The internet is full of a multitude of information rich content, helpful sites and resources, however it can also be very dangerous. Spyware and viruses can come from a variety of places (email attachments, add pop-ups, software downloads, pirated movies and music, spam sites, etc.)  For many parents and business owners internet security is a major concern.

Read more

Here are several ways to increase Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your local business:

Read more

Why go with a Managed Service / Unlimited Helpdesk plan for your IT needs?  The answer is quite simple: Unlimited Helpdesk is a set of services customized to create a “Complete outsourced IT department” for your company. Unlimited Helpdesk incorporates everything from helpdesk services, to employee training, consulting and cloud services, all wrapped into one fixed monthly bill. Computer Crews has spent the last 11+ years building and perfecting this type of service. Our goal is eliminate IT headaches, network/inventory downtime and increase productivity.

Read more

In this day and age, it can be extremely hard to determine whether an email is legitimate or simply just spam. Spammers are becoming more sophisticated as time goes on, and it’s important to be prepared.  You don’t want to get caught clicking on a link or attachment from an email that results in spyware, viruses, bots, rootkits, etc. (you get the picture). There are however several ways to protect yourself from this situation:

Read more

A common mistake that companies make when considering a move, is they forget to check and see if their existing Internet Provider does in fact provide service at the new location. This rookie mistake could wind up costing your company thousands of dollars, so it’s an important factor to keep in mind. Additionally, it’s advised to check with your telephone provider, as unnecessary costs may crop up here as well.

Read more

When the first email servers were put into service it was relatively uncommon to receive SPAM email. There were only a few servers in the beginning and thus email traffic was easily regulated. As the general public began using the internet and email, so did the various companies. As more and more people began using email, the marketing and advertising world caught on to this and started using email to send you advertisements. Other users noticed that people were willing to trust an email from a complete stranger, and thus email users with malicious intent started using it to attack their victims.

Read more

Email has become the standard form of communication in the workplace today. We depend on emails to send and receive information from people both within and outside of the organization. Thus, when a problem occurs when sending an email it is important to have the problem evaluated to ensure your message is being received by the recipient. When an error occurs, typically one of the two mail servers will deliver an email called a bounce back with the reasons for the failure.

Read more

Computers, while built to last a long time are not built to last forever. Most contain a few moving parts that will eventually fail over time. Heat and dust also contribute to a hostile environment and will eventually affect the overall performance of a computer. Typically hard drives and fans will break but many older machines have capacitors that tend to burst as well.

Read more

In previous blog posts, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of free E-mail. Hosted email solutions are the alternative to using free email services. With hosted email, you can have a greater level of control and support throughout the entire E-mail process. Typically when you send an E-mail with a free email service and the recipient never receives it, basically, your only other option is to just try sending it again. With a hosted E-mail solution, you can request support from a server administrator to review logs, and track what happened to the message. In many situations, a free email service will not offer help in any way, and you are stuck without being to email that recipient. The hosted email solution gives you access to the people and tools needed to resolve the problem.

Read more

For a moment, if we may, let’s first consider what a fax machine actually is, rather than what it does. Fax machines are a combination of antiquated technology. It is simply a document feeder, attached to a low quality scanning element (which reduces document quality), and transmits the scan through an ancient modem (which takes a long time).
Back in the day, this was all new technology and was great, because you could send a ‘picture’ through the phone line. We all know very well that nowadays, we can do better. Most fax machines transmit data over an analog phone line at a rate of 14,400 bps (that is Bytes per second, BYTES!). That is very slow, even for modem standards. For a comparison, we now have broadband lines that are capable of more than 100mbps (100mbps X 1000Kbytes X 1000Bytes = 100,000,000 Bytes!).

Read more