues. Very often software conflicts can deal a blow to the productivity. IT is also a lot of writing and storing the right documentation that can lead the next technician to solve the problem much faster. 9- GO IN PERSON AND AVOID REMOTE SESSIONS IF YOU CAN If a client is very close and he/she is not too tech savvy, I recommend paying him/her a visit rather than calling or sending instructions via emails. Human touch is always better than a cold remote session that may be fast in solving the issue but can still leave user with unanswered questions. 10-FOLLOW UP WITH THE USER it’s always important to follow up with a user because, as I said above, what matters is a relationship and not a cold approach.  

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Read the FAQ About Our Computer Network Support Services in Westchester NY

Networking, Remote Support /

Read the FAQ About Our Computer Network Support Services in Westchester NY When we talk about support in the IT world, the term may mean many things. Its broad term may mean providing assistance to users and companies. Users can be supported remotely and in person, companies require more resources on site and remotely as well. Usually a team is the one that is required as team effort to support a medium large business.  In providing services, IT companies accomplish several functions: The more they assist, the more they blend with the business, alsmost becoming an extension of the business itself. The more users are helped, the least amount of downtime the company has and the business can continue to operate. Our Frequently Answered Questions aim at clarifying what we do internally and the form of support we provide for small and medium sized business in Westchester. Here are some examples: 1- What are the most common network issues that users face? Users often encounter issues such as slow internet speeds, connectivity disruptions, and hardware malfunctions. These common problems can impact productivity and hinder daily tasks. 2- What is the geographical spectrum of Sandanotech computer support? Sandanotech does not only provide computer and network services in Westchester county NY but also in new York State, Connecticut and New Jersey. 3- Do we offer networking services tailored to customers’ needs? Yes we do. We offer IT services after having listened to the needs of our potential clients. We proactively engage in proposals only after we have analyzed the needs of the companies we are interacting with. 4- Does Sandanotech offer VOIP Phone services? Yes, we do offer this service although it’s not a direct service we provide. IT nowadays has to include VOIP services and that service can be a direct service or managed through another provider. As long as the business does not have to go through the hoops of various services, our clients are covered with us. 5- Do we offer computer services only locally or to a braoder geographical area? Sandanotech is an IT company that provides networking services in Westchester county primarily but we are constantly expanding in new areas that are in Connecticut and in the tri state area. 6-Does Sandanotech enhance system performance? We don’t make computers run faster although we build them super fast if that is what our clients want from our services. However, our IT Tech support optimizes system performance through proactive maintenance, regular check-ups, and tailored solutions. 7- How large is cybersecurity’s role in the services you offer? Cyber has become one of the pillars of our services, because a company left to vulnerability will not be able to operate properly and cannot continue to be our client if it’s infected by ransomware for IT negligence. Users’ education is a very important service we offer in our packages and we rely on that to continue to build upon a future where all users are well protected and shielded against cyber intrusions and social engineering. 8-How much of cloud infrastructure is included in your services? Cloud services are like cybersecurity services: they are intertwined as cyber relies on the cloud to analyze data and restore networks after ransomware or failure. Cloud has also to do with disaster recovery because companies more and more need redundant and scalable services to continue their operations. 9- Do you Offer Backup Services ? Our IT company offers several backup solutions on the premises and in the cloud. Please contact our office to learn more about our tailored IT support services in Westchester NY

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Read Our Best 10 Westchester Help Desk Interview Questions

Tech Advice, Windows /

Read Our Best 10 Westchester Help Desk Interview Questions As an IT company operating in Westchester County NY and in the tri state area, we often need to hire computer technicians for the role of help desk. During the interview process, we ask technical questions to assess the knowledge of the candidates and try to evaluate a response that makes most of the sense for us. In the IT world usually one question can have multiple answers, because an IT problem can be solved in different ways. A large number of users in Westchester and in the US face daily issues with their computers.  These issues affect productivity so companies want toensure that their IT systems run smoothly that’s why they need desktop support and help desk professionals. 1- WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK AS DESKTOP SUPPORT SPECIALIST? A good answer would be I loved filming computer problems since I was a child I remember opening my childhood computer and toys to look at what’s going on inside them and I tried to understand how they worked I think desktop support provides me an opportunity to refine my problem-solving skills in the area of IT. 2- PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF A TICKET THAT YOU SOLVED AND THE STEPS YOU TOOK TO SOLVE IT. This is a very common question in desktop support and helpdesk interviews. Try to be genuine and give a real-life example of the ticket you’ve resolved atany point in your career the interviewer wants to know your problem-solving approach and your communication skills. If you’ve never solved an IT ticket before you can familiarize yourself with a few common computer problems and their solutions before going into the interview you can use one of these solutions before going into the interview. For example, try to describe how you helped turned on a computer tha won’t boot up, how you troubleshooted screens that had no piocture even if the pc was turned on, etc etc. 3- WHAT IS ACTIVE DIRECTORY? Active directory is a service by Microsoft that is used to manage, organize and run networks Active Directory makes it easier for system administrators to find and use information related to all the users and objects in a network. An example would be using Active Directory to assign new policies to a specific group of users, restricting access to a printer for a specific user or removing users from a network Active Directory consists of different objects like forests domains contacts group sites and printers. 4- WHAT IS BLUE SCREEN OF DEAT AND HOW YOU FIX IT? The blue screen of death is a critical error that occurs when operating systems cannot function and it crashes mostly. BSOD problems are related to Hardware kernel or drivers. BSOD errors often show an error code or stop code which we can use to find out the cause of the problem. To solve thisproblem I will first restart the computer; if the computer restarts successfully I will update all drivers; if the problem persists I will disconnect all unnecessary hardware. To rule out the external causes I will also boot the computer in safe mode to see if the problem occurs in this basic state as well other fixes I can try include checking the hard disk for bad sectors. 5- A USER COMPLAINS THAT THE SYSTEM IS VERY SLOW. WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO FIX IT? The reason behind a slow computer is usually a lack of sufficient memory. I will start by removing temporary files from the Windows folder; I will also with the users permission delete any unused files and programs that are taking up significant space on the hard disk. I will also run hard drive defragmentation tools to optimize space on the hard disk. If the user is facing slow performance while using the Internet I will delete a cache from the browser as a last resort I’ll explore the possibility of upgrading the hard disk to SSD in Ram or installing a more powerful processor as a ultimate resource. 6- WHAT WOULD A COMPUTER TECH SUPPORT  DO IF A USER HAS HARD TIME PRINTING? I will open the add printer wizard in Windows and select the required printer from the list of available printers. I will use the admin network wireless or Bluetooth printer option if we are operating in a networked environment. I will also install and update printer drivers if necessary if the user’s computer normally fails to detect their network printer I will enable network discovery and file and printer sharing options in the network and sharingcenter in Windows control control panel. 7- WHAT IS A LOGICAL DRIVE? A logical drive is a virtual storage unit that exists on a physical hard drive but acts as an independent storage drive. The purpose of a logical drive is to optimize storage performance by making contiguous storage units allowing them to interact optimally without intervening with irrelevant or unrelated physical units. Logical drives add abstraction and storage making it easier for the operating system to read from memory. 8- HOW DOES A VPN WORK? A VPN tunnels a private network over a public network with extra encryption to connect users to the private networks resources.A VPN masks the original IP address identity and location of the originator of a web request providing more security to a user who tries to access resources from a public open network. 9- WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES WHEN A USER TYPES GOOGLE.COM When a user enters Google.com and presses enter, the browser checks the cache of the browser operating system router and ISP for the DNS record to find the corresponding IP address of WWW typed in. If the IP address of Google is not found in these caches, the ISPs DNS server will initiate a request to other DNS servers on the internet to find the IP address of google.com. When my browser receives the appropriate IP address it establishes a connection usually a TCP

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Common IT Issues We Faced During Our Tech Support Sessions in Westchester

Hardware, Microsoft 365 /

Common IT Issues We Faced During Our Tech Support Sessions in Westchester We have recently analyzed all the emails, service tickets and phone calls we have received regarding requests for Tech support help and we have decided to provide a glimpse on what we discovered. Our aim is not to be judgmental towards our clients but to teach users that several computer problems can be avoided by staying calm and using common sense. Also, Westchester county users are not any different from any other user or company in new York City or Connecticut: it’s just a matter for us to be professional in doing or job and provide computer and networking assistance when needed. OUTLOOK NOT GETTING EMAILS If a user calls than he or she cannot receive emails, the problem can be caused by the fact that user may have updated recently her password and he/she cannot see the message at the bottom right that says “Need password”.  Also one of the main complaints that users have is that they “did not receive all the emails”. In this case a compare contrast with the cloud version of Outlook will she light on what it’s missing. MOUSE AND KEYBOARD NOT WORKING If a hardwired usb mouse and keybaord are not workinmg, the IT consultant should check the connections and possibly swap the USB ports. If instead users has a bluetooth mouse and keyboard, check the batteries first and see if they work or not. Try to replace the batteries with new ones and see if it’s a usb dongle issue. CANNOT GET TO A WEBSITE If the user unable to get to a specific website or to any website? If user cannot get into any website, it can be that there is no Internet on his machine or in the office. If the user cannot get into a specific web page, it can be a firewall that blocks it and in that case user can ask IT department to apply an exception explaining the reasons behind the request. INTERNET IS NOT WORKING If a user cannot get to any network resource or to any website, the Internet may be down. It’s recommended in this case to do first a reboot of the computer, check the physical connections. Sometimes our clients in Westchester had the NIC that was not picking up signal anymore and with a ethernet to a USB adapter, the issue was resolved and user was back in business. USER NEEDS ACCESS TO A NETWORK DRIVE Usually those requests are handled by the help desk in a coporate environment. The access to a shared drive would need to be first approved. Once it is approved, the help desk, pulls up active directory and put the user to the group he/she has been approved for. After that, the user should log off from his machine and log back on to see the new drive showing up in the list of the drives. If the drive does not show up, the tech support can map the drive in person or remotely for the user. THE AUDIO ON MY PC IS NOT WORKING The problem here can be that usually users had plugged headsets and forgot to adjust the defalt sound. Also, tech support should check if drivers or software for headsets are needed. If headsets are USB, users can try to use another usb port. EXCEL CRASHING WHEN RUNNING MACROS Check if the corporate environment blocks macros first or if macros are allowed, I would run Microsoft Office repair tools or SARA.

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What Can Go Wrong During a Computer Support Session

Productivity, Remote Support /

What Can Go Wrong During a Computer Support Session As a professional in the computer support industry living and working in Westchester,  I have encountered my fair share of unexpected hitches and common pitfalls during tech support sessions. IT people do not have a magic wand and cannot even expect customers to use the tech lingo. Very often, however, what the customers describe is or too generic or refers to something else. We cannot blame the suer for that, because we are there just trying to help and to offer a decent service. From hardware malfunctions to software bugs, technical issues can arise without warning, making it vital to be prepared for any scenario. Common pitfalls during computer support sessions include miscommunication with the customer, lack of technical expertise, and not being able to effectively troubleshoot issues. These challenges can be frustrating for both the customer and the technician, but with the proper approach, they can be resolved efficiently. It’s important to understand that computer support is a complex field that requires technical expertise. Troubleshooting computer issues is not just a matter of following a set of rules, but rather a combination of knowledge, experience, and creativity. Sometimes, the solution to a problem is not obvious, and it takes a bit of trial and error to find the right approach. UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITIY OF COMPUTER SUPPORT During a computer support session, effective communication is key. Unfortunately, communication breakdowns can happen all too easily. When they do, it can be frustrating for both the customer and the support technician. In this section, I will discuss some common communication pitfalls and strategies for troubleshooting. Common Communication Breakdowns One common communication breakdown is using jargon or technical terms that the customer may not be familiar with. This can lead to confusion and frustration on their end. It’s important to use plain language and explain technical terms in a way that is easy to understand. Another issue that can arise is when the customer is not clear in explaining their problem. They may not have the technical vocabulary to accurately describe the issue, which can make it difficult for the technician to diagnose and fix the problem. In these cases, it’s important to be patient and ask clarifying questions to get a better understanding of the issue. Finally, communication can break down simply due to a poor phone or internet connection. This can make it difficult to hear or understand each other. In these cases, it’s important to be patient and understanding, and to try different communication methods if necessary. Effective Troubleshooting Strategies When troubleshooting, it’s important to stay calm and focused. If you become frustrated or flustered, it can make the customer feel dismissed or ignored. Instead, try to stay positive and assure them that you are doing everything you can to help them. It’s also important to be systematic in your troubleshooting approach. Start with the most obvious and common issues first, and work your way through the possibilities until you find the solution. If you’re not sure what the problem is, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a colleague or supervisor. Finally, remember that effective troubleshooting often involves trial and error. It’s okay to try different solutions, even if they don’t work at first. The important thing is to keep trying until you find what works. Scenario Effective Response The customer is yelling and using profanity “I’m sorry that you’re feeling frustrated. I’m here to help you resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” The customer is refusing to follow troubleshooting steps “I understand that this is frustrating, but these steps are necessary to diagnose the issue. Let’s work through them together.” The customer is demanding a refund or compensation “I’m sorry that you’re unhappy with the service. Let me see what I can do to resolve the issue for you.” You Can Contact Sandanotech in Westchester If you feel that you may need technical support or network monitoring, please  contact our support number in Westchester and let us know your needs Click Here In summary, dealing with difficult customers is an inevitable part of computer support. By remaining calm, actively listening, providing excellent customer service, and utilizing effective communication strategies, you can handle these situations with grace and professionalism. There are specific examples of computer sessions, remote and in person that went wrong for lack of communication or lack of means on both ends. Having worked with our clients for almost 15 years here in Westchester NY helped us build a set of issues we can all learn from. Let’s discuss what happened during those sessions so that companies can communicate better with IT support and computer technicians can be more prepared when receiving a request for computer help in Westchester county New York. COMPUTER WILL NOT TURN ON If a user calls saying that the computer does not turn on, and a session is remote, the help desk should ask if the user can unplug the power cord, push the power button for 30 seconds to drain the last energy out of the device and plug the power cord back on. Sometimes tech support, however, fails to ask if the monitors are turned on as well, because it happens sometimes that the computer is on but the monitors are turned off or unplugged. USER CANNOT LOGIN If a user forgot the password to login, a system administrator will user Active Directory to reset the users’ password and prompt him/her to create a new one. If it’s a password for a website or an application, the tech support can solve the issue by logging in with admin credentials. If instead the user forgot a password for a local standard account, the local admin account can reset the password for him and create a new one.    

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How Far Can Tech Support Go in Providing IT Services in Westchester NY?

Productivity, Remote Support /

How Far Can Tech Support Go in Providing IT Services in Westchester NY? Computer support encompasses a spectrum of services aimed at ensuring the optimal functioning of your devices. From troubleshooting and resolving technical issues to offering guidance on software installations and updates, the goal is to provide users with a smooth and hassle-free computing experience. Providing iT services can be directed to: – Small and medium businesses in Westchester – Single home users who can also run a SOHO (Small Office Home Office). Home users usually cannot afford complex IT services because they usually don’t run complex systems. Usually a worker owns a laptop or uses a work laptop to connect to the company resources via a VPN. Small home offices have more machines connected to the network and may need to share files and folders locally or through the cloud. One of the main needs of this type of setup is printing and backups. Once home users and small offices have been visited for the first time, future contacts can be dealt through remote support sessions if issues can be resolved remotely. HARDWARE SUPPORT A complex topic like hardware support requires a lot to talk about. For example, there is a fine line between the generic term “my computer crashed”  because the issue can be hardware related or software related.  Ageing can be a determinant factor in deciding to keep or replace a device, whereas software conflicts can cause hardware to overheat and crash. The landscape of hardware support is very broad and we have already explained our clients in Westchester what can cause hardware failure. DIAGNOSING SOFTWARE MALFUNCTIONING Users sometimes have to deal with corporate software that does not interact properly with other software. We have seen antivirus that conflicted with VPN and Citrix that created issues for users such as applications not firing up. THE ROLE OF CYBERSECURITY In light of companies constantly being attacked by hackers a good and professional managed service provider will provide, among its services, cybersecurity and users training. Users’ education is a pillar of cybersecurity because there is no software or resource that can replace the keen eye of a well educated user. Coaching users to detect scams, phishing attacks and bogus websites is an excellent way to run a well oiled network. There is not that much that IT support can do if a network is attacked by ransomware and sometimes we have been called by users in Westchester after that ransomware incidents already happened and there was no backup in place to restore data and files from. CAN USERS TROUBLESHOOT NETWORKS AND DEVICES? Some users are more tech savvy than others but they do not have the experience of the tech support. Techs that work in the help desk can detect immediately if an email is fake or if a phone call requiring a password reset may require further scrutiny. A computer that does not print is not a difficult issue to fix but an uneducated user who has clicked on a malicious attachment can be a big problem. If events as such happen it means that users have learned only the 50% of what they should learn to stay safe in the business network and the IT department has done only 50% of the work in reaching out to the users with cyber training resources.  SHOULD DATA ALWAYS BE BACKED UP? The answer is yes, because data backup and recovery services involve backing up important data and recovering lost or corrupted data. This type of computer support service is essential for protecting against data loss and ensuring business continuity. Data backed up regularly can be very handy when for example a single file is needed or an historical version of a file can help someone of the team gauge historical information provided or, even worse, in case of ransomware, the data have to be restored from the most recent point in time. FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING FOR A COMPUTER SUPPORT PROVIDER When searching for a computer support provider, it’s important to consider several factors: Expertise: Look for a provider that has experience in your specific industry or technology needs.Reputation: Read customer reviews and testimonials to determine the provider’s quality of service.Response Time: Choose a provider that offers fast response times and 24/7 availability to ensure minimal downtime and disruptions.Pricing: Compare pricing between different providers to ensure you are getting a fair and competitive rate for the services you require.

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Do Businesses in Westchester Really Need IT Managed Services Providers?

Business /

Do Businesses in Westchester Really Need IT Managed Services Providers? Before answering the question whether or not companies in Westchester County need IT support on a retainer, it’s crucial to figure out what companies expect from IT support providers. First of all IT companies not only provide computer support but should be considered an extension of the business itself. IT is a sector of a company that deals with infrastructure, redundancy and end user tech support. Computer services can be provided on request and on a retainer. The retainer part of a services is called with the fancy name “Managed Service Provider” . Provider as such does not have to wait for a user to call but it agrees upfront to a set of predetermined services that will be applied over time to the network. Updates, Windows upgrades, hardware replacements, firewalls and server configuration: all these services have to be agreed upon in the SLA because they constitute the backbone of the services. To succeed in  the IT business, whether or not you a re asolo shop or a small company, you need to hire the right people and this is very hard to do. You can make more money if the IT people interacting with the clients act very professionally and are quick in solving the problems. In our opinion, only companies that really run a critical infrastructure, need to outsource their services to a managed service provider.  What can distinguish a break-fix IT provider that works on requests from a real MSP of IT services? Scalability and structure. The break and fix is usually a small IT company that operates locally, the MSP has many technicians that can be dispatched to the companies in need of computer and network support.  One advantage of having a client as a retainer is the guarantee of a steady and predictable revenue, which means IT companies can plan for growth and afford to hire more technicians. If you get a client on regular maintenance you can staff for it; with break-fix you don’t know when or if a client will call you out of the blue and maybe wants you to restore the network from a ransomware attack. Break-fix clients are an advantage on the cleint side but a cost and an issue for the IT company that provides the services. Monitoring a network requires setting up the right tools and alerts. Prompts allow to identify and address potential issues before they escalate, reducing downtime and minimizing disruptions. It goes by itseld that, the more a network, and especially a financial one, is considered a honeypot because of its exposure to ransomware attacks, is targeted by hackers, the more monitoring it needs. Consequently, when a network is constantly under pressure, a good strategy would be the one to have a disaster recovery plan, a redundant data center and multiple backups stored in a safe place.

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