Small Business Networking Terms

Technology can be very confusing.  Especailly when we venture into the realm of networking.  There are so many different terms, many of them important to understand, that small business owners do not have a strong grasp on.  Here we'll look at a few of these terms and try to provide a basic understanding of their meaning and their use in the small business tech world.

DNS

The Domain Name System, which is responsible for determining the corresponding IP address when you type a site name like www.smallbusinesscomputing.com into a browser. DNS service is typically provided by an ISP (though many small businesses also run DNS internally to locate resources on corporate networks), and it can often be a source of poor browsing performance and intermittent site connectivity problems.

Dual Band WiFi

This refers to 802.11n-compatible Wi-Fi hardware that can utilize two distinct frequencies -- the standard 2.4 GHz frequency used by 802.11b/g, and/or the 5 GHz frequency used by 802.11a. Although 5 GHz Wi-Fi devices generally have a shorter range than their 2.4 GHz counterparts, using the 5 GH z frequency can still be beneficial because it provides higher capacity -- i.e. more access points in a given amount of space-- and is far less susceptible to interference from outside sources, including from other wireless networks.

Using 5 GHz 802.11n requires a compatible access point and wireless adapters.

HomeGroup

Don't let the word "home" fool you,  for small offices without a central server, Windows 7's HomeGroup feature offers basic file and printer sharing among a group of PCs without any setup headaches. All you need to create or join a HomeGroup (alas, only Windows 7 systems can do so) is a pre-defined password that's common to all computers in the group. Then you can choose which items to share as well as whether you want to allow read or read/write access.

MAC Address

Media Access Control (MAC) address, an identification code composed of six pairs of hexadecimal numbers (0-9 and A-F) that's permanently assigned, or "burned-in" to every network device (PCs, servers, printers, etc.). Unlike IP addresses, which can change, MAC addresses are unique to each device. Devices with multiple network interfaces (e.g. both wired and wireless) will have a different MAC address for each. To view the MAC address on a Windows PC, type ipconfig /all from a command line and look for the number next to "Physical Address".

Tethering

The ability to connect a mobile phone with high-speed (3G) data service to a PC, either via a cable or Bluetooth link, for use as a broadband modem. Tethering is an extremely useful way for mobile networks to access the Internet from their laptops when Wi-Fi isn't available. The catch is that not all devices or carriers allow tethering, and those that do may charge a premium for the privilege.

VoIP

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) converts voice into digital signals and thus allows phone calls to travel across a data network rather than on dedicated phone lines. VoIP-based small business phone systems are generally less expensive to purchase and install, and they're easier to maintain than traditional systems.

VoIP phone systems also tend to offer a high degree of PC integration, with features like the capability to receive voice mail messages via email and to place and receive calls from a "soft phonem" or desktop software application.

So there you have it, some basic networking terms that can help you to better understand computing and help build your knowledge base as a small business owner.

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Storage Trends for Small Businesses

With the rapid growth of storage methods throughout the years, small businesses have been afforded a wide variety of options that were not at their disposal in past years.  The growth of servers and options such as cloud computing have greatly enhanced storage ability at lower costs.  Here are some trends that have seen growing popularity amongst small businesses in recent years.

Cloud Based Storage

One trend that everyone agrees on is that cloud computing is a good medium for small business storage.  Smaller firms look at cloud-based services as a way of reducing their IT spending by outsourcing specific IT services.  Small businesses will likely start using cloud-based storage more and more for active data stores as well as archival and disaster recovery.  It would seem likely that we will see continued adoption of cloud backup as budgets will remain tight and companies will need to do more with less. 

Cloud Computing and Virtualization

The cloud is really an extension of virtualization technology.  Instead of a single server being virtualized, however, the cloud represents the virtualization of a large group of computing resources or an entire data center. But virtualization is proving hugely popular with small businesses, many of which have little or nothing to do with the cloud.

There is a steady move to virtualization by small businesses in order to consolidate their servers or virtualize their desktops. 

Network Storage

Small businesses are famous for having user files residing on PCs. As they get larger or more sophisticated, they might add a file server where everyone store files. But ever-expanding data requirements are leading more firms to consider network storage which has traditionally been the province of larger enterprises. This approach offers a far greater amount of space that you can pack into a file server.  The trend toward easily managed network storage will accelerate as smaller businesses begin leveraging the capabilities that centralized storage offers.  Small businesses that want to keep their storage in-house will base storage-buying decisions on reliability, ease of management, and on finding the best pricing possible that meets those requirements.

Decreased Storage Complexity

As enterprise-class storage filters down the food chain, it tends to be adopted first by tech-savvy firms who have enough internal IT sources to understand and properly configure systems. At a certain point in the adoption curve, though, the storage vendors start to comprehend the value of the SMB market and begin to redesign and simplify their products to suit a new set of customers.  Thus, what we see now is a big reduction in the management complexity that used to accompany networked storage and traditional storage processes.  The latest batch of products, for example, is far easier to operate than their relatives from a couple of generations back. That doesn’t mean that the boss can use them, unless he or she has some level of basic computer knowledge.  Typically, an IT generalist should be able to operate modern small business storage tools.

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Proxy Servers: Helpful for Small Businesses?

To network administrators for large networks, the need for proxy servers--intermediaries that stand sentinel between an internal network and the open Internet--is so basic, it goes almost without saying. But in smaller organizations that lack dedicated IT resources, the need may not be quite so self-evident.

How They Work
Proxies intercept requests for Internet pages from users within a company's network and perform a number of chores related to protecting the network, improving performance and enforcing company Web use policies. This is sometimes referred to as a forward proxy server. It's the kind that virtually all organizations need.  If your company also hosts its own Web servers on its premises, you additionally need a reverse proxy to perform a complementary, but somewhat different, set of security- and performance-related tasks around requests coming from the Internet into your servers.

When an internal user requests a Web page, the request goes through the proxy server so that it appears to the Internet to be coming from the server - from its IP address (or one of them) - and not the user's device. This anonymity provides an important measure of security by reducing the amount of information about a network and its users easily accessible to hackers on the Internet.  The proxy server may, in addition, perform caching.  If your users frequently need to access certain pages on the Internet, the server can download and store copies on its hard drive, in cache and also continuously monitor the page for changes and download them when they appear, so the cached page is always up to date.  This speeds display of cached pages for users, and cuts traffic going out over the company's Internet gateway, thus potentially reducing bandwidth requirements and congestion that can degrade overall performance.

A third important set of proxy server chores relates to enforcement of company policies and restrictions around Web use.  In organizations that allow employees unrestricted access to the Internet but publish policies limiting personal use--no gambling, porn or hate literature sites, for example, or only during lunch and breaks--network administrators can monitor proxy server logs to spot users habitually breaching policies.  Some companies make the mistake of installing a proxy and then never looking at it again, thus wasting much of its potential utility, Armstrong says.  If employees are allowed to use the Web for personal surfing, too-close monitoring could result in privacy and labor law infringements by the company--if an employee is researching a medical problem on his lunch hour, for example.  In addition, if administrators closely monitor the activity of an employee for no very good reason--especially in the absence of clearly stated policies--and later try to bring disciplinary action for violations, unions or lawyers may be able to claim the company was victimizing the employee.

But if policy restrictions and monitoring practices are clearly stated and signed off on by employees, these kinds of problems shouldn't arise.  The alternative is to use the basic filtering capabilities of proxy server software to block users going to certain sites. It works similarly to parental filtering on home networks.  At the simplest level, if a restricted site is added to a list in the server software, when a user tries to surf to that site, the server denies the request and returns an error message.

From here, choosing and implementing a proxy server is something that requires consultation and further information on selecting the proper one.  If analyzed right, you can see this become an effective tool for small business networking.

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E-Mail Security Tips for Small Businesses

E-mail has changed the way we communicate, mostly for the better.   As businesses rely more and more on email communication, small business networks have become more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated malware programs, including computer viruses, worms, trojan horses and spyware.  Ignoring small business security could be a tragic mistake.  Small business owners and managers must examine what's at risk when they communicate sensitive data over email.  In most cases, it is network data and the business itself.  Data loss can create a financial and operational burden that can harm your business. Conventional firewall and antivirus solutions are no longer sufficient protection from current threats, which means it's critical to keep up with continually evolving security technologies and business practices.  Here are some tips for e-mail security within small businesses. 

-Implement an email archiving system that can recognize email that is consistent with your corporate culture, regulatory requirements and industry  

-Specify policies and controls regarding what can be stored on user desktops and laptops, so you can control and protect important data.  Further, empower your network administrators to enforce those policies by giving them the tools to do so

-Be sure all key departments within your organization, such as legal, IT and HR, understand the policies; require them to sign off on your email filtering, retention, retrieval and analysis policies

-Keep the big picture in mind. Staying attuned to how threats and anti-threat solutions are evolving, will better prepare you to identify problem areas for your business and to take the necessary steps to guard against them.  If you don’t think you have the time to monitor these threats, lean on a trusted technology partner who does. And remember -- the investment is worth it

-It cannot be said enough:  educate your staff.  By teaching them how to prevent the spread of viruses and worms via email attachments and phishing scams, you are investing in your organization’s overall well being.  Make sure all employees are educated against opening spam or emails from unknown senders.  Reiterate this policy frequently.  Do your research.  Talk to other small businesses and see what is and is not working for them.  Get your budget approved and do the necessary leg work -- you won’t regret it

In a society where instant communication is the norm, it is easy to take email for granted -- but there is no excuse for shortcuts when it comes to security.  Take advantage of the available solutions, and encourage your network administrators to enforce security policies -- you, your employees and your clients will be happy that you did.

Solving Some Common WiFi Issues

Many small businesses utilize WiFi these days and it is an important aspect of keeping their operations and information flow running smooth.  Also, many customers depend on geting WiFi for their phone or computer depending on your business.  That is why it can be a real pain if the WiFi does not function properly.  Here are a list of some common WiFi issues, and how you can solve them without having to deal with the frustration of no wireless connection for a long period of time. 

Forgotten WEP or WPA Security Key or Passphrase

Are you trying to connect another Wi-Fi computer or device, but don't remember the security key or passphrase set on your router? Don't worry: It's easy to find your WEP key or WPA/WPA2 passphrase.  If you have a computer with Windows Vista or 7 that is currently configured with the Wi-Fi router, you can simply open up the network properties to see the security key/passphrase. You can't do this in Windows XP, however, since the security key/passphrase can't be unmasked like in later versions of Windows.  To find your key/passphrase in Windows Vista or 7, start by bringing up the list of available wireless networks.  In Vista, click Start > Connect To, or in Windows 7, simply click the Network icon in the lower right corner. Then right-click your network name, select Properties, and click the Security tab. Check the Show Characters box and you'll see the key/passphrase. Also take note of the Security and Encryption types.  If you can't use a Windows Vista or 7 PC to lookup your security key/passphrase, you can use a tool called WirelessKeyView. It recovers the keys/passphrases stored by Windows.

Forgotten Router Password

To change a router's settings, you login to the Web-based interface by typing the router's IP address into a browser and logging in with a username and password. During the setup wizard of some routers, you're prompted to change the default password. If you aren't sure that you've created a new one, first try the default.  Most Linksys and D-Link routers use "admin" for both the default username and password, or just for the username and a blank password. You can look up the defaults for your particular model here. If your Internet Service Provider installed your router, contact them for the login info.  If you've logged into the router before, you might see if the Network Password Recovery tool can retrieve the login credentials on the PC you logged in from before.  If it looks like you set a password but can't remember or recover it, you can quickly reset the router back to factory defaults. However, this will reset everything so you'll have to reconfigure your wireless security and maybe your Internet connection settings. To reset hold in the small reset button on the back of the router for up to 30 seconds. Then you can connect and login with the default credentials.

Having To Manually Connect After Restarting

You shouldn't have to do anything for your PC or laptop to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network after restarting. The security key/passphrase should be stored by Windows or, if installed, the connection manager for your wireless adapter.  However, if you have a third-party connection manager installed but it isn't running correctly, you might have problems getting it to reconnect automatically. If this is the case, try to uninstall the connection manager via the Add/Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel. Look for the name of the wireless adapter vendor and remove the program(s). This should still keep the driver installed for the wireless adapter, which is the only thing required for you to use the built wireless manager of Windows. If you still have issues, follow the manufacturer's directions to reinstall their software.

5 Common CRM Mistakes

Customer Relationship Management is essential for small businesses. So much of your success relies on how you establish a report with your customers and make them feel as if the business is a place that represents comfort and quality. It is easy to make mistakes when handling CRM however, especially if you are using a computing system to help improve your relationships. Here are 5 common mistakes in CRM that as a small business owner you should try to avoid making.


1. Getting Overwhelmed by Social Media
Relationships are growing all over the Internet, thanks to social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs and Twitter. While more relationships are good news for your business, keeping up with all your new friends, followers and contacts can be overwhelming. Thus it is important to be sure to capture these non-traditional communication channels in your CRM system so you can get the bigger picture on your relationships and help them grow.


2. Using CRM as a Micro-Management Tool
CRM systems are about improving the speed and effectiveness of managing customer relationships.  This means a CRM system should be for the Sales and Support reps first and management second.  While you need visibility and discipline, you can't have reps believe that the CRM is just a surveillance and measurement tool for upper management, or they won't really use it.  Additionally, the data will be incomplete. So you won't get either the effectiveness or the visibility you wanted out of the system.  The best thing to do would be to optimize your CRM system to save your sales reps time and hassle, so they can close deals faster.


3. Decentralizing Customer Data
Many businesses deploy their CRM without thinking about connecting it with the larger business. That can mean having to manually reenter data which slows down business processes. To avoid this CRM mistake, managers should tightly integrate sales and service applications with accounting, so you can accelerate, streamline and reduce errors from the quote, to order, to fulfillment and invoicing, through to customer service process.  Also, integrating your sales and finance systems provides the most accurate way of building strong forecasts.


4. Not Owning Your Information
When deploying a CRM system, you need to take the appropriate steps to protect your information from the start by setting up your system wisely.  Use the bussiness name, business credit card, and be sure that a business email address is used when registering the administrator on the account.  These steps will protect you from legal ambiguity about who can access the data, ambiguity you'll be thrilled to avoid if the employment status of the person who sets up the account changes.


5. Trying to do Too Much, Too Soon
Start small and gradually evolve your CRM system.  The most effective CRM systems are built out gradually so that they fit naturally into the way you do business. It's tempting to have a big budget and a fixed deadline but that approach almost guarantees a CRM system that doesn't work smoothly with your existing internal policies, channel interactions or business processes.  Also, don't worry about importing all your contacts in one fell swoop as soon as your new CRM system is up and running, especially if they are located in multiple places.  Instread, use an incremental approach to CRM implementation and expansion.  With the modern, cloud-based tools of today, companies can start small, taking on very little risk and proving the value of the CRM system to each team before getting more strategic.

4 Reasons the iPad is Good For Business

With the increase in tablet usage and buzz in recent months, tablets such as the iPad are becoming a hot commodity in the marketplace.  The natural question now is, how can we use them within our businesses.  This video highlights four reasons why the iPad is in fact good for business and highlights some practical applications that it can be used for.  With the recent announcement of the iPad 2, it is reasonable to think that we will be seeing a lot more of these products in the marketplace and in the business world.