Improving Your WiFi Connection – Tip of the Day

improving your wifi connection tip of the day

WiFi connection

Most businesses today rely on high-speed Internet connection to communicate with clients, schedule orders, and run digital marketing campaigns. In this blog, we’ll offer a few tips for improving your WiFi connection without having to go out and buy a new router.

Conduct Weekly Speed Tests

Our first suggestion is to conduct a weekly speed test to take a good look at your connection. We recommend this frequency because running the test only takes a few seconds and it will help you detect any problems early on. If your connection is slow for whatever reason, you’ll want to know that immediately.

Update the Firmware

Sometimes, a slow connection is just a result of outdated firmware. You can fix this by searching your router’s manufacturer and looking for a new firmware release. These are usually free and easy to install.

Elevate Your Router

The placement of your router plays a big role in its connection. In NYC, you want to make sure you keep yours away from brick walls. This Tech World article explains how you can get a better connection by elevating your router:

“Unfortunately, the laws of physics sometimes stand in the way of proper wireless bandwidth and signal strength. The distance between your router and the wireless adapter is a more relevant factor than you might think so avoid placing it near thick brick or concrete walls. Placing the router higher up could make a difference to wireless signal.”

You can always test different router placements to see what works best in your office. The speed test is good for that.

Check the Frequency

Dual band routers provide 2.4 GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Since 2.4GHz is the much more crowded one, you should try connecting your devices to the 5GHz frequency if possible. It will have fewer signals and connections, so you’re less likely to run into any interruptions.

For more information about your WiFi connection or IT support in New York, contact us today.

Saving Time and Improving Your Internet Search Results – Computer Tip of the Day

saving time and improving your internet search results computer tip of the day

Saving Time

Search engines run using an algorithm to determine which results appear for each search. If you are looking for something specific it can become frustrating if it does not immediately appear in the search result. Sometimes you need to change the way that you are using the search engine. Here are a few internet search tips for using search engines to their full potential and saving time.

Search Exact Phrases Using Quotes

Typing a phrase into your search bar will only show results where the words are used throughout the page. If you want to find the exact phrase in your results, then try including quotes around your phrase. This tells the search engine to only return results using the exact wording.

Specify the File Type

If you are looking for a handbook, manual, or any type of material that is commonly printed in pdf form, then you do not want to have to sift through search results to find this information. Adding the file type to your search will ensure that your search engine only returns results that are in that format. For example, if you are looking for a pdf version of a text add “filetype:pdf” to the end of the text you are searching.

Use Local Search

If you are looking for something that is only specific to your local area, then you should use a localized search. Local search results can easily get stuck behind pages of national search results. Google offers Google local as an easy way to search for news and other content in your area.

Improving the way that you use search engines will not only yield better results but will also cut down on time spent using the search engine. If you have additional computer questions, then contact us.

20 Youtube Keyboard Shortcuts to Save Time

20 youtube keyboard shortcuts to save time

Youtube is one of the highest-traffic sites in the world. People go there for both entertainment and education purposes. Here are some useful Youtube keyboard shortcuts to help you save time and navigate Youtube easily.

  1. To go back five seconds, click the left arrow
  2. To go back 10 seconds, click on j
  3. To go forward five seconds, click on the right arrow
  4. To go forward 10 seconds, click on l
  5. To pause, click on k. To resume, click on k again. Clicking the spacebar will achieve the same purpose on most computers.
  6. To make a video full screen, click on f
  7. To exit full screen mode, click on esc
  8. To go to the beginning of a video, click on the home button
  9. To go to the end of a video, click on the end button
  10. To increase the volume by five percent, click the up arrow
  11. To decrease the volume by five percent, click the down arrow
  12. To mute the sound, click m
  13. To unmute the sound, click m again
  14. To move to the next video in a playlist, click shift + n
  15. To move to the previous video in a playlist, click shift + p
  16. To turn captions on, click on c
  17. To turn captions off, click on c again
  18. To increase the caption size, click on +
  19. To decrease the caption size, click on –
  20. To move to a certain percentage point in the video, click on 1-9 (1 for ten percent etc)

Need help with your home or work computer? Contact us today for technical support!

Protect Your Equipment From Power Interruptions – Computer Tip of the Day

protect your equipment from power interruptions computer tip of the day

Computer equipment has become so commonplace in our society that sometimes we forget they are still vulnerable to electrical power spikes, brownouts and power interruptions.  It is just too easy to plug in our laptops or PCs directly into an electrical outlet and assume that no harm will ever occur.

Power Interruptions

For an individual, losing their computer equipment to an electrical power spike is definitely unpleasant, but for a business that relies on their computer equipment every minute of the day in order to perform work-related tasks, losing devices to electrical issues can be very costly, both in terms of lost productivity and physical property.

Every technology device used in your business should be protected through the use of a uninterruptible power supply (UPS) unit.  UPS units come in a range of sizes, with smaller units providing protection for one computer device, all the way up to large units that can protect multiple devices or even an entire office.  UPS units protect your valuable computer equipment by providing a steady level of electricity; filtering out any dips or spikes in the current coming into your establishment.

During a brownout, a UPS unit can provide a smooth transition over to your backup generator or during a complete power outage, a UPS unit with a backup power supply allows users to gracefully save essential data and exit normally from applications before powering off their computer.  When power is restored, a business using UPS units simply powers back up their equipment and returns to the task at hand.

Want to know more about protecting your corporate data and valuable equipment?  Contact us.

 

15 Amazing Keyboard Shortcuts for Chrome That Will Save You Lots of Time

15 amazing keyboard shortcuts for chrome that will save you lots of time

Are you aware of how much time you can save when using Google Chrome? There are many keyboard shortcuts that will enable you to navigate Chrome quickly without having to move your mouse.

Here are some cool and relatively unknown keyboard shortcuts you should know about.

  1. Open a new tab: Ctrl + T
  2. Open a new window: Ctrl + N
  3. Open incognito mode: Ctrl + Shift + N
  4. Reopen the last closed tab (you can do this up to 10 times for the last 10 tabs): Ctrl + Shift + T
  5. Close the current tab: Ctrl + W
  6. Close the current window: Ctrl + Shift + W
  7. Reload the page: Ctrl + R
  8. Switch to the next tab: Ctrl + tab
  9. Switch to a specific tab: Ctrl + 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8
  10. Put the cursor in browser search bar so you can start typing without touching your mouse: Ctrl + L
  11. Open a link in a new tab: Click on the link while pressing the Ctrl button
  12. Open a link in a new window: Click on the link while pressing the Shift button
  13. Open Chrome’s task manager (very useful if Chrome freezes): Shift (or search button in certain computers) + the esc button
  14. To drag multiple tabs to a new window: Click and drag the first of the tabs  you want to move while pressing the Ctrl button
  15. To highlight a large block of text: Click on the starting point of the text you want to highlight, then click on the ending point while pressing the Shift button

Need tech support for your home or work computer? Contact us today for help.