Remote Support

A Day in the Life of an IT Support Technician in Westchester People can embrace an IT career at any time in their lives. Whether they are starting a new job or want to change career, the IT field is so vast that you can learn a lot by studying books, watching courses and being part of a computer crew. We won’t stress enough to get computer apprenticeship in Westchester because it helps getting comfortable with networks, users, and people habits. If you want to know what type of skills to acquire in this job, you may want to focus on the following topics: Active Directory Active directory allows admin to manage permissions and access to network resources. it is a service developed by Microsoft for windows domain networks and it runs on windows servers. One of the roles in it is to manage the access and network resources in a company and most companies are using active directory. Active directory stores data and objects. Objects can be users groups applications or devices such as servers laptops computers and printers. If a user gets locked out in the domain tech help actually resets the password in the active directory and let the user know that the password has been changed. Also if you want to add a device or equipment to the domain like a printer or laptop you also can do it in active diectory. Operating Systems: Windows, Mac and Linux The operating system is the software that supports a computer’s basic functions such as scheduling tasks, executing applications and controlling peripherals. It’s extremely important for a tech support to know operating systems because issues that need troubleshooting range from Blue Screen of Death, crashing applications, freeing disk space, and freeing resources that show up at the startup. Know the Command Line (CLI) Sometimes issues are not computer related but are network related. For example, user may complain that he cannot reach a website and he/she does not know if it’s blocked by a corporate firewall or if his machine has DNS issues.Pinging an IP address or a website is the most basic taks that allows computer technicians in Westchester to beging understanding where the problem is. Dealing with Computer Hardware Lifting and bending is in the norm in the day to day life of a computer technician. We are asked to troubleshoot computers that do not turn on and even if the machines are turned on, users cannot see the picture in the monitors. Step by step troubleshooting requires calm and logic if an IT support technician is called to find out where the problem is. In the back end, technicians are also asked to setup or decommission servers from the rack and check if the ethernet wires are plugged in properly to the right port. Helping Users Get Comfortable with Hardware Since the pandemic, the number of users working from home has increased and many users have a setup that includes a laptop and two monitors. However, as a laptop has only one HDMI port for one monitor, a second monitor can be setup through a docking station. I saw users in Westchester getting confused when the first see docking stations but a good IT technician can stay calm and explain how to plug all the wires and make the whole setup work for the user with the least amount of stress as possible. Gain More Skills by Knowing VOIP Phones We have customers who have been bringing the phones from work to their homes and most of the times they have issues plugging in the ethernet wires to the router and their pc. Furthermore, company employees often forget their extension which make them unable to receive and make phone calls. As IT is nowadays a very busy job, Sandanotech recommends to outsource the VOIP phones in Westchester to a company who can work in close contact with the IT department and offer quick support. Know Well the Software the Company Runs There have been many instances in which software conflicts with each other and IT support will need to call the tech support of the software to take a look at the issue and possible solve it. Issues that can be resolved with software vendors range from Microsoft Teams not working properly, Citrix Workspace shutting down, and the antivirus that blocks false positives. Knowing software intreractions can be used for future reference and a computer technician should write down all the process that brought to the solution of the problem in the knowledgebase articles. Do not Forget to Learn about Iphones and Android Phones Phones are nowadays part of our life and companies require that their IT department use Microsoft Intune to setup a MDM (Mobile Device Management). A user’s phone in a corporate environment can be used to check emails on the Outlook app, to further authenticate users with third party apps when they login in their workstation and can also be used to receive other apps pushed by the IT department. Unfortunately, MDM does not protect a phone against spam text messages and malicious links, for which Sandanotech in Westchester recommends researching the matter further and get the right application. Dealing with Users Unable to Print When users have deadlines and are trying to print a document they need, often times they can’t print and their file is stuck in the queue. A quick turnaround of the issue can be to clear the print jobs, restart the print spooler service and check if the printer is set as a default printer. Fix Outlook Issues From users who complain that they haven’t received emails to others who cannot open Outlook, Outlook itself can be a matter discussed in books for the variety of issues it can generate. If a user does not receive an email with an attachment, usually Outlook is not at fault. The mail security antispam filter can be responsible for that and a tech help can release the email very easily.

When Does Make Sense to Offer Remote IT Services in Westchester? Small and big businesses not only in Westchester county but all over the US are constantly very busy and use the technology they have invested in to sell the product or services that can generate more revenue for them. IT consultants , on the other hand, are constantly visiting their clients to perform scheduled maintenance and repairs and that often translate into long time spent driving before reaching each client. During the pandemic, when everyone spent  2 years working and living at home, companies and individuals began using software and applications that allowed employees to remote into company’s resources. But, can the remote support technology be used in the post pandemic era to optimize IT workflow and assistance? Let's Find Out The answer is yes. Using remote tools to assist users and to perform back end IT tasks is a great way to reduce IT costs, and to offer a better service as a consultant. The time lost driving in traffic does not add to the knowledge of the tech person and frustrates the end user who’s waiting for tech help to arrive. When a remote support session can be used to assist a end user? A user working from home is unable to print a word document. A tech support session can troubleshoot the connection between the printe rnad the computer and clear up the print jobs so that a new print session can be established. As long as the end user has a good Internet  or wifi connection, he will be able to get the issue resolved by a computer technician working remotely. A year ago a client of mine, lawyer in Harrison Westchester, was able to be back on track with his print job after I remoted in and restarted the print spooler. When a remote tool can be used to perform back end IT tasks? Let’s say that a computer network has a scheduled maintenance on a Sunday and the IT person is not allowed to be in the Westchester office alone while doing his job on site. A remote tool can be of a great help if patches are required, if servers need to be rebooted after updates and if it’s time to read a firewall logs, for example. Among the Other Technology Support We Provide Sandanotech offers swift and efficient solutions to IT technical challenges. Our remote IT support tools ensures your business operations run smoothly, minimizing downtime, and maximizing productivity. Embrace Efficiency with Sandanotech Our company stands at the forefront of the technological evolution, offering Remote IT Support and Computer Help services that redefine efficiency and security. If you really want to minimize risk and avoid downtime, business owners should consider elevating business operations, embracing innovation, and experience the efficiency of the Remote technology we have been offering in Westchester county for the last 15 years. Exploring Top Remote IT Support Tools Tool 1: Streamlined Remote Access Our first recommendation focuses on streamlining remote access, a fundamental requirement for effective IT support. Tools like Teamviewer stand out for their intuitive interfaces and robust security protocols. Ensuring seamless connectivity, these tools empower your IT team to address issues promptly. Tool 2: Proactive Issue Resolution Addressing IT issues before they escalate is a game-changer. N-able exemplifies this approach, offering proactive monitoring and diagnostics. By identifying potential problems in real-time, your IT support team can maintain system health and prevent disruptions. Tool 3: Collaborative Solutions Collaboration is at the heart of efficient IT support. Tools like Microsoft teams and Zoom facilitate collaborative problem-solving, allowing your team to work seamlessly regardless of physical locations. Enhanced communication features ensure that everyone stays on the same page, fostering a productive work environment. What types of Remote It software can be available to make IT tasks easier? Not all the IT tools are created equal. For example, a tool like Teamviewer or Anydesk is a great start but it has limitations such as the inability to push patches and updates. On the other hand, services like n-able can really make the difference because IT people can not only help the end user when he’s stuck doing something but also push patches and updates to the system or to a single application. For example, sofisticated and expensive managed service providers can schedule Windows updates to a cluster of machines or to an entire network or even to a single applications such as Firefox. Therefore, it is a good piece of advice to talk to your client before allocating a budget and see what he really needs in terms of remote technology and what IT people require to perform remote tasks. Business and IT people can meet in between and set up a service that is effiecient and is not too expensive while getting the job done. In the not-so-distant past, IT management was predominantly an on-site affair. However, the evolution of technology has paved the way for sophisticated remote IT software that allows businesses to manage their IT infrastructure from anywhere. This shift has been monumental especially during the pandemic era, offering flexibility and accessibility like never before. The benefit of using remote is that it’s a quick service. If you call to try to get help normally they have to schedule someone out the next day or you have to bring your computer in, then it will takes a couple days to get it back to you withour using remote tools. With remote support services you can call Sandanotech and within an hour or so you’ve got someone on your computer helping you because it’s a speedy service. The beautiful thing about the internet is the internet has provided services very quickly by leveraging technology to provide technical support quicker.

What you Can Do or Cannot Do During an IT Remote Support Session The 2020 pandemic has changed the way we work and has enhanced our work from home. Both users and IT support try to get things done when distance does not allow to meet in person and resolve computer or network issues in the office. Software for remote support have flourished during the pandemic and are still used as of this writing: Zoom, Cisco Webex and Ring Central has allowed many people in the world to continue to work for themselves or for their employers. These software are also used by computer specialists to organize meetings, update knowledge base and discuss IT matters internally. This new type of product has also expanded the range of tech support tools that are already in use, such as Teamviewer or Anydesk. This article would like to explain the range of tasks that can be addressed and resolved during a remote session, although we all need to be aware that remote support sessions not always are reliable nor can really solve computer or network problems. 1- Repair a computer: help desk cannot repair a computer they are remoting in for support, because hardware repair requires the computer being turned off and physically accessible in the premises. I have a client of mine whose machine did not turn on anymore before even beginning the migration from Windows 7 to Windows 10 and that issue required me to go to her office in Yonkers. 2- Repair a printer: if the printer does not turn on anymore or has connectivity issues, tech support won’t be able to see it in the network and therefore cannot fix it. However, what a technician can do is to guide users step by steps on how to check the wires, to unplug it and plug the printer back in etc etc. 3- Fix a monitor: if the monitor is acting up and displays weird colors, tech help can probably suggest users to check the wires for connectivity and after having turned it off and then back on again, determine if the device needs to be replaced. 4- Install or uninstall programs: if the user is in a domain controller environment or has a standard account, IT support won’t be able to help because the machine is setup to be controller by a domain administrator. If tech help does not have the admin login credentials of the user seeking help, tech support cannot really do anything because to install or uninstall programs you need an admin account. I have seen several times users retaining their computer from work after being terminated but not being able to get the help they need because of the restrictions applied to their devices. The solution in this case is to wipe out the machine and reinstall the operating system after having backed up the files that the user needs. 5- Increase the Internet speed: for this task users have to call their Internet Service Provider who will increase the speed of their Internet for a fee. Increasing the Internet speed is always recommended because if a person uses the wifi or is hardwired during a remote session, the Internet speed in both cases should be at least 100 Mbps. 1- Remove a virus: if the computer is hit by a virus, the technician can operate a scan with an antivirus program and possibly remove the infection. If the computer is hit by ransomware, help desk cannot do anything except wiping out the machine and reinstalling OS and programs again. This task requires the computer expert to be onsite to restore an image of the pc or reinstall files and all the programs from scratch. 2- Install or troubleshoot a printer: sometimes users cannot print or scan even if their printers are still connected to the network. A system administrator can operate easily and with confidence to resolve the lack of connectivity the printer or scanner has. Sometimes the issue can be resolved by using the built-in Windows troubleshooting tool for printers. 3- Install or troubleshoot Microsoft Office 365: sometimes users realize that they don’t have a subscription to Microsoft products or their Outlook is not working. Outlook can be troubleshooted remotely by techs by creating new profiles and or by reinstalling Office again. 4- Install a new email or add other emails: if a user uses Outlook, that task can be accomplished easily by installing new emails, removing them or by adding new emails in the Outlook control panel. 5- Install or remove programs: like any other software, any type of program can be added to meet users’ needs or removed in case tech support wants to make more room in the pc’s hard disk. 6- Backup a computer: that is a very good move that tech help can do because backing up files and folders saves users data from hardware failures. During a remote session, both backups to an external hard drive and or to a cloud service can be setup by computer people with no particular issues. 7- Educate users: this broad topic ranges from teaching users how computers really work in terms of files, folders, right click features, customizations, to educating them to be safe online. Cybersecurity is one of the best topic that can be discussed remotely because users will learn a lot from tech people and will take notes from those who remoted in to educate them. The time spent to educating users on how to avoid phishing emails and to be safe when they use the Internet is really priceless and companies are constantly spending time and resources in educating users through webinars and other media to use devices in a safe manner. Fortunately, technology has resolved many problems such as connecting easily users and help desks. In this context, remote sessions should be considered as a preventive tool to avoid hardware failures. Also, working remotely to help users saves IT costs and time spent traveling to