Contact Us Today!   314.394.3001   |   info@andersontech.com
Anderson Technologies
  • Home
  • Services
    • Overview
    • Managed IT Services
    • Cyber Security
    • System Administration
    • HIPAA Compliance Services
    • Ransomware Protection
    • Hardware & Software Consulting
    • Cloud Computing Services
    • Web Design
    • Anderson Archival
  • Industries
    • IT Support for Accountants
    • IT Support for Dental Offices
    • IT Support for Financial Services
    • IT Support for Architects and Engineers
    • IT Support for Manufacturing
    • IT Support for Nonprofits
  • Learn
    • What Are the Biggest Mobile Security Threats of 2020?
    • What Are Mobile Security Best Practices?
    • Battle of the Brands: Microsoft’s Office 365 vs. Google’s Workspace
    • What Does a Firewall Do for a Network?
    • How to Maintain Security When Employees Work Remotely
    • How to Protect Your Data from Ransomware
    • Comparing Mobile OS
    • What Is Phishing?
    • How to Identify Phishing and BEC Scam Emails
    • What Is MFA And Why Do I Need It?
    • How to Reduce Risk and Secure Your Internet of Things Devices
  • Training
  • Resources
    • Free Ebooks
    • Webinar: Cyber Security at Home: Protecting Your Business & Family
    • Newsletter Sign Up
  • About
    • About Us
    • What Our Clients Have To Say
    • Careers
  • Press
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Free Consultation
    • HIPAA Services Inquiry
  • Help
  • Menu Menu

Posts

Sometimes a little troubleshooting can save yourself a call

Save Yourself A Call: 5 Common Helpdesk Issues and How to Fix Them

March 29, 2021/in How To, Managed Services /by Marcia Spicer

There’s no getting around it: some people just aren’t tech-savvy. We’ve all met (or been) that person in the workplace who just isn’t “good with computers” when everything isn’t working as it should. Those feelings are valid! Technology changes frequently, and that’s far faster than most people can keep up with.

Your managed services provider (MSP) or IT helpdesk knows that not everyone feels comfortable troubleshooting their own technical issues, and that’s why they’re there to help you. It’s important for businesses to have a resource to call when computer issues arise so that problems don’t become more serious later on. That helpdesk hotline can be a lifeline for the least tech-savvy workers who aren’t sure what steps to take when something goes awry.

If you often find yourself calling tech support for one of these general, common issues, we’ve compiled a troubleshooting guide that might save you a call to your MSP or IT helpdesk in the future.

1. Login Problems

Most people begin their workday by logging into all their accounts—desktop workstation, email, and an endless list of applications. Each one of these accounts should have its own unique username and password, which can make remembering all these passwords nearly impossible. If you are unable to log in to an essential account, you might feel frantic or even worried that you have been hacked.

Since it’s not feasible to remember a secure and unique password for each account, password reuse is far too common. Unfortunately, password reuse can jeopardize your digital security. If a password is compromised on one account, then all other accounts that use the same (or similar) password will be at high risk. When this happens, every account with that password needs to be changed immediately, which could be a time-consuming process.

If you’re in a situation where a password reset or recovery is necessary, most websites and applications offer a ‘Forgot Password’ option on the login screen. Traditionally, this will send a password reset email to the address that is tied to that specific account. If the account is not managed by your IT team, then resetting your password is all that can be done for recovery.

Utilize Password Managers

Password Managers are the most efficient and secure means of protecting your accounts. Not only will they keep your accounts secure, but you’ll never have to worry about remembering countless unique passwords—or forgetting them, and taking time out of your day to call your IT helpdesk for support.

Password managers ensure that every password you use is unique and complex by using software that is safe, secure, and uncomplicated. Only one master password needs to be memorized and the rest of your credentials can be auto filled in your favorite web browser, operating system, or application. This makes long, complex, and unguessable passwords such as 27HfH$%CT1ve more practical because you only ever have to remember the single master password.

The biggest vulnerability in this solution is the possibility of having all passwords stolen in the event the password manager itself is compromised. Fortunately, modern cybersecurity and encryption methods make password managers far more secure than a rolodex of passwords locked up in a drawer. The popular password manager LastPass was compromised in 2015, however no passwords were made accessible. This was due to the use of AES-256, an encryption standard used by the Department of Defense and National Security Agency, and TLS, an encryption method that secures all modern websites, including those used for online banking.

2. Slow Internet

Slow, choppy internet can be disruptive to a business. Video calls can glitch, files may not upload, and websites can become unresponsive. Even if you don’t mind waiting on your sluggish connection every once in a while, all that time spent waiting adds up to valuable time wasted. Internet speed issues can have a few different causes, all of which require targeted troubleshooting approaches.

Check Your Internet Speed

Ensure your internet plan provides sufficient speeds. If your internet offers only a few Megabits per second (Mbps), your business might need an upgrade.

If the internet plan you pay for should be providing adequate speeds, run a speed test to verify connection speeds. Go to www.speedtest.net to run one. However, don’t be worried if the speed comes back slightly lower than what you pay for. An internet plan providing 200 Mbps may only show 160 Mbps when running a speed test. This may be due to temporary poor Wi-Fi signal strength or high demand in your neighborhood or office block.

Check Wi-Fi Connectivity

If your internet speed is far below what is expected, and you’re connected wirelessly, try moving your device closer to the wireless router or access point. If speeds improve, this indicates poor wireless signals. If a wireless access point is in another room or being used in buildings with metal or brick walls, the signal can degrade within a short distance.

If this test proves Wi-Fi connectivity to be the problem, consider moving the access point to a more centralized location or request that your MSP or IT provider add additional access points around the office. Another consideration is to use wired ethernet connections whenever possible. Wired is always faster than wireless.

Upgrade Old or Insufficient Hardware

Slow speeds could have nothing to do with mistakes on the user’s part, but rather it could be due to old equipment. An old router may not be able to handle the faster speeds and throughput, or the amount of data that can be transferred at any given time, in a modern office. Even new routers may not work for your needs if they aren’t built for running a business network. Modern consumer-grade routers offer fast speeds but are typically not designed to handle the number of devices in a small or medium office. The same applies to firewalls and switches. Consider enlisting your MSP or IT provider to upgrade your hardware if it’s out of date or unable to handle the network demands of your office.

3. Slow Computer

A slow computer is the most common and frustrating pain point that leads business owners and employees to reach out for technical support. A variety of factors can contribute to this bothersome issue.

As discussed in the previous section, hardware becomes outdated fast, but it can also be insufficient even when purchased brand new. Low-end consumer desktops and laptops often have slow hard drives, weak processors, and limited memory. Whenever you purchase a new computer, ensure it has high enough specifications to perform as you need it to. Go to your MSP or IT provider for advice before making these big purchases.

If your computer is older, you may be able to get positive results by upgrading individual components rather than replacing the entire machine:

Hard Drive: The hard drive in your computer stores all the content, programs, and operating systems your computer needs to function. Standard hard drives are mechanical and contain spinning disks. This makes them much slower than their solid state drive (SSD) counterparts. Replacing the hard drive with an SSD can make the entire computer run faster and can reduce reboot times to only 10-20 seconds.

RAM: Random access memory (RAM) is used to keep files and programs loaded and ready to open quickly. RAM helps with multitasking and can keep demanding programs like Photoshop running smoothly. If your computer only has 4GB of RAM, then upgrading to 8GB will make a noticeable difference for most users. For more demanding workloads, upgrading to 16GB may be worthwhile.

Keep an Eye on Software as Well

If a specific application is giving you trouble, try restarting the program. On a Windows machine, if you can’t exit out of the program, press Ctrl-Alt-Delete together. This opens the task manager where you can find the problem program and select ‘End Task.’

If the entire computer is sluggish, check for bloatware. Bloatware is unwanted software, usually pre-installed on the computer. These can be support applications installed by the computer manufacturer or software such as free antivirus, trials for games, and random utilities. If you aren’t sure if something should be removed, check with your MSP or IT provider before hitting uninstall.

Lastly, ensure only one antivirus program is installed. Having two antivirus programs can cause havoc to a computer. Oftentimes, the software will “fight” each other, causing unnecessary strain on your computer and slowing its performance. Sometimes a free antivirus program will interrupt and disable the quality antivirus installed by your IT team or MSP, which increases the risk of accidentally installing malware.

Speaking of Viruses and Malware…

Malware can make a computer run at a crawl. Open your antivirus application and run a full system scan. Be sure to remove any malicious or unwanted programs it finds.

4. Printer Issues

Printers are often the most notorious and obnoxious troublemakers in any office environment. These devices can be clumsy and prone to connectivity and driver issues. When experiencing printer problems, one of these troubleshooting tips may help.

Check the Print Queue

When a document fails to print, it sometimes gets stuck in the print queue preventing any future documents from printing. On a Windows device, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners. Select your printer and click ‘Open Queue.’ Right click on all documents listed and select ‘Cancel.’ If you share a printer with coworkers and are cancelling their documents, be sure to keep them informed. Once the printer is up and running again, they can re-print anything they need.

Check Print Spooler Service

Printer spoolers communicate the printing jobs to the printer and manage the queue of printing jobs. When this service crashes, it can affect the entire print queue.

This troubleshooting step requires administrator privileges, so not all users should attempt to fix this issue. In the Windows search bar, type ‘Services’ and open the Services app. Scroll down to ‘Print Spooler’ and select ‘Restart the Service.’ If you can’t do this on your own, your MSP or IT helpdesk may be able to do it quickly.

Reinstall the Printer and Drivers

When all else fails, remove the printer form your system by going to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners and then selecting ‘Remove Device.’ You can re-install the printer by selecting ‘Add a Printer or Scanner’ on that same page.

If that route doesn’t work smoothly, you can go to the printer manufacturer’s website and install the printer drivers. This option tends to work better but does require downloading drivers from the internet. When retrieving drivers, ensure they are downloaded from the printer manufacturer’s official website.

If you are using an HP printer, install the HP Smart application. This application will install the drivers and assist with printer setup for nearly all HP printers.

5. Hacked Account

A hacked account is a scary and uncertain situation for any individual or business. You could be locked out of your own account, have personal information stolen, or have money transferred out of your banking account. Even if you are able to take some steps on your own, always let your IT team or MSP know what accounts have been compromised so they can secure any connected accounts or networks.

Change Account Password

When an account is hacked, immediate action needs to be taken. The first move is to change your password. When a password is changed, any device signed into that account will be kicked off and required to enter the new password. Some services have an option to not log out of all devices when changing a password. Never enable this option, it is an important safeguard and removes the hacker from your account.

Be sure to change passwords to any other accounts that use the same or similar password as well.

Utilize Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

The only real way to prevent having your account hacked is to ensure hacking can’t occur in the first place. MFA is the strongest and simplest method to prevent account hacking. While using MFA does not mean that other security controls can be disregarded, it is important to know that MFA is the most effective defense against account takeover. Research from Google shows that using MFA with a cell phone number prevents 100% of automated attacks and 96% of phishing attacks.

Bonus Tip: “Have you turned it off and back on again?”

While the phrase is often said jokingly when troubleshooting IT problems, rebooting your devices can solve many issues. Rebooting your PC may make it faster and rebooting a printer may cause its scanner to finally work again. While no IT troubleshooting is the be-all and end-all, powering a device off and back on can sometimes fix otherwise stubborn errors.

If a reboot alone doesn’t do the trick, try unplugging the device from its power source for ten or more seconds. This trick is known as “power cycling” or a “hard reset.” This allows all electricity to drain from capacitors, essentially acting as a reboot for hardware.

 

Knowing how to confidently solve some IT problems in the moment will not only empower you and your employees, but it will serve to strengthen the cybersecurity of your entire business. Regardless of your ability to troubleshoot some problems on your own, always keep your IT team or MSP looped in to any problems you encounter and the steps you’ve taken to mitigate them. This ensures the safety and security of your network.

Do you have a persistent IT problem you just can’t seem to figure out on your own? We’re here to help! Connect with us today to learn more about how to educate yourself and your team.

 

Contact Us

Byte-Size Tech: 3 Tips for Troubleshooting Before Calling IT

March 26, 2021/in How To, Managed Services, Video /by Marcia Spicer

 

Libby Powers and Junior Systems Administrator Ben Fairbanks, both of Anderson Technologies, chat about one of the most common issues computer users face: slow operations. Ben identifies three possible approaches to troubleshoot that can often resolve the issue without starting a ticket with your IT provider. Ben shares tips about internet speeds, connectivity, computer updates, and an old classic tip that really works!

 

Related Reading

  • Is Your Computer Slowing You Down?
  • Everyday Complications, and An All Hands On Deck Upgrade
  • 4 Common Tech Problems Impeding Your Business’ Growth
Contact Us

 

Transcript

Libby Powers: Hey, Ben. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Byte-Size Tech. I’m really happy to have you do this video with me today.

Ben Fairbanks: No problem at all, Libby. I heard you wanted to talk about some simple troubleshooting tips that viewers can try before calling their IT partner or managed service provider. Is that right?

Libby Powers: That’s correct. For everybody in the audience, just so you know, Ben is one of our Junior System Administrators here, and “Junior” is relative because he definitely knows his stuff. So Ben, I know some so-called “simple problems” make up a lot of what our clients might encounter day-to-day. If we can save them some time or a phone call, I say let’s do it. I’d love to hear what your tips are.

Ben Fairbanks: Yeah, for sure. So, maybe your workstation is acting a little sluggish, or just not doing what you think it should. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to every problem, so do remember that your IT team is here for you. Also, if you’ve already run through these fixes, you could save some time and troubleshoot further with your technician on the ticket.

Libby Powers: What’s the first thing you recommend?

Ben Fairbanks: First thing is checking your connectivity. This means whether or not you’re connected to the internet at all, and if the connection is strong enough to support what you’re doing.

The first thing is to check your internet connection. On a Windows 10 machine, you can find this in the settings. If you click on “Network and Internet,” you should see a message that says you’re connected. If there’s an issue with the internet itself, it’ll show a red X on there, indicating that you’re not actually connected.

Letting us know that you for sure aren’t connected gives us a great place to start digging into the details and troubleshooting further. But maybe you are connected and things still seem to not work quite right.

Libby Powers: I definitely know that how that feels. Every evening when I’m at home, I’m trying to do work stuff or watch Netflix, and my kids are on their devices, it’s definitely slowing down the internet speed.

Ben Fairbanks: Definitely. I think everyone has experienced slow internet, especially since the last year with a lot of users working from home. But to help narrow down exactly what the issue is, you could visit https://www.speedtest.net/ in your browser.

If you want to check your speed a bit quicker, one thing I like to do is, if you’re using the Google search engine, you can type in speed test and search and you can run a speed test right there in the results. So, a bit quicker.

Now, if you’re getting dramatically less than what you know you’re paying for, it could be time to further investigate with your IT provider, as long as you have the information from your ISP—such as Comcast, Spectrum, any one of those companies that you purchase internet monthly from.

Libby Powers: So as far as that speed test goes, I don’t know that I would understand what that outcome would be. Can you share kind of what some of the low numbers or high numbers are?

Ben Fairbanks: Yeah, of course.

For a household, I’d say the general median speeds could be 50 megabytes down speed and maybe 10 megabytes up speed, but it really relies on where you live. At least for me, I’m getting about 200 megabytes down and 10 up. That’s pretty much way more than what I need to live just for basic internet browsing, stuff like that. But there could be another side of St. Louis that you can only get 50 meg bytes per second.

If you’re working from home, you definitely want at least 50 so that you can connect to the internet, download whatever files you need to, and work collaboratively with people on cloud file-sharing platforms. So, 50 and above, 100 would be perfect for that magic number.

Now, if you’re in an office environment with a few other coworkers nearby, I would say you want anywhere from at least 100, and best-case scenario is 200 megabits per second down. The up speed becomes a bit more important in an office environment because you are transferring a lot more data into the internet and download more as well.

If you’re in a larger corporate environment? They’ve probably got huge numbers to support all of their maybe hundreds of employees, and they probably even have separate ones as well to act as failovers.

But for general populace, if you’re working from home, I would say 50 to 100 is the golden rule. If you’re in a small office environment, 100 to 200 is the magic number.

Libby Powers: That is really awesome information to share because that is not something that I think people readily understand. I don’t really understand it. I love that you shared that, Ben.

What are some other things that we can try before we give you a call?

Ben Fairbanks: Well, another thing is updates for your computer. Now if you don’t have the most up-to-date patches for your computer, it may not work properly. If you’re a client of Anderson Technologies, we have what’s called an RMM installed on your computer that will take care of these updates for you. You may just get a reminder, and then you can reboot your computer afterwards. But you may not even notice that it’s there too.

Libby Powers: So, RMM?

Ben Fairbanks: Oh yeah, sorry, an RMM stands for Remote Monitoring and Management tool. This helps managed IT services providers and IT companies get an early heads up to any problems you might be experiencing, and we can automatically take care of things like updates for you.

Libby Powers: That’s awesome. But what if the user isn’t a client of ours, and they don’t have an RMM?

Ben Fairbanks: Well, if you go back to the Windows 10 settings, but this time go to the “Update and Security” option, you can check automatically to see if updates are available for you. If so, they’ll automatically start downloading, and once it’s done, they will apply for you and they’ll ask for a reboot.

One thing to note though, once those updates are done, give your computer a little bit of time during that reboot. One thing I tell my clients is if we’re installing these updates in the morning, you can let those updates, if they’re done, stay there. Then if you go on a lunch break, maybe for an hour, you can restart your computer before you log off, because from what I’ve seen, it may take around 15 to 20 minutes for your computer to go past those updates. It’ll hang on a loading screen before you log in.

Definitely make sure that when you reboot your computer after updates, you can afford some spare time to let your computer think for a bit before logging in again.

Libby Powers: That’s awesome.

Basically, what you’re telling me is if there’s an update on my phone or an update on my computer, I should not press snooze for four weeks, five weeks, six weeks in a row because that’s probably not a good idea?

Ben Fairbanks: Exactly, yep. If you don’t have our RMM installed, I would definitely keep tabs on it about every week. Definitely check for updates as much as you can. It could be something as small as silly feature updates or small patches for Windows 10, or it could be as important as large security updates.

Maybe you’ve seen some headlines in the news about some Windows exploit but, you know, a lot of people may not read those news sources. It’s always good to check on the weekly basis just to see if there’s anything new to install on your computer.

Libby Powers: That’s really good to know. Do you have any other tips for these users before they submit a ticket?

Ben Fairbanks: There is one more and it is kind of cheesy, and you’ve probably heard before, but hear me out. Almost every universal potential solution to a computer problem is turning it off and again.

At the start menu, you can select the reboot option, and you can check after it restarts to see if everything runs smoother. It can fix a surprising number of issues, so you at least want to give it a try first before considering more complex solution. A simple reboot could fix a weird problem almost immediately, and we can skip going deeper down the rabbit hole if we could.

Libby Powers: That’s awesome. You know, I always forget the power of a restart, but that’s a really great point. If my IT partner or managed services provider is going to try something anyway, I may as well sense that and knock it out before we even reach out to them. Save them a ticket and save me time, right?

Ben Fairbanks: Yeah, of course, it always helps just to run through some simple steps. Like I said: updates, computer restart, checking your internet connection and your internet speed.

When you submit a ticket to us or if you further diagnose a problem yourself, you can save yourself a bit more time when you, like I mentioned, end up falling down the rabbit hole only to find out that it could be one of these simple solutions.

Libby Powers: Ben, those are really great tips and tricks. I really appreciate you sharing that, especially the one about the internet speed and what it should be at home or at business. I think that’s really important.

So please, if you want more information, you can take a look at our blog on Anderson Technologies because we always blog about what we video about. If you have any questions, let us know.

And Mr. Ben, I hope I see you on another episode of Byte-Size Tech.

Ben Fairbanks: No problem, Libby. Have a good one. Bye.

WirelessSecurity in st louis

Wireless Security — How Vulnerable Is Your Network?

July 18, 2016/in Data Security, General /by Anderson Technologies

Complementary Wi-Fi is such a commonplace service in our modern-day landscape that most customers expect it as part of every business’s onsite offerings. Customers tap into public wireless access points (WAPs) everywhere they go. Before you open up your business’s network, carefully consider how to implement wireless security and shield your firm’s proprietary and private data from public view.

While traveling, how often have you tried to wirelessly connect your smartphone to the internet only to find several visible networks? You may notice most listings are paired with a lock symbol, indicating blocked public access. Without this protection, anyone with the right tools could gain access to private data. To protect yourself, never connect to a public Wi-Fi network that doesn’t provide a secure encryption.

A wireless network that segregates public and private traffic gives visitors guest network rules and a password that allows them to access only the areas you choose. IT support specialists at Anderson Technologies recommend this kind of network as an essential element to secure sensitive data. They also suggest configuring it for Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2) utilizing strong passwords. WPA2 offers essential encryption and authentication to guard against unauthorized access to your network. This protocol, combined with a hardware firewall, allows employees to securely access the internet and shared files or folders within your company’s digital infrastructure.

In addition to protocols that enable wireless security, IT support experts at Anderson Technologies recommend regularly updating passwords on all company computers and devices (see our blog on Password Security). This includes changing access passwords on all wireless networks. It’s also important to continually update software. New versions contain patches that ensure existing vulnerabilities are taken care of.

“Once you’ve established wireless security in the office environment, don’t forget to set up guidelines for employees traveling with laptops, including common sense computer-use protocols,” said Mark Anderson, a principal partner of Anderson Technologies. “For instance, always be aware of your surroundings when entering passwords. Never attach to an unsecured/unencrypted network, and know what steps to take if a company device is misplaced.” Employees should always use caution and verify networks are legitimate before connecting to Wi-Fi in public spaces like airports and hotels.

Follow these wireless security guidelines to help keep your company data secure and guard against hacker attacks.

Providing companies in St. Louis wireless security as a part of a larger IT support program involves many areas of attention. For more information about establishing a segregated wireless network at your business, contact the St. Louis IT experts of Anderson Technologies at 314.394.3001.

Contact Us

Newsletter Signup



Recent Posts

  • Sharing the Work Load: The Case for Co-Managed IT Services
  • Byte-Size Tech: What Is Co-Managed IT?
  • Byte-Size Tech: Essential Tips for Safer Online Shopping
  • Save Yourself A Call: 5 Common Helpdesk Issues and How to Fix Them
  • Byte-Size Tech: 3 Tips for Troubleshooting Before Calling IT

Seeking IT support and managed services?
Get a free consultation today.

Contact Us

  • Home
  • Services
  • Resources
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
ATI Logo
Phone: 314.394.3001
Email: info@andersontech.com

13523 Barrett Parkway Dr
Suite 120
St. Louis, MO 63021



© - Anderson Technologies
  • Home
  • Services
  • Resources
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
Scroll to top
We use cookies to understand how you use our site. Click Accept to confirm your approval of this, or learn more in our Privacy Policy. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

SAVE & ACCEPT