What’s The BIG Idea?

By: John Brady - Fox River Networks

The Internet continues to change the way we use computers in our homes and in our offices. All around us you will find improvements in Internet access, speed and availability. Small business people can take advantage of these improvements to connect themselves to each other while on the road or at their desk.

The greatest operational challenges that face most smaller businesses revolve around technology. You need to be connected but also mobile. You don’t want to invest in technology that locks you down. You may not have the human resources to set up and maintain the infrastructure needed to help you accomplish you business goals.

Web based applications can be the right solution for you.

Small businesses benefit from using Software as a Service (SaaS). What is SaaS? It is typically any application that is hosted outside your local area network and you use from an available Internet connection. Most of these applications fulfill general needs that face both individuals and small businesses. SalesForce.com and QuickBooks Online are prime examples of these types of applications.

The benefit to you is that you have increased access to these applications and they are maintained by the company that hosts them. Most are priced monthly per user, so you only pay for what you need.

There are also an increasing number of FREE services to help your business increase it’s mobility and flexibility. Google has done a very impressive job of creating solutions to fill these needs without the normal costs associated when choosing a commercial vendor.

Every business and many individuals these days find themselves with a need to share information, contacts and other communications. The Internet provides a flexible network to help you accomplish this.

Don’t forget that when you find yourself dealing with a computer issue, we can provide help and support through the Internet as well. There is no faster or more economical way to deliver the help you need to your computer. On site support can cost hundreds of dollars for issues that are better addressed on line. Make us your first call when you are having issues. Save Time & Money – Help is Just a CLICK Away. If we can’t fix it, it’s FREE.

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks

This week Microsoft announced the release of the long awaited Vista Service Pack #1, so why is it not downloading? Argh, Microsoft puts the word out on the street that Service Pack #1 has been released but they don’t have it download even if automatic updates is enabled. That sounds to me like they want to get the news media on their side by telling them it has been “X” number of days since Service Pack #1 has been released and we have received very few complaints. We’ll yeah, nobody got it…duh. I am guessing that if you are running Vista you might have an issue or two that Service Pack #1 will address, so here is is an article that tells you how to get it. Windows Vista Blog

I am not a Vista basher, I just get frustrated at this kind of approach to a patch release that so many people need. In general I have found Vista to be a good direction for the Windows OS. There is always a learning curve for users and a shake out period for new code, but let’s get it fixed and move on. If you are using Vista, don’t wait, get yourself over to Microsoft and start the download.

If you are still confused, you are not alone, it took me a couple of reads before I got it straight. The On-Line Help Desk can help take care of this for you. Just give us a call.

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks

Clint Eastwood delivered that line as he was staring down a bad guy in Dirty Harry. That was a classic case of everything to lose and nothing to gain. If you know me, you have heard me spread the word about computer back up. You have everything to lose and nothing to gain if you don’t take this serious.

I know not everyone is listening because every day I get new clients that tell me, while they know how important back up is, they just haven’t gotten around to doing it. I have the solution “On-Line Back-Up”.

The two reasons not to back up your computer:

• You Really Do Feel Lucky

• You just don’t care if you lose everything of importance that is on your computer

There is a company in the Chicago area that is advertising battery back up sump pumps for your home and they ask the question, “how many sump pumps will fail?” The answer is all of them.

We live in our homes long enough to need to replace mechanical features like sump pumps but we generally haven’t kept our computers to the point that they experience major mechanical failures. I am not sure why but things appear to be changing now. I don’t know if we are just pushing our computers harder these days or if the components are not lasting as long, but lately it seems many more people are experiencing the loss of their hard drive and all of the personal and work information that is on them.

How many hard drives fail? All of them. You will be lucky if yours lasts longer than you need it to. Do you store your family pictures on your computer and no where else? Do you have work or other materials that are important to you, how about your e-mails, and contacts? Would it take you more than 1 hour to recreate anything that was lost do to failure or even accident? Have you ever deleted a file only to regret it later? What if you could get it back before it was too late? Now that would be lucky!

If you are ready to preserve the work, the contacts, the communication and the memories on your computer, it’s really very simple. >>CLICK HERE<< It’s only about $50.00 per year, offers unlimited backup for Personal Computers and your files are available to you anywhere you can get an Internet connection. This is a Set It & Forget It type of program. It works in the background while your computer is on. If you have any problem setting it up, I can help. That is what I do after all, I help people with their computers through the Internet. If you are down the street or across the country, Help is Just a CLICK Away.

Of course Mozy can protect your business computers too. Get started now. Before it’s too late.

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks
For those of you that have noticed and even those that haven’t, we’ve upgraded our web server.

We’ve had this website hosted on a very modestly priced server for the last few years. It had been doing well for us until recently. About a week ago it was really starting to show it’s age. Our website provider was delivering very good customer support, but the machine it was on was just getting too slow for the amount of traffic that we are generating these days. We decided to upgrade to the Enterprise level service and I wouldn’t change a thing. This is a hold on to your hats kind of fast now. Anyway, Buckle Up & enjoy the ride.

** Don’t forget a PC Tune-Up could get you and your computer back into the fast lane too!

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks
When a hard drive crashes there are very few options available. Protect yourself now from this kind of disaster.

Pain and Frustration barely begin to describe what is felt by the loss of your work and personal information when your hard drive crashes. We have consolidated so many parts of our lives into our computers, that the loss of a hard drive can be devastating.

There is no question that a hard drive will fail, the only question is when. It is a mechanical device, it is constantly in motion, it does have a lifespan and it will eventually fail.

The lifespan of most hard drives is often longer than our use of it, but when it falls short of our expectations we need to be prepared. We need to protect what is most important.

The question has never been if we should back up but how do we go about it. It can seem very complicated. The software can be tough to set up. You need to regularly change disks or tapes, and most people never really know if their backup is actually any good.

The answer is On-Line Backup. Set it and Forget it. An added bonus is that you can access your files from any computer connected to the Internet. The Internet continues to change the way we work and this is a positive change that works to your advantage.

I have tested it. It is safe, secure, and accessible. It’s only $4.95 per month. Just click >>HERE<< to sign up now. If you need help setting this up, call me.

I would never suggest that you do something that I did not feel was in your best interest. I have tested this service and have chosen them for my personal backup protection. Do yourself a favor and take my advice. You won’t be disappointed.

Do not end up as just another Hard Drive Crash Statistic. Take action and protect what is important to you. I can help you if you need it. Just do it now before it is too late.

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks

It’s that time of the year when we reflect on the year gone by and consider what lies ahead. Keeping your computer operating efficiently and securely, and having a backup in case of a major failure should be your primary concerns. Fox River Networks suggests that you set some resolutions for your computer and the information on it that is important to you. We can help you accomplish these resolutions and keep you on track all year long.

New Year’s Resolutions that are valid for any computer user include:

• Back up regularly.

• Use a surge protector.

• Install an anti-virus program and keep it updated.

• Install Windows updates.

• Use a firewall.

• Check for viruses and spyware regularly.

• Get a PC Tune-Up to improve the performance and protect your security.

I saw quite a few computers that suffered hard drive failures last year. I also experienced the pain and frustration felt by people that had lost information that was important to them. The most important resolution from the list above is to perform a regular backup. This does not have to be a complicated procedure, it can be as simple as making CD copies of the documents, pictures and other files that are most important to you. Most people only fully appreciate the importance of backups after a failure has occurred.

Surge Protection, ideally with a battery backup are good for your computer. Your computer is a collection of electronic components and providing it clean and consistent electricity will keep it working longer. It’s just like putting good gas in your car.

It is not enough to have anti virus and anti spyware programs on your computer, you must keep them updated and use them regularly. Every day there is some new Internet junk that is looking for an unprotected computer to call home.

Keeping your protection updated and working will keep the junk away from you.

Get a PC Tune-Up when you feel like your computer is running sluggish or when your virus or spyware programs warn you of problems. A PC Tune-Up should address critical privacy, performance and system maintenance issues to be considered effective. Fox River Networks can perform a comprehensive PC Tune-Up through the Internet to save you time and money. Help is just a Click Away.

Fox River Networks will provide the assistance you need to accomplish your computer resolutions. We work on your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. We are based in the United States and provide service throughout this country. Call Today (800) 676-5870

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks

Computers are like cars, the more they are used, the slower they begin to perform.

Effective security and efficient performance are only maintained through routine service procedures.

The Internet is both the greatest and most destructive thing to happen to our computers since we began to connect them together.

The vast amounts of information, and the wealth of resources available on the Internet are too valuable to abandon, but in order to access them we often have to wander through a mine field of spyware, viruses and annoying pop-up windows.

Protecting your computer can not be considered an option, it is a requirement. We store documents and personal information on our computers that needs to be kept safe and secure.

The 3 necessary components to computer security:

• Firewall – Designed to protect your computer from inbound threats and attacks.

• Anti-Virus Software - Attempts to identify and eliminate programs written to compromise your computer system or destroy your data.

• Anti-Spyware Software - Attempts to identify and remove software that is installed surreptitiously on a personal computer to intercept or take partial control over the user’s interaction with the computer, without the user’s informed consent.

The more common Internet Security Suites now contain all of the basic elements to provide you with general protection.

The greatest challenge to securing your computer, is that computer security is a constantly moving target.

It is critical to have the most recent updates to spyware and virus protection programs, and to run them regularly. Also it is important to understand that most computer infection is self inflicted. Recently I have noticed many more attempts by virus and spyware programs to disguise themselves as warnings that users feel compelled to click on. Once that first click is made it is sometimes overwhelming to stop the flow of pop-ups that occur.

What do you do when things start going wrong?

If insuring that your protection is up-to-date, and performing routine scans has not been enough to keep your computer free from infection, or your system seems to be running much slower lately, you should seek professional help.

We provide computer support through the Internet to save you time and money.

Our PC Tune Up, was designed to “Get you back up to Speed” by addressing your computer performance and security issues. Feel free to call with questions or concerns you may have and remember that the holidays are approaching and we have Gift Certificates available to make your shopping easier.

Call Today (800) 676-5870

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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By: John Brady - Fox River Networks

With the Internet providing unprecedented access to Negative On-line Influences, parents are searching for ways to keep their children safe.

As owners of Fox River Networks, my wife and I, share your concerns about how to keep children safe on-line. We had the resources and ability to properly research how to protect our children. Most parents that we talked to were very interested in what we had done, but felt overwhelmed by the choices. We decided to assist parents in the process of adding these controls to their computers.

Fox River Networks partnered with InternetSafety.com to combine their award winning Parental Control software and our expert personal computer assistance. At your request, we control your PC remotely, install the software for you, and establish the controls that meet your family needs.

Parental Control Software can be a challenge to configure well. You need to allow enough access to take advantage of the benefits that the Internet can provide, while also blocking things that you consider inappropriate. This can be different for every age group and family.

We take the time to help you understand what you can accomplish with these controls, and then implement what is important to you.

NEW STUDY REVEALS 14% OF TEENS HAVE HAD FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE THEY’VE MET ON THE INTERNET

• 61% of 13- to 17-year-olds have posted personal information on sites like MySpace or Friendster

• 30% have considered meeting someone they’ve only communicated with on-line.

• 45% have been asked for personal information by someone they don’t know.

• When teens receive messages on-line from someone they don’t know, 40% usually reply to and chat with that person.

(Source: Research by Cox Communication in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children)

Parental Control Software minimizes the risks associated with on-line activities.

• Web Blocking - Control access to specific sites or based on Categories (Adult, Drugs, etc.)

• Instant Messaging - Block it, or Record it with the IM logging feature.

• Time Limits - Set amount of time per day, or hours of Internet access.

• Social Network Monitoring - Monitor activity on sites like MySpace and Facebook.

• Program Blocking - Prevent programs from communicating with the Internet.

Fox River Networks is ready to help you protect your family on-line. Call Today (800) 676-5870

Fox River Networks is the help desk for business and personal computer users. We fix your computer through the Internet while you watch from your desk. No Risk Guarantee – It’s fixed or It’s free.

www.foxrivernetworks.com

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